The International Baccalaureate offers two different programs for high school students: the diploma program and the career-related program.
The career-related program offers students the opportunity to develop career-critical skills within a challenging academic framework. It combines coursework from the IB diploma program with a hands-on, individualized curriculum and is currently offered in 27 countries.
For those students whose schools offer the career-related program, here is an overview of three factors that can help you decide whether to enroll.
[Read: AP, IB Diploma Programs Offer High Schoolers a Challenge.]
Each career-related program offers a curriculum that caters to students’ specific needs and interests. The program combines the IB’s central principles and rigor with the usefulness of career-specific education. Students who are interested in a given profession can explore that line of work with the guidance of their instructors and experts in the field.
Schools offering the program can choose which career categories to include and do so with their student body in mind. Examples include business management, engineering and the culinary arts.
The career-related program focuses heavily on the application of knowledge and skills in realistic, day-to-day contexts. Students who are attracted to a specific career can explore it in depth, which can help them decide whether it is the right path for them.
Students in the program must complete a core curriculum, a career-related study and a minimum of two IB diploma program courses. The career-related program’s core curriculum is skills-based and consists of four components: a personal and professional skills course; a reflective project that is independent, completed over an extended period of time and focused on an ethical issue in the student’s preferred career; service learning; and language development.
The career-related study, which is again unique to each school, is designed to prepare students for college-level work, apprenticeships or internships, or employment. Through the career-related study, students master career-specific concepts and theories in a real-world context.
[Read: Discover the Difference Between AP and IB Classes.]
The career-related study is not run by the IB, but instead via collaboration with outside career training organizations such as NAF, a national network of education, business and community leaders that offers programs in finance, hospitality and other fields, and the Savannah College of Art and Design, among others.
Finally, students must choose at least two IB diploma program courses from any of the six subject areas: individuals and societies, language acquisition, mathematics, studies in language and literature, sciences and the arts. Students should select coursework that is applicable to their intended career.
At some schools, diploma program courses may be available online.
Students are assessed both by IB and their school. A school, for example, is required to report to the IB whether a student has satisfied the requirements for language development, service learning and the personal and professional skills course that are part of the career-related program core curriculum.
[Read: Review Types of IB Assessments Before First Course.]
The assessment of the reflective project involves both the school and IB. The school evaluates the project, but the IB supervises and scores it on a letter scale from A to E, with A being the highest score.
And after completing each diploma program course, students must sit for a written exam. These assessments are graded by external IB examiners who mark them on a scale from 1 to 7, with 7 being the highest score.
For students who want to complement traditional learning with the practicality of career-based studies, the IB career-related program could be a good option. Few educational programs offer the invaluable combination of theoretical knowledge and real-word application. However, students should find out more about their school’s career-related program before they decide whether to enroll.
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3 Facts About the IB Career-Related Program originally appeared on usnews.com
