DP Course fair
What it is and what we have to do
What you can find on this page
The DP Course Fair is an information session for G10 students and parents. During the event, parents will be given an orientation to the Diploma Programme, then students and parents alike will be given access to an information poster and sample assessments for each subject, and afterwards are encouraged to meet with the different DP teachers to ask any questions they may have about the subject. At the end of the course fair, students will be asked to fill out their Initial Subject Choices.
To help you with the selection process, the following will be made available on this page:
A background on how to choose subjects in the DP
Examples of subject choices
Information posters and sample assessments for each subject offered
The DP Curriculum
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:
CORE SUBJECT REQUIREMENTS
Complete all the Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) requirements.
Submit the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and Extended Essay (EE), and achieve at least a grade of D for each.
SUBJECT REQUIREMENTS
Achieve a total score of 24 or more.
Achieve a total HL score of at least 12 and a total SL score of at least 9.
Have no more than three marks of ‘3’ across all subjects, and no more than two marks of ‘2’ across all subjects.
Have no mark of ‘1’ on any subject.
Have no penalty for academic misconduct from the Final Award Committee.
Most 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.
Language placement is determined by several factors: the student’s language profile, language teachers’ evaluation, and their MYP language pathway. Determining whether a student should be in English A or English B is not so much a choice, but a placement.
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 go over the different subjects below and visit the different breakout Google Meet rooms during the DP Course Fair, or refer to the IBO website.
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).
Examples of Course Selections
For MDID students, there are a few possibilities with regard to subject choices. The different examples are listed below.
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：
Student Orientation
This is done at the start of Grade 10 in order to prepare students for what DP is, and what it offers. This is followed by a DP Course Fair during the G10 parents’ evening, where all the DP teachers are present to share information about the different subject offerings in MDID. G12 students are also present to answer some questions.
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 used to arrange the number of classes and blocks for DP, and MDID’s final DP Course Offerings will be given in semester 2.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.
MDID DP Subject Offerings
Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature
ELIGIBILITY
Students who are in G10 MYP English Language and Literature will need to take DP English A Language and Literature.
Students who are in G10 MYP ELA Proficient Level may need to take this subject, depending on their achievement and teacher’s recommendation.
Students in G10 MYP ELA Capable Level are not eligible for this course, and must take DP English B Language Acquisition.
Group 2: Language Acquisition
Eligibility
Students who are in G10 MYP ELA Capable Level will need to take English B Language Acquisition.
Students who are in G10 MYP ELA Proficient Level may need to take this subject, depending on their achievement and teacher’s recommendation.
Students in G10 MYP English Language and Literature are not eligible for this course, and must take DP English A Language and Literature.
Second Foreign Language
Students may also choose to take French B, Japanese B, or Spanish B in lieu of a Group 6: Arts subject. They need to have taken the language in Grades 9 and 10 to be eligible.
Group 3: Individuals and Societies
Availability
Psychology is available as an elective subject in lieu of a Group 6: Arts subject. Students may not have Psychology as their only Group 3 subject.
Availability
Psychology is available as an elective subject in lieu of a Group 6: Arts subject. Students may not have Psychology as their only Group 3 subject.
Group 4: The Sciences
Availability
DP Computer Science is only offered in Standard Level (SL) and may only be taken as an elective in lieu of a Group 6: Arts subject. Students must take another Group 4: Science subject.
Group 5: Maths
ELIGIBILITY
Students who are in G10 MYP Extended Math with their teacher’s recommendation are eligible for Higher Level (HL). Otherwise, the students must take the subject in Standard Level (SL).