PMHS IB Courses

A closer look into IB at PMHS

Please click here to see our current IB 4 Year Plan

The IB curriculum is made up of six subject groups, in addition to the DP Core, which consists of three required components, the Extended Essay (EE), Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS).

The three required components of the DP core aims to broaden students’ educational experience and challenge them to apply their knowledge and skills.

The three core elements are:

Theory of knowledge, in which students reflect on the nature of knowledge and on how we know what we claim to know.
The extended essay, which is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper.

The six subject groups are:

There are different courses within each subject group offered at PMHS.

Students choose courses from the following subject groups: studies in language and literature; language acquisition; individuals and societies; sciences; mathematics; and the arts.

Students may opt to study an additional sciences, individuals and societies, or languages course, instead of a course in the arts.

Students will take some subjects at higher level (HL) and some at standard level (SL). HL and SL courses differ in scope but are measured according to the same grade descriptors, with students expected to demonstrate a greater body of knowledge, understanding and skills at higher level.

Each student takes at least three (but not more than four) subjects at higher level, and the remaining at standard level.

Standard level subjects take up 150 teaching hours. Higher level comprises 240 teaching hours.

Please see the subject briefs below for an overview of each course including the requirements (Internal Assessment and External Assessment) and specific teaching hours.

IB Diploma Programme Course Briefs:

Group 1 Language A: Literature

English Literature HL Subject Brief

English Literature SL Subject Brief

Group 2 Language B: World Language

Language B Spanish Ab Initio Subject Brief

Language B Spanish HL Subject Brief

Language B Spanish SL Subject Brief

Group 3 Individuals and Societies

History Subject Brief

Group 4 Experimental Sciences

Environmental Systems SL Subject Brief