Class of 2023 DP Course Selection

Last June 18, 2020, the Class of 2023 had their first orientation to the Diploma Programme (DP), as part of their preparation for the DP Course Selection process.

The DP Course Fair will take place on the 11th of September, 2020. All students from the class of 2023 and their parents are invited to this information session

The DP Curriculum

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Requirements for the IB Diploma

All DP candidates all over the world aim to achieve the IB Diploma. To be awarded the Diploma at the end of the program, candidates must meet the following requirements:

  1. Core Subject Requirements

    1. Complete all the Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) requirements.

    2. Submit the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and Extended Essay (EE), and achieve at least a grade of D for each.

  2. Subject Requirements

    1. Achieve a total score of 24 or more.

    2. Achieve a total HL score of at least 12 and a total SL score of at least 9.

    3. Have no more than three marks of ‘3’ across all subjects, and no more than two marks of ‘2’ across all subjects.

    4. Have no mark of ‘1’ on any subject.

    5. Have no penalty for academic misconduct from the Final Award Committee.

All MDID students are eligible for a bilingual diploma that certifies their ability to tackle academic tasks in both English and Chinese.

The DP at MDID

MDID offers the G11 and G12 students a DP curriculum that also meets the requirements of Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE). The subjects offered have been carefully selected to meet the students’ needs for applying to universities abroad and to further develop the skills they have learned while doing the MYP in Grades 7 through 10. 

As such, Chinese is offered as the default language for Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature. Since MDID offers all the programs in English, students are also given the option to take a second Group 1 subject in English. Students may also take English Language Acquisition for Group 2: Language Acquisition. Students who are in the Chinese Language Acquisition track in MYP may also be accommodated under special consideration.

MDID students take a second foreign language in their MYP, in either French, Japanese, or Spanish. In the DP, MDID students are given the option to continue studying their second foreign language by taking it as an elective instead of taking Group 6: Arts. 

MDID options for the different DP subject groups are shown below. To get more information about these individual subjects, please visit the different subject booths during the DP Course Fair, or refer to the MDID website.

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Choosing DP Subjects

Basic Requirements 

To qualify for the IB Diploma, students need to

  • take the DP core subjects (Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, CAS)

  • take three courses at standard level

  • take three courses at higher level

  • take one course per subject group, with a few exceptions (for groups 2 and 6).

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For MDID students, there are a few possibilities with regard to subject choices. The different examples are listed below.

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SL or HL?

Students should consider the following when deciding on standard or higher level:

  • Coverage and expectations. The breadth and depth of SL is definitely less than that of HL. For some courses, you need to check with your G10 teacher if you qualify for the minimum expectations for HL, like in DP Math Analysis and Approaches.

  • Implications on University Goals.Some university programs require you to take certain DP subjects at HL and achieve a particular grade in it. It’s best to consult with the college counselor regarding these concerns.

  • Implications on the diploma.It’s very tempting to want to challenge yourself to take the more difficult courses in DP, but difficulty is relative. It’s best to know your strengths and your willingness to compromise for your time and effort before deciding on your HL subjects. Having a good set of courses on paper is meaningless if you won’t be able to do well in them.

DP Course Selection Process

To ensure that students choose the best options for them, the Course Selection at MDID has three stages：

  1. Expression of Interest

    This survey is administered to the G10 students after having enough sessions with their college counsellor to set a general idea for university aspirations. Students are asked about their preferences and their reasons.

  2. Initial Course Selection
    At the end of the DP Course Fair, parents and students are given a form for their choices based on the guidance of the teachers. These choices are not yet final, since MDID’s final course offerings will be given after two weeks. This information will be used by the administration to finalize the DP Course Offerings for the class of 2023.  

  3. Final Course Selection
    After the DP Course Offerings are released, students and parents make their final subject choices. This information will be used in order to create the students’ schedule for Fall 2021. Unless there are urgent issues with the submitted subject choices, this will be considered the final DP courses for the student.

Timeline for the Class of 2023

  • Aug. 31, 2020
    Expression of Interest survey will be conducted.

  • Sept. 11, 2020
    DP Course Fair

  • Sept. 25, 2020
    Due: Initial Subject Choices

  • Jan. 20, 2021
    Release of Final Subject Offerings

  • Feb. 18, 2021
    Due: Final Subject Choices

  • August 2021
    Start of DP1 

  • February 2022
    Semester 2 Week 2: Last day of switching levels for DP1

  • June 2022
    End of Year Exams for DP1

  • August 2022
    Start of DP2. Due: Contract for Diploma Candidacy

  • Oct. 15, 2022
    Start of University Applications

  • March 2023
    Mock Exams for DP2

  • April 2023
    Submission of coursework to IBO

  • May 2023
    External Exams

DP Course SelectionDandi LopezDP, Diploma Program, Class of 2023