IB Diploma Programme

St. Mary’s International School is proud to offer the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP)

What is the IB Diploma Programme?

The IBDP is an academically challenging and balanced programme of education, with final examinations, that prepares students aged 16 to 19 for success at university and in life beyond. It has been designed to address the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of students. The programme has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities.

Download the St. Mary’s IBDP Guide:

The Core of the IBDP

The Core lies at the heart of the programme and reflects the IB’s strong commitment to the principle of developing the whole person. The three elements of the core individually and collectively illuminate what it means to experience a DP education, and are driven by the IB’s mission “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect” (IB mission statement).

The core strives to make a difference to the lives of students. It should provide opportunities for students to think about their own values and actions, to deepen their understanding of their place in the world and to sensitively consider the contexts and views of others. Every DP student must complete the three core elements:

Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

TOK is a course about critical thinking and inquiring into the process of knowing, rather than learning about a specific body of knowledge. The TOK course examines how we know what we claim to know. It does this by encouraging students to analyze knowledge claims and explore knowledge questions.

Creativity Activity and Service (CAS)

CAS enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning. The three strands of CAS, which are often interwoven with particular activities, are characterized as follows:

Creativity: arts, and other experiences involving creative thinking

Activity: Physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the Diploma Programme.

Service: An unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student. The rights, dignity, and autonomy of all those involved are respected.

Extended Essay (EE)

The Extended Essay is an in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from the list of approved Diploma Programme Subjects. It is intended to promote high-level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity.