Diploma Programme (IBDP)

The IB Diploma Programme is for 11th and 12th grade students who wish to pursue an advanced curriculum that will challenge them to develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, and ethically. IBDP courses can earn students credits at university, demonstrate strength of schedule for college applications, and carry a weighted GPA. Being part of the IB Diploma Programme is a continuum of involvement, from taking a single class to being an IB Diploma candidate.

An IB Course Candidate is any 11^th or 12^th grade student enrolled in an IB course. By being a course candidate, students have access to the challenging and global-minded curriculum of the IB and can earn college credits based on their assessment scores and universities of choice.

Students who take and test in at least 3 AP and IB courses have the opportunity to be an IB Honors Candidate. This is a distinction awarded by Unity Reed High School to encourage and reward students who push themselves to excel within the IB Programme. These students take the IB capstone course of Theory of Knowledge during their 12^th grade year and complete approximately 65 hours of CAS. A letter explaining their candidacy for the IB Honors distinction will accompany their transcripts when they apply to universities and those who successfully complete the programme earn a medal to wear at graduation.

More information about the IB Career Programme can be found here. An IBCP candidate is an 11^th or 12^th grade student who combines the study of at least 2 IBDP courses with a Career-Related Study. These students take the IBCP capstone course of Personal & Professional Skills and complete the IBCP Core - a programme involving service-learning, language development, and a reflective project. They are supported in the spring of their 11^th grade year and fall of their 12^th grade year through the IBCP Cohort.

The most challenging course of study a student at Unity Reed High School can pursue is the IB Diploma. This is an additional, externally awarded diploma that students may earn simultaneously with their diploma from the state of Virginia. The International Baccalaureate organization awards diplomas to students who meet the following requirements:

1. Students must take and test in at least one IB course in each of the 6 subject areas: Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Sciences, Mathematics, and the Arts. An additional elective in an alternate subject rea may be substituted for a class in the Arts.
2. Of the student's 6 IB courses, 3 must be taken at the Higher Level (HL).
3. Exams in the IB are scored between 1-7, with 4 commonly being accepted as passing. Students must earn a total of 24 points from their 6 exams to receive the diploma, including a minimum of 12 points from their HL classes.
4. Students must successfully complete their CAS (Creativity, Activity, and Service) Portfolio, demonstrating approximately 150 hours of experiences and engagement over two years.
5. Students must pass (as scored by IB) both their Theory of Knowledge course and their Extended Essay, a 4,000 word capstone research project in a subject of choice.

Students are supported in their pursuit of the IB Diploma through the IB Diploma cohort which meets from the spring of the 11^th grade year through the fall of the 12^th grade year. In these cohorts, students receive research support, time to plan and log CAS activities, TOK connections to the curriculum, and one-on-one counseling on study skills and time management. IB Diploma candidates also have a CAS Coordinator and Extended Essay Supervisor who meet with them individually throughout the process to help guide their discovery, organization., and reflection.

CAS, a requirement for the IB Diploma, is an acronym representing three strands of experiences students pursue alongside their academic studies: Creativity (exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or performance), Activity (physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle), and Service (collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need).

IB Diploma candidates complete approximately 150 hours of CAS over their 11^th and 12^th grade years. IB Honors candidates complete approximately 65 hours of CAS over their 12^th grade year.

CAS enables you to enhance your personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning. At the same time, it provides an important counterbalance to the academic pressures of the rest of the Diploma Program. CAS experiences should be both challenging and enjoyable, a personal journey of self‑discovery. The requirement for CAS reflects IB's focus on developing your whole person.

The extended essay is a 4,000 word capstone research project that IB Diploma Candidates pursue over their 11^th and 12^th grade years. Students work with an advisor as they self-direct their own studies and research in a subject area of their choice.

Group 1: Language and Literature

• IB English Language and Literature SL or HL

Group 2: Language Acquisition

• IB French SL
• IB Spanish SL or HL

Group 3: Individuals and Societies

• IB Economics SL
• IB Geography SL
• IB History HL
• IB Psychology SL
• IB Social and Cultural Anthropology SL

Group 4: Sciences

• IB Biology HL
• IB Chemistry SL
• IB Environmental Systems & Societies SL
• IB Physics SL

Group 5: Mathematics

• IB Math Analysis SL or HL
• IB Math Applications SL

Group 6: The Arts

• IB Visual Art SL or HL
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Both SL and HL courses are IB classes that earn a weighted GPA and can result in college credits. The curriculum of SL classes is designed for 150 hours of instructional time, while HL courses recommend at least 240 hours of instructional time. This is why all HL courses cover two years. Some SL classes are only one year long, but others span two years because of additional curriculum requirements from the state of Virginia.