IB Curriculum
  Nearly all the students proceed from the college to universities throughout the world, having completed the rigorous, but enlightened International Baccalaureate Diploma programme.

This pre-University qualification is equivalent to British A and AS levels or the German Abitur and is accepted in more than 100 countries.

The important attributes of the IB are:

  • Depth and rigour-through its Higher Level programmes, allowing if required, a specialisation towards a particular field of knowledge, e.g. Sciences, Languages, Medicine, Social Service, Music, Art.
  • Breadth - through its Standard Level subjects which ensure coverage of a wide range of disciplines. These complement the subjects chosen at Higher Level.
  • Coherence - through the compulsory one hundred-hour course in the Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and the cross links these provide between the six subjects studied in the programme.
  • Commitment to action and service. Uniquely, as an independent examination and curriculum board, the International Baccalaureate Organisation makes it compulsory for candidates to be involved in such a programme. The requirement at United World Colleges is intense and important, it is at the centre of their aims and objectives.
  • Internationalism - syllabus content and the ethos of the curriculum encourage an input of a wide range of knowledge and opinion to the studies and a recognition of cultural diversity as well as the contribution to knowledge made by people from all parts of the world. A Global concerns programme is followed by all students.

    • The Subject Groups

        Students are required to choose one subject from each of the six groups. At Atlantic College the curriculum allows an extensive range of choices. Three of the subjects are to be chosen at Higher level and three at Standard level. Most of the above subjects are offered at both higher and standard level.