IB: International Baccalaureate in Italy for international students

International Baccalaureate is an international program of full secondary education, providing a preparation of students for enrolment in the best universities of the world. The program IB in the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Switzerland, Spain and Italy is identical. It divides in 4 levels:

• Primary Years Program (PYP) for students aged from 3 to 12 years
• Middle Years Program (MYP) for students aged from 11 to 16 years
• Diploma Program IB (DP) for students aged from 16 to 19 years
• Career-related Program (CP) for students aged from 16 to 19 years.

IB stipulates studying of 6 disciplines from 6 main groups. The student studies 3 of them in depth (240

hours) and 3 within the standard program (150 hours). As a rule, for advanced development, the subjects necessary for admission to the chosen specialty at the desired University are selected.

Below the groups of disciplines in the best schools and colleges in Italy with IB:

• Languages (native for the student, if it is not represented at school, then any choice) and world literature;
• Second language: the student chooses any foreign language from the ones presented in the educational institution;
• Humanities: philosophy, psychology, geography, history, IT, economics, law, anthropology, etc.
• Experimental sciences: physics, chemistry, ecology and others;
• Mathematics (various levels of difficulty from standard to higher) and computer technologies;
• Creativity and additional circles: painting, design, ceramics, music, dance, theatre art. If desired, the student can replace these subjects with the study of any discipline from groups 2, 3, 4 and 5.

International Baccalaureate in Italy includes additional blocks for studying, which aims at comprehensive development of students:

• Theory of Knowledge - a philosophical course explaining the theory of research, teaching methods and the application of acquired knowledge in life. It includes 100 hours of classes and is aimed at developing logical thinking, the ability to argue a point of view, to conduct constructive discussions and gain knowledge.
• Creativity, Action, Service is an interesting part of program, offering the participation of students in cultural, creative and sport events, and also volunteer activities. Children should devote at least 150 hours to their own development and service for the benefit of society: dancing, sports, theatre, the publication of the school newspaper, environmental protection and much more. The block helps to develop talents and the best qualities in children, for example, compassion, civic responsibility, the ability to work in a team.
• Extended essay. To obtain the diploma IB in Italy, each student must prepare a report on research activities (4,000 words) on the chosen topic and discipline. The work is carried out with the support of a teacher.

Sam Jones

Recruitment Director for Partnership with INTO Universities (Europe and Central Asia)

What firstly should be considered when choosing a university? Subjects, employer value, percentage of employment in the first year after graduation?

It depends on the student - everyone determines the most important criteria for himself. I would advise you to take several rankings and compare them with each other, plus take into account the cost of the course, the location of the university and its scale, the percentage of graduates' employment. See where graduates continue their studies or where they go to work.

All knowledge in the disciplines is evaluated in points, which are given by teachers and independent IBO experts. In addition, exam results are taken into account.

To obtain an IB Diploma, the foreign students need to score at least 24 points (maximum 7 points for each exam, 1 point for an essay, 2 points for 2 term papers on the Theory of Cognition, 3 points for a Thesis) and devote at least 150 hours to the "Creativity, Movement, Service" (CAS) block. It is worth noting that top Universities in Italy are ready to consider applications from applicants who have scored at least 35 points, while 45 is a possible maximum.

If the number of total points was not enough to obtain a Diploma, the student can retake the tests next year, no more than 3 attempts are given in total.

If desired, the student can refuse to study the required 6 subjects, ignore the Theory of Cognition, not write a detailed essay or neglect the CAS block, in this case, instead of a Diploma, he will receive a Certificate – an official document with a list of all the disciplines studied and grades received.

International Baccalaureate diploma is recognized and valued by the majority of countries around the world, including USA, Canada, France, Australia, Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore, Italy, Spain. 10 years ago, the UCAS organization formed a special table indicating the number of IB points for admission to Universities on the planet. At the same time, in the USA and Canada, part of the IB programs is considered the first year of a university or college, so graduates with an International Baccalaureate Diploma will be enrolled immediately in the second year. Universities in the UK, including Oxford and Cambridge, equate IB with certificates of the English A-Level program.

• Gentium Schola Opitergium
• St. Louis School Milan
• International School of Siena
• International School of Modena
• International School of Monza
• H-international School.

To enter a school with IB in Italy, the student will need to pass an exam in English and basic school subjects. Also it is recommended to know Italian. In any case, Italian will be needed for everyday communication.

To enrol, the foreign students need to prepare the following documents:

• Online application;
• The child's identity card;
• Certificates that he was studied in the country of his citizenship;
• A medical certificate indicating the student's health status and a list of vaccinations.

In Italy, there is a list of mandatory vaccination. If there are no vaccinations, the school administration will notify the health department.