Upper School / GIB

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB-DP) is taught in upper school. It is a good replenishment of the German Curriculum which ceases after year 10 and the intermediate school certificate. The IB-DP curriculum is drawn up and provided by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). After the successful completion of the entire two-year Diploma Programme, the pupils receive the “Gemischtsprachiges International Baccalaureate” (GIB) as final diploma. 

The GIB is comparable to the German Abitur and has been an acknowledged diploma in Germany since 1986 (see KMK→Hochschulzugang). This diploma gives the students international access to universities.

IIn the IB-DP six subjects will be taught which are respectively assigned to six subject groups (Group 1: Studies in language and literature, Group 2: Language acquisition; Group 3: Individuals and societies; Group 4: Sciences; Group 5: Mathematics; Group 6: The arts). The pupils choose courses from the six subject groups taking three subjects at higher level (HL) and three at standard level (SL). 

Two out of the six subjects have to be language courses (Group 1 and 2) – one will be taught on a level of a native speaker, the other is a language acquisition course. Furthermore, one subject chosen from Group 3, Group 4 and Group 5 is mandatory. The sixth subject can be freely choses from all subject areas and artistic subjects offered at the school. 

In accordance with the requirement of the Conference of ministers for the arts and culture (KMK), the following subjects for year 11 and 12 will be offered at our school:

• Group 1: German  A (SL)
• Group 2: English B (HL)
• Group 3: History (SL / HL), taught in German
• Group 4: Biology (HL), taught in German
• Group 5: Mathematics (SL), taught in English
• Group 6: 
  • Visual Arts (SL / HL), taught in English
  • Chemistry (SL / HL), taught in English
  • French (SL / HL)
  • Arabic (SL / HL)
  • Psychology (SL / HL; only online course!), taught in English

In addition to the six subjects, the IBDP curriculum is made up of three required and compulsory core elements which especially enhance the social, communicative, and personal competences: the CAS-Programme (Creativity, Activity, Service), the interdisciplinary course Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and the Extended Essay. 

The CAS-Programme is organized and initiated by the pupils themselves. With the assistance of a supervisor, the pupils must show social commitment through various activities during the course of the two-year Diploma Programme.

Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is an interdisciplinary course that enhances the pupils’ critical thinking and teaches them how to question and reflect on the nature of knowledge and science. The Extended Essay is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4000-word academic paper which must be written throughout the two year-Programme. The pupil chooses a topic which is related to one of his / her six DP subjects.

Due to the GIB, the graduates are not only entitled to study at a German university, they can begin their study at an English-speaking university in 147 countries. This combination of the German curriculum until year 10 and the IB-standards and curricula for year 11 and 12 enables our bilingual pupils to achieve the best possible diploma. Their future in the globalized world is prepared.