International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme

The International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme: Bridging Education and Career Readiness

Empowering Careers and Education

The International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) offers students a distinctive pathway that combines academic study with real-world, career-focused learning. Tailored for those with a specific interest or passion, the IBCP prepares students for further education, apprenticeships, or direct entry into the workforce.

The curriculum includes four core components: at least two subjects from the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP), and a career-related study. This balanced combination equips students with the academic knowledge, practical skills, and personal attributes needed to succeed in their chosen field.

Core Components

The IBCP encompasses a dynamic core curriculum composed of four pivotal components that foster holistic development and intellectual growth:

Personal and Professional Skills: Cultivating essential life skills and nurturing a sense of professional competence.
Community Engagement: Encouraging thoughtful, active community engagement and instilling a profound sense of social responsibility.
Reflective Project: Stimulating critical thinking and promoting in-depth research on a self-selected ethical dilemma related to their chosen career-related study.
Language and Cultural Studies: Enhancing linguistic proficiency and cultural understanding to foster effective communication across diverse contexts.

In addition to the core components, the students must select a career-related study that serves as a gateway to higher education, internships or apprenticeships, and positions in specific fields of interest. This unique facet of the program allows students to apply and practice theories and concepts while developing a versatile skill set within authentic, meaningful contexts. Upon completion of the program, students are awarded the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme Certificate, an internationally recognised qualification.

Career-Related Studies

As a key component of the programme, the career-related study enables students to connect academic knowledge with practical experience. This element prepares students for further study, apprenticeships, or employment by encouraging hands-on learning and the development of transferable skills. Students who complete the IBCP receive the internationally recognised IBCP Certificate, along with any relevant certifications from their chosen study area from their study provider.

IBDP Subjects

In the IBCP, in addition to the core and their chosen career related study, students will select at least two IBDP subjects to study. These subjects can be studied at Higher or Standard level. We also requires all IBCP students complete Theory of Knowledge (TOK).

Want to know more about the IBCP and the IBO? Check out their website:

International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme

FAQs

Below are some of the most common questions we receive about the IBCP.

: To earn the IBCP certificate, students need to:

earn a minimum grade 3 in two of their chosen Diploma subjects;

meet all the requirements for the portfolio subjects (Language and Cultural Studies & Community Engagement);

meet the passing requirements of the Personal and Professional Skills course;

receive at least a grade of D on their reflective project;

meet all requirement to earn their career-related study certification (Certificate III or IV).
: The IBCP is well suited to students who have a clear interest in a particular field, enjoy practical learning, and are looking for flexible post-school options including university, TAFE, apprenticeships, or employment.
: No, there is no ATAR score given upon successful completion of the IBCP.
: At the end of the IBCP, graduates may choose to enter the workforce, continue study at TAFE (Certificate IV or a Diploma) or decide to apply to University.
If your career-related study was done through a TAFE there may be an agreement between the TAFE and a university which will allow you to matriculate into a university program or receive recognition of prior learning after brief further study (e.g. the completion of a Certificate IV or Diploma). For a list of North Metropolitan TAFE’s agreements with Universities, please visit their website. Students may also try a direct entry route or to complete bridging courses over the summer. Murdoch University and Notre Dame have some good programs.
: Yes. To earn the Career-Related Programme certificate, students must earn at least a 3 in two of their chosen IBDP subjects. This means they will submit all required coursework and take the examinations in the subject at the end of year 2.
: No. The beauty of the CIBP’s Language and Cultural Studies component is that students have freedom of choice and are encouraged to select a language and culture of interest to them. You will then design projects that will enhance your abilities and understanding of the chosen language and culture. The portfolio of work you produce needs to demonstrate progression in your understanding, rather than reaching a set level of proficiency.
: At the Montessori School, Kinglsey we encourage IBCP students to complete three Diploma subjects; so yes, you can study more than the minimum requirement of two.
: The IBO only requires that a student study two Diploma subjects. This can be done at HL or SL. Students are encouraged to complete the courses at SL unless there is sufficient evidence that they are capable of completing the required work to a sufficient standard.
: We believe the critical thinking skills developed by the Theory of Knowledge course are vital in today’s society, where we are bombarded by information from a variety of sources using different media types. TOK allows students the space to explore how we know what we know, the process by which knowledge is acquired or created and how to evaluate their own (and other’s) perspectives. This reinforces skills being simultaneously developed in their chosen Diploma Programme (DP) subjects.
: No. However, we encourage students who may want to attend university immediately after completing the CP that these two subjects may be considered more highly in the direct application process and if they do not wish to take both, to consider studying either English OR Maths. Students are encouraged to choose Diploma subjects they are good at and enjoy, as this increases their engagement and success. We also encourage them to find DP subjects that naturally link with their chosen career-related course. For example, a student completing a Certificate IV in Health and Nursing studies may choose DP Biology (SL) as one of their Diploma subjects. Another student studying Certificate III in Screen and Media may choose Visual Arts as one of their DP subjects.
: Yes, but you do not need to choose a different language.