PD: Diploma Programme
El Diploma Program (PD) of the international Baccalaureate® is an educational program with its own evaluation system, aimed at students from 16 to 19 years. Rigorous and balanced, addresses the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of students, and is recognized in the most prestigious universities around the world.
10 Reasons
for which the IB Diploma Program is the ideal preparation for the university
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Advantages of studying the IB
The International Baccalaureate® (IB) aims to offer better opportunities than other programs to train solidarity, informed and knowledge-hungry young people, who feel motivated to achieve their goals.
IB programs also encourage students to participate actively in their communities, as well as to make learning an experience that transcends their academic studies.
One of the strengths of all the IB programs is that they encourage students to become people capable of learning independently.
At school San Fernando, students complete their Baccalaureate studies with accreditation of two degrees: National Baccalaureate (LOMCE) and International Baccalaureate Diploma®.
The IB can help students to enter the most prestigious universities in the world. In addition, IB students obtain better results at the University.
The IB maintains its independence from governments and education systems, adopting best practices from a wide variety of educational frameworks and curricula in different countries.
El Diploma Program not only brings knowledge to the students, but also prepares them for the University and encourages them to:
- Pose and solve complex questions.
- Think critically and question what is being said.
- Develop a strong personal and cultural identity.
- Develop research skills that, as has been demonstrated, will be useful in higher education.
- Develop the ability to understand people from other countries and cultures, to communicate with them by examining both the local and international environment.
Through the Diploma Program, the colleges form students who:
- Achieve an excellent breadth and depth in your knowledge.
- Grow physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically.
- They can relate to others in an increasingly globalized and rapidly changing world.
- They excel in traditional academic subjects.
- Explore the nature of knowledge through the course of Theory of Knowledge, which is exclusive to the program.
The Diploma Program Curriculum
The curriculum of Diploma Program de international Baccalaureate® It consists of six subjects from different areas and three compulsory components (Monograph, Theory of Knowledge and Creativity, Activity and Service).
Diploma Program Model
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- El Diploma Program provides integral formation, so that students work different areas of knowledge (linguistic, scientific, mathematical and humanistic areas).
- It offers a greater depth in those subjects more related to the subsequent studies of the students.
- The subjects are divided into Upper level y Medium level according to the level of depth with which they are raised. Of the six subjects studied, three must belong to the Higher Level.
CAS: Creativity, Activity and Service
Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) It is one of the three core elements that all students must complete as part of the Diploma Program (DP). CAS engages students in a variety of experiential learning and service-learning activities that foster personal and interpersonal development. It encourages the student's contact with the arts, creative thinking, healthy lifestyles and a feeling of social responsibility.
CAS, one of the main components of the PD, is taught throughout the Diploma Program and involves students in a variety of activities simultaneously with the study of academic disciplines.
CAS is not formally evaluated, but students reflect on their CAS experiences as part of the PD and provide evidence of having achieved all eight learning outcomes.
What is the CAS Structure?
The three areas of CAS, which are usually interrelated with specific activities, are characterized as follows:
- Creativity: The arts and other experiences that involve creative thinking.
- Activity: Activities that involve a physical effort or challenge and that contribute to a healthy lifestyle; they complement the academic work carried out in other subjects of the PD.
- Service: A voluntary and unpaid exchange that means learning for the student, and in which the rights, dignity and autonomy of all the people involved are respected.
In order to demonstrate these concepts, students must carry out a CAS project. The project encourages students to:
- Show initiative
- Demonstrate perseverance
- Develop skills such as collaboration, problem solving and decision making.
What is the importance of CAS?
CAS allows students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development through learning through experience. It also provides opportunities for self-determination and collaboration with other people, while fostering a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment of their work. At the same time, CAS has the important function of counteracting the academic pressure of the PD.
IB Guidance on CAS
A good CAS program should be enjoyable and at the same time be a challenge, a path to personal discovery. Although each student has a different starting point and, therefore, different goals and needs, for the majority, CAS activities constitute profound and transformative experiences, of great importance for their lives.
TOK: Theory of Knowledge
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) asks students to reflect on the nature of knowledge and how we know what we claim to know. It is a course that deals with critical thinking and establishes connections between different academic disciplines, while exploring the nature of knowledge.
Theory of Knowledge is one of the core components of the Diploma Program (PD) of the international Baccalaureate® and, as such, it is mandatory for all students. It is evaluated by an oral presentation and a trial of 1.600 words.
What is the ToC Structure?
Being an investigation specifically oriented to reflect on the different ways of knowing and on the different types of knowledge, the ToC program consists almost entirely of questions. The central question is "How do we know?", And these are some of the other questions:
- What is an X test ?.
- How do we judge which is the best Y model?
- What does Z theory mean in the real world?
Through discussions about these and other questions, students develop a greater understanding of their own personal and ideological assumptions, and appreciate the diversity and richness of cultural perspectives.
TdC evaluation
The TdC course is evaluated by an oral presentation and an essay of 1.600 words. The presentation assesses the student's ability to apply ToC thinking to a real-life situation, while the essay has a more conceptual starting point. For example, in the essay students may be asked to discuss the claim that the methodologies used to produce knowledge depend on the use of that knowledge.
What is the importance of ToC?
The purpose of the TdC course is for students to become aware of the interpretative nature of knowledge, including personal ideological tendencies, regardless of whether they are conserved, revised or rejected. It offers students and teachers the opportunity to:
- Reflect critically on the different forms and areas of knowledge.
- Consider the function and nature of knowledge in its own culture, in other cultures and in the rest of the world.
In addition, TdC encourages students to:
- Become aware of themselves as thinkers, encouraging them to know more about the complexity of knowledge.
- Recognize the need to act responsibly in an increasingly interconnected but uncertain world.
ToC also brings coherence to the students, since it links the disciplinary areas and transcends them. In this way, it demonstrates the ways in which students can apply their knowledge with greater awareness and credibility.
The Monograph
The Monograph is an in-depth independent research project on a topic chosen by the student, which is externally assessed. This is a work of a maximum of 4.000 words that encourages the development of advanced research and written expression skills, intellectual discovery and creativity.
The Monograph is one of backbone components of the Diploma Program (PD) of the international Baccalaureate®. It constitutes:
- A practical preparation for university research projects.
- An opportunity for the students to investigate a topic that interests them especially and that is related to one of the six PD symbols that they are studying.
What is the importance of the Monograph?
Through the research process for the monograph, students develop skills to:
- Ask an appropriate research question.
- Conduct a personal exploration of the subject.
- Communicate ideas
- Develop an argument
Participation in this process develops the ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate knowledge. It is also possible to produce a monograph on Contemporary World Studies, in which students carry out a deep interdisciplinary study on a contemporary topic of global importance that covers two disciplines of the Diploma Program.
What is the structure of the Monograph?
Students receive support during the research and writing process of the Monograph, since they have the advice and guidance of a supervisor, who is usually a school teacher.
The IB recommends that, after completing the writing of the monograph, the students hold a brief final interview with the supervisor. The Monograph and the interview can be a valuable stimulus for debate in countries where it is necessary to conduct an interview before entering a job or to obtain a place at the university.
How is the Monograph evaluated?
All the monographs are evaluated externally by examiners designated by the IB. They are graded according to a scale from 0 to 36. The score awarded to the student is located in a band. The bands are the following:
- A. Excellent work.
- B. Good work.
- C. Satisfactory work.
- D. Mediocre work.
- E. Elementary work.
Discover how the points obtained by the student in the Monograph contribute to their final Diploma Program score click here .
Evaluation and Exams
The Diploma Program (PD) of international Baccalaureate® uses components evaluated both internally and externally to evaluate student performance.
The objectivity in the evaluation of the tests and the fact that it meets internationally established criteria are factors that contribute to the prestige of the Diploma Program.
Use of internal and external evaluation
The evaluation of the Diploma Program is done at the end of the two courses, and depends on external proofreaders (approximately 70% of the grade), and on the teachers of the School (approximately 30% of the grade).
External Evaluation
The externally evaluated class work, completed by the students over a prolonged period and under the supervision of the teacher, who verifies its authorship, constitutes a part of the evaluation in several areas of the program; this includes the Theory of Knowledge (TdC) essay and the monograph.
The exams are the basis of the evaluation in most courses. This is due to its high levels of objectivity and reliability. They include the following:
- Essays.
- Structured problems
- Short answer questions
- Questions of response to data.
- Answer questions to texts.
- Case study questions.
- Multiple choice questions (although they are rarely used).
Internal Evaluation
In most subjects, students complete assessment tasks in the school, which are either evaluated externally, or corrected by teachers and subsequently moderated by the IB. The evaluation by the teacher includes:
- Oral works of languages.
- Field work in Geography.
- Laboratory work in Sciences.
- Research in Mathematics.
- Artistic representations
Official IB scale:
* With certain conditions of performance and satisfactory participation in CAS activities.
- Subject qualification: between 1 and 7 points.
- Monograph and Theory of Knowledge: 3 points.
- Maximum score in the Diploma Program: 45 points.
- The IB Diploma is granted from 24 points *.
How is the evaluation scored in the PD?
The final score of the student in the Diploma Program combines the scores of all the subjects. The diploma is awarded to students who obtain At least 24 points, in addition to being subject to certain minimum performance levels, among which is included successfully complete the three core components of the PD.
The trunk components of the PD
Individual qualifications are granted for Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and the Monograph and, as a whole, can contribute up to three additional points to the final score of the Diploma Program.
Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS), the other main component of the PD, does not contribute to the total points, but the participation verified in this component is a requirement for obtaining the diploma.
Higher Level and Middle Level Courses
The IB awards the same number of points for both the Upper Level (NS) and the Medium Level (NM) courses, reflecting the IB's belief in the importance of achievement in a wide variety of academic disciplines.
The NS and the SL courses differ in their scope, but both are evaluated with respect to the same final grade descriptors, with the exception that NS students are expected to demonstrate the different elements of the descriptor in a range. broader knowledge, understanding and skills.
Maria Fernandez
Coordinator Diploma Program
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Subjects of the Diploma Program in the College San Fernando
Ask us! We will help you design your training itinerary by selecting those subjects most suited to the university education you wish to study.
Important:
- All subjects are taught in Spanish except for foreign language subjects.
- Students are required to study at least two languages.
- The mandatory common trunk includes three different components: CAS, Theory of Knowledge y Monograph, and it is an essential part of the experience of PD students.
- The PD model at the School includes a large number of subjects from the six groups, which guarantee breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding.
- The students will select one subject of each group of subjects. The subject of the 6 Group will be replaced by another subject from the 1 groups to 4.
- The subjects can be Upper level and Medium level. In the Higher Level (NS) must attend at least three subjects, usually 240 teaching hours. The subjects of Average Level (NM) usually have 150 teaching hours.
- All the subjects are designed to be taught over two years and to be evaluated with the same rigor and weighted in the same way.
- The total number of teaching hours per week is 34.
Click on the title to obtain more information about the subject
1 Group: Language and Literature Studies
2 Group: Language Acquisition
3 Group: Individuals and Companies
4 Group: Sciences
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Physics MIDDLE LEVEL, 4 hours / week
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Chemistry MIDDLE LEVEL, 4 hours / week
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Biology MIDDLE LEVEL, 5 hours / week
5 Group: Mathematics
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Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches SL MIDDLE LEVEL, 4 hours / week
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Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation, SL MIDDLE LEVEL, 4 hours / week
Ask us! We will help you design your training itinerary by selecting those subjects most suited to the university education you wish to study.
Important:
- All subjects are taught in Spanish except for foreign language subjects.
- Students are required to study at least two languages.
- The mandatory common trunk includes three different components: CAS, Theory of Knowledge y Monograph, and it is an essential part of the experience of PD students.
- The PD model at the School includes a large number of subjects from the six groups, which guarantee breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding.
- The students will select one subject of each group of subjects. The subject of the 6 Group will be replaced by another subject from the 1 groups to 4.
- The subjects can be Upper level and Medium level. In the Higher Level (NS) must attend at least three subjects, usually 240 teaching hours. The subjects of Average Level (NM) usually have 150 teaching hours.
- All the subjects are designed to be taught over two years and to be evaluated with the same rigor and weighted in the same way.
- The total number of teaching hours per week is 34.
Click on the title to obtain more information about the subject
1 Group: Language and Literature Studies
2 Group: Language Acquisition
3 Group: Individuals and Companies
4 Group: Sciences
-
Physics MIDDLE LEVEL, 4 hours / week
-
Chemistry MIDDLE LEVEL, 4 hours / week
-
Biology MIDDLE LEVEL, 5 hours / week
5 Group: Mathematics
-
Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches SL MIDDLE LEVEL, 4 hours / week
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Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation, SL MIDDLE LEVEL, 4 hours / week
Access to the University with the Diploma Program
Universities and institutions of higher education enjoy the advantages of selecting and accepting students from IB programs in many ways, since IB programs develop the knowledge, skills and willingness that students need to succeed in his university studies
The students who have obtained the Diploma Program (PD) of the international Baccalaureate® They are highly valued in the best universities in the world. In this sense, many universities and higher education institutions design recognition policies that explain how IB students can access the studies they offer.
Below we summarize different itineraries that students who have obtained the Diploma can go through:
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Direct access with the Diploma Program
- The average grade of their grades in the 6 DP subjects is converted to the Spanish scale and replaces the note in the General Phase.
- In some universities in the Spanish territory, students who want to increase their grade can:
- Show up at SPECIFIC TESTS of the subjects they need.
- Request the UNED that the qualification obtained in the PD in these two subjects, or in one of them, is also recognized as a qualification for the SPECIFIC PROOF.
These two options are compatible.
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Conversion of qualifications
The conversion note of the score obtained in the different subjects of the Diploma Program of the international Baccalaureate® Access to the University is done through the application of a formula that results in the equivalences that are reflected in the following table:
International Baccalaureate Score Spanish rating 7 10 6 9 5 8 4 7 3 6 2 5
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Spanish Private Universities
- They access the Diploma of International Baccalaureate. They should do the "internal test" that each university usually has.
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Public Spanish Universities
- General Phase: EXEMPT. The note will be the one in the file.
- Specific phase: They can perform specific tests in the UNED, or request two PD subjects as a grade for the specific test. These two options are compatible and depending on the University, the specific test may not be necessary.
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Foreign Universities
They have their particular conditions and depend on the country and the university studies to be taken. They do not need proof of Spanish access.