With its academic breadth, depth and rigour, and its commitment to structured inquiry and experiential learning, UCC's IB-based curriculum educates the whole student. Through their two years of DP studies in Year 11 and Year 12, students acquire high-calibre communication and collaboration skills and a global outlook.
In the DP, students pursue a course of studies in six subject groups, one in each of six subject groups:
- Language Acquisition
- Language and Literature
- Individuals and Societies
- Mathematics
- Arts
- Experiential Sciences
Three of the six subjects must be taken at the Higher Level (HL) and three at the Standard Level (SL). Students may opt to study an additional sciences, individuals and societies, or languages course, instead of a course in the arts.
In addition to completing courses in six subjects, DP students also complete the following:
Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
This interdisciplinary course is designed to stimulate a critical awareness of the bases of knowledge, experience and judgement in human thought and creativity.
Extended Essay
Students in Year 11 research and write a 4,000-word essay on a topic of interest from within the IB curriculum, usually taken from one of their HL subjects.
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)
A minimum of 150 hours of co-curricular involvement is evenly balanced between creative, athletic and community service activities.