The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) was founded to develop a high-quality education system that would address the needs of students in our era of rapid globalization. Founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1968, the organization set out to assess national education systems from around the world and to combine the best practices of each into a program that would prepare national leaders in business, government and the nonprofit sector. The resulting system consists of three programs: the Primary Years Program, the Middle Years Program and the Diploma Program. For 35 years, the International Baccalaureate (IB) has been recognized by leading universities from around the world for its extremely high standards and the academic achievement of its graduates.

The IB is unique because:

	It offers a continuum of education, consisting of three individual programs, spanning the years from kindergarten to a pre-university diploma.
	It has a formidable reputation for high-quality education sustained for over 35 years, with the curriculum representing the best from many different countries rather than the exported national system of any one. Its challenging Diploma Programme assessment is recognized and respected by the world's leading universities.
	It encourages international-mindedness, first by developing in students an understanding of their own cultural and national identity and then branching into a profound understanding of the world. All IB students learn a second language and the skills to live and work with others internationally—essential for life in the 21st century.
	It encourages a positive attitude to learning by encouraging students to ask challenging questions, to critically reflect, to develop research skills, and to learn how to learn. It also encourages community service based on the belief that there is more to learning than academic studies alone.

AIS/B offers the Diploma Programme, which officially begins in eleventh grade. Preparation for the IB program begins much earlier; however, with rigorous academic standards, especially from seventh grade forward.

The curriculum of the Diploma Programme is illustrated by the graphic below, which is a hexagon comprised of six subject groups with the core requirements at the center:

Generally, students study six subjects selected from the subject groups, with three subjects studied at a higher level (courses representing 240 teaching hours), and the remaining three at a standard level (courses representing 150 teaching hours).

The three core requirements as described by IBO are presented below:

Extended Essay -- The extended essay has a prescribed limit of 4,000 words. It offers the opportunity to investigate a topic of individual interest, and acquaints students with the independent research and writing skills expected at university.

Theory of Knowledge (TOK) -- The interdisciplinary TOK course is designed to provide coherence by exploring the nature of knowledge across disciplines, encouraging an appreciation of other cultural perspectives.

Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) -- Participation in the school’s CAS program encourages students to be involved in artistic pursuits, sports and community service work, thus fostering students’ awareness and appreciation of life outside the academic arena. The IB requires 200 CAS hours. CAS opportunities at AIS/B include fundraising activities; the Annual Walkathon for Humanity benefiting the organizations with which the school does community service; community service; yearbook; school newspaper; student government; special productions and events, including theater, the Holiday Celebration and art exhibitions; serving as teaching aides for elementary classrooms and student tutoring; human rights projects; and team sports.

AIS/B students are offered the following IB courses under the Diploma Programme, along with more than 250 hours of CAS activities. “SL” represents “Standard Level” and “HL” represents “Higher Level”. Language courses are offered at A1 level for native speakers, A2 level for student with a strong grasp of the target language, B level for second language learners, and at Ab Initio level for beginners.

IB English A1, A2 & B (SL & HL)
IB Spanish A1, A2 & B (SL & HL)
IB German (A1, A2, B, and Ab Initio)
IB French (Ab Initio)
IB Mandarin (Ab Initio)
IB Dutch (A2)
IB Art (SL & HL)
IB Theory of Knowledge
IB Extended Essay
IB History (SL & HL)
IB Chemistry (SL)
IB Physics (SL)
IB Biology (SL & HL)
IB Mathematical Studies (SL)
IB Mathematics (SL/HL)

The 2008 assessment of the AIS/B’s IB program by IBO representatives was extremely favorable and especially noted the happiness and personal balance of the students at AIS/B.