International Baccalaureate | International Baccalaureate Diploma | Youth Central

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a two-year international program offered by some Victorian schools as an alternative Year 11 and 12.

The IB makes more demands on you as a student, but gives you an internationally recognised qualification that can open doors to study overseas.

The IB curriculum

As part of the IB you study one subject each from five separate fields:

  • language and literature
  • language acquisition
  • individuals and societies
  • experimental sciences
  • mathematics and computer science.

You also study a sixth subject that can be either: 

  • an art subject
  • an extra subject from the other five fields.

As well as these six subjects, IB students also undertake three additional study commitments:

  • studying the theory of knowledge and learning
  • writing an extended essay about one of your chosen subjects
  • a range of creative, physical activity and community service activities.

Advantages of the IB

As an IB student you can still apply for Australian tertiary courses through VTAC, but your secondary qualification is also recognised by universities and colleges all over the world.

For more about studying overseas, check out our Studying Overseas page.

Find an IB school

To find a school in Australia that offers the IB, you can use the IB website's Find an IB World School tool.

More information

For more information about IB, talk to your school careers counsellor or check out the IB website.