Choosing your subjects Going to DP

Choosing your subjects Going to DP

Introduction To enter DP1, students have to choose six subjects, THREE at HIGHER LEVEL and THREE at STANDARD LEVEL. The Higher Level (HL) subjects are, normally spoken, your strongest subjects academically; you should be aware of the fact that in many subjects you may have to go considerably over the academic level of various national secondary programmes. To illustrate this with an example, many U.S. top-ranking universities will give advance credits to DP Diploma students provided they score at least a 5 in a HL subject. In some cases this amounts to the complete first year of a degree course. Standard Level (SL) subjects are not necessarily easier than HL subjects: very often they merely cover fewer topics than at HL. To choose the six subjects for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme it is important that you consider the following questions carefully: What are the DP requirements? What are my relative strengths and weaknesses i.e. which choice of subjects is possible? What are my plans for the future? Are there specific entry requirements put forward by universities or colleges?

DP Subject Choice Requirements To follow the IBDP as a Diploma candidate, every student must choose: 1. One Language from Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature This is the mother tongue, or native language, unless you are really and truly bilingual (remember, very few people really are, even though they may speak a second and a third language very fluently). At the AICS you can choose from Dutch Language Literature, English Language Literature or English Literature. You can also follow a Self-Taught Language programme in your own mother tongue (SL only). 2. One language from Group2: Language Acquisition (or a second group 1) This is the second language that you speak best, which has to be studied as a foreign language. In order to take the subject at the Language B level, you should have studied it for at least 3 5 years. At the AICS you can choose from English B, Dutch B or Spanish B. For students who have had no previous education in a foreign language there is the possibility of taking Spanish Ab Initio (SL only). Student can also choose a second group1 language. 3. One subject from Group 3: Individuals and Societies This is the Humanities category in which you can choose from History, Geography, Economics and Business & Management. 4. One subject from Group 4: Experimental Sciences In the Sciences category this school offers Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Environmental Systems & Societies (SL only). 5. One subject from Group 5: Mathematics and Computer Science In the Mathematics category this school offers 3 subjects: Mathematics HL, Mathematics SL or Mathematical Studies SL. 6. One subject from Group 6: The Arts or an additional subject Either Visual Arts, or any additional subject chosen from the first four groups. 7. Seven Subjects and/or Four Higher Levels: In exceptional cases students are allowed to choose a seventh subject as an extra certificate subject. The seventh subject is usually a Standard Level subject. The teachers need to be convinced that the student can handle seven subjects, academically and the careers counsellor will therefore act on their advice.

Choosing wisely It is obvious that the final choice is or should be the students choice. Parents, teachers and the Career Counsellor will discuss matters with the student and will advise, but students know which subjects they are good at and, even more important, enjoy doing, which will, in the first instance, help students to choose six subjects. The next step to take is to determine which of these subjects should be chosen at the Higher level and which at the Standard level. It is important in this respect to remember that in order to study most DP subjects successfully, either at the HL or the SL, students should have had previous education training in that subject (with the exception of Spanish Ab Initio and Environmental Systems & Societies).

Requirements of tertiary education institutions There may be a further complicating factor in choosing six subjects for entry into DP1. Universities, Higher Professional Schools and Colleges often demand a certain combination of subjects at the HIGHER level. The key subjects in this respect are mathematics and sciences. If students already have some idea of what they want to do after the DP programme, they should check very carefully what the specific university requirements are for the chosen area and in the chosen country. Admission requirements vary from country to country and often also from university to university. For quite a few academic areas at the post-secondary level no subject requirements are set, but to be absolutely sure students should check with the Career Counsellor and/or the university websites. Furthermore, in many areas of study there are logical support subjects; again check with the Career Counsellor. Those who are still unsure about their future careers could at least bear in mind the following rules of thumb: For medical areas the combination of Biology and Chemistry at Higher Level is usually required. In the case of application to UK universities check the status of Physics in combination with Chemistry. At technical universities (e.g. Engineering) the combination of Maths and Physics at Higher Level is usually required. For Economics/Business Management areas Mathematics Standard Level is usually considered sufficient. Most institutions prefer Economics to Business & Management. To study Biology at university students need to choose Chemistry and Biology at Higher Level.

Range of Choice We believe that students must have as wide a choice as possible and that the choice should be as free as possible. This means that many combinations of subjects are possible, except where the DP sets requirements or where the school timetable dictates that some combinations will not be possible. (See impossibilities ). Please bear in mind that subject with less than 4 applicants will not be offered. Students affected by this, will be notified. Once again, we are currently offering the following subjects to choose from. Subject group Subjects Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature* English Literature HL/SL English Language Literature HL/SL Dutch Language Literature HL/SL *Self-Taught Languages A1 (SL only) Group2: Language Acquisition English B HL/SL Dutch B HL/SL Spanish B HL/SL Spanish Ab Initio (SL only) OR AN EXTRA GROUP 1 LANGUAGE Group 3: Individuals and Societies Geography HL/SL History HL/SL Economics HL/SL Business Management HL/SL Group 4: Experimental Sciences Biology HL/SL Physics HL/SL Chemistry HL/SL Environmental Systems & Societies (SL only) Group 5:Mathematics and Computer Science Mathematics Higher Level Mathematics Standard Level Mathematical Studies SL Group 6: The Arts Visual Arts HL/SL ANY CHOICE FROM GROUPS 1,2,3 and 4 * All languages of the world (group 1). In principle, a language literature other than Dutch or English language literature, will be offered by the school as Self Taught Standard Level subject (for further information, please contact Mr. Sikkes or Mrs. Young).

Impossibilities Some subjects cannot be taken in combination. Those combinations are in the academic year 2013-2014: English Literature, English Language Literature and English B Dutch Language and Literature, Dutch B, Spanish B and Spanish Ab Initio History and Economics Business Management and Geography Physics, Biology and Environmental Systems & Societies Visual Arts, Chemistry