International Baccalaureate Program

Sacred Heart Academy offers highly motivated and academically qualified students the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma program. The I.B. Diploma Program was created in 1967 to ensure rigorous and consistent standards for secondary school diplomas worldwide. The I.B. curriculum encourages critical thinking and problem solving along with the study of six traditional disciplines: first or native language; modern foreign language; individuals and societies; experimental sciences; mathematics; and art or an elective.

To fulfill requirements for the diploma, students must complete 150-240 hours of intense classroom study in each of the six disciplines listed above. Each course requires additional work, including projects, analytical writing assignments, portfolios, and oral commentaries. In conjunction with class work and examinations, full diploma candidates must complete the "Theory of Knowledge" which questions what it means to "know" something and links the disciplines together. Diploma candidates also write a 4,000-word independent research paper called an "Extended Essay," investigating a topic of special interest. Finally, they complete 150 hours of the Creativity, Action, and Service (C.A.S.) requirement by participating in such activities as the performing arts, sports, and community service.

Because the standards have been so reliable, an I.B. diploma carries prestige in academic circles throughout the world. Worldwide, more than 800 schools in nearly 100 countries are members of the I.B. Organization (www.ibo.org) . Students who successfully complete the program receive an internationally-recognized diploma.

For more information about SHA’s I.B. Program, contact I.B. Coordinator Carol Sherman, ibsha@sacredheartacad.com.