Diploma Program

All students complete the Extended Essay, the graduation project approved by the Ministry of Education.  Students investigate a topic of their choice,  related to an IB course subject.  Students work independently with a supervisor to complete a 4,000-word piece of original research. The IB Diploma Coordinator and Secondary Librarian guide students throughout the process with a regular course in 11th grade.

All students participate in a two-year TOK course.  At the center of this course is the student as a knower. Instead of focusing on the acquisition of new content material knowledge (like in other IB classes), TOK will provide the experience of stepping back to consider the issues around knowledge. It will attempt to explain how shared and personal knowledge contribute to and interact in the acquisition, creation, and use of knowledge.  The two main components of assessment are a student exhibition and a final essay.

Before the beginning of 11th grade, students choose their six IB academic courses from the different subject groups outlined below. All courses follow a two-year track of study. During the 11th grade year, students decide whether to take the full Diploma Program, take specific Subject Certificates or not opt for IB certificates at all. Throughout the process students will be guided by the counsel of the Diploma Academic Coordinator along with feedback from their teachers.

In many cases Diploma Courses not only help students enter universities around the world, they also aid students in receiving academic scholarships or even provide university credits for first year courses. Students will begin to speak with College Counselors in order to understand the specific benefits that each university provides for IB courses.

Many Ecuadorian universities have signed agreements to provide benefits for IB graduates including course credits during the first year of study. These universities include UDLA, Pontificia Universidad Catolica and Universidad San Francisco de Quito. For more specific information, please speak with the Diploma Academic Coordinator.

There are several reasons why a student might not take the Diploma Program or achieve Subject Certificates. A student may discover that the Program does not provide any tangible benefits for the university admission process. In addition, students must be able to deal with the daily stress of constant academic rigors of the program. Time management skills and a sound test-taking ability are essential to student succes.