For more than 50 years, the IB has equipped students with the skills, confidence and lifelong learning they need to thrive and make a difference in an ever-changing world. Through a powerful continuum of four student-centric programmes developed for learners aged 3-19, IB programmes can be implemented independently or in combination. IB Continuum They are underpinned by shared values and a shared emphasis on developing students who are lifelong learners and who are able to not only make sense of, but to make a positive impact on, our complex and interconnected world. Central to all four of its programmes are: What is an IB education?
- International-mindedness
- The IB learner profile
- A broad, balanced, conceptual, and connected curriculum
- An approach to teaching and learning centered on inquiry and positive agency
The CP provides learners with an excellent foundation to support their further studies while also ensuring preparedness for success at university and in the workforce. Designed for learners aged 16 -19, the CP works in tandem with the Diploma Programme (DP) for students aged 16-19. It layers the CP core and real-world career engagement on top of rigorous DP coursework.
In order to implement any IB programme, schools must undergo an authorization process. The IB also offers a variety of professional development, certifications, and resources for its school community. Free resources are available for schools interested in learning more.
What Makes This Model Innovative?
High Expectations with Unlimited Opportunities
Relevance
Social Consciousness & Action
Related Models
IB Diploma Programme
The Diploma Programme (DP) prepares students for success in higher education and active participation in a global society through a world-class and rigorous curriculum.
IB Diploma Programme
For more than 50 years, the IB has equipped students with the skills, confidence and lifelong learning they need to thrive and make a difference in an ever-changing world. Through a powerful continuum of four student-centric programmes developed for learners aged 3-19, IB programmes can be implemented independently or in combination. IB Continuum They are underpinned by shared values and a shared emphasis on developing students who are lifelong learners and who are able to not only make sense of, but to make a positive impact on, our complex and interconnected world. Central to all four of its programmes are: What is an IB Education?
- International-mindedness
- The IB learner profile
- A broad, balanced, conceptual, and connected curriculum
- An approach to teaching and learning centered on inquiry and positive agency
The DP is an academically challenging and balanced programme of education that prepares students, aged 16 to 19, for success at university and life beyond. It has been designed to address the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical well-being of students through subject teaching and the DP core. The DP has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities.
In order to implement any IB programme, schools must undergo an authorization process. The IB also offers a variety of professional development, certifications, and resources for its school community. Free resources are available for schools interested in learning more.
IB Primary Years Programme
The Primary Years Programme (PYP) develops confident lifelong learners who can demonstrate cultural empathy and respect. It is a child-centered approach that sparks curiosity and creativity, while building passion and skills for learning.
IB Primary Years Programme
For more than 50 years, the IB has equipped students with the skills, confidence and lifelong learning they need to thrive and make a difference in an ever-changing world. IB Continuum Through a powerful continuum of four student-centric programmes developed for learners aged 3-19, IB programmes can be implemented independently or in combination. They are underpinned by shared values and a shared emphasis on developing students who are lifelong learners and who are able to not only make sense of, but to make a positive impact on, our complex and interconnected world. Central to all four of its programmes are: What is an IB Education?
- International-mindedness
- The IB learner profile
- A broad, balanced, conceptual, and connected curriculum
- An approach to teaching and learning centered on inquiry and positive agency
The PYP is unique in that it caters to the developmental needs of learners aged 3-12. It focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. It is a framework guided by six transdisciplinary themes of global significance, explored using knowledge and skills derived from six subject areas, as well as transdisciplinary skills, with a powerful emphasis on inquiry.
In order to implement any IB programme, schools must undergo an authorization process. The IB offers a variety of professional development, certifications, and resources for its school community. Free resources are available for schools interested in learning more.
Goals
While the Learner Profile sets the goals for all IB programmes, the CP has a unique set of outcomes for learners at this developmental stage. IB Learner Profile
Knowledge
Students have excellent breadth and depth of knowledge. They apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios and situations.
Balance
Students flourish intellectually, professionally, and ethically. They combine academic subjects with their personal and professional interests and skills and follow their chosen education and career pathways in life.
International Mindedness
Students study at least two languages and are globally aware. They consider new perspectives and other points of view.
Rigor
Students excel in traditional and career academic subjects.
Ethical
Students explore ethical dilemmas through the Reflective project.
Agency
Students research and act on their own passions and interests. They engage in learning that makes a positive difference to their community.
Experience
The Career-related Programme framework illustrates how the CP’s unique focus on older learners preparing for careers intersects with the overall approach of the IB. CP Framework Summary
Three main learner concurrent experiences—reflected in the middle layers of the framework—make up the CP: 
1. CP core
- Personal and professional skills
- Service learning
- Reflective project
- Language development
2. Diploma Programme courses
3. Career-related study
The CP core enhances students’ personal and interpersonal development, with an emphasis on
experiential learning. The CP core components provide students with opportunities to apply
knowledge and skills learned from the DP courses and the career-related study, drawing all
aspects of the framework together. Through the CP core, students develop personal qualities
and professional skills, as well as intellectual habits required for lifelong learning. Four
interrelated components form the CP core:
- Personal and Professional Skills – A course designed for students to develop attitudes, skills and strategies to be applied to personal and professional situations and contexts now and in the future. In this course, the emphasis is on skills development for the workplace, as these are transferable and can be applied in a range of situations.
- Service Learning – In this research-based component, students develop and apply a variety of knowledge and skills in order to tackle a community need. Students often undertake service initiatives related to topics studied previously in their academic disciplines and utilize skills, understandings, and values developed in these studies. Service Learning Stages
- Reflective Project – Through a reflective project, students identify, analyze, critically discuss, and evaluate an ethical issue arising from their career-related studies. The reflective project is intended to promote high-level research, writing and extended communication skills, intellectual discovery, and creativity. It culminates in an in-depth body of work produced over an extended period of time and submitted toward the end of the CP. Reflective Project Milestones
- Language Development – All students have access to a language programme that will assist and further their understanding of the wider world. The ability to communicate in more than one language is essential to the IB’s concept of international education. Language development encourages students to improve their proficiency in a language other than their best language.
In order to offer the Career-related Programme, schools can offer the CP as a stand-alone IB programme or offer CP alongside the Diploma Programme (DP). Students in the Career-related Programme complete at least two DP courses, and can take up to 4 DP courses in any of that programme’s subject groups. DP courses provide and enhance the theoretical underpinnings and academic rigor of the CP. To learn more about the Diploma Programme and what coursework entails, you can view the IB Diploma Programme Exchange Entry.
The career-related study is designed to prepare students for higher education, an internship or apprenticeship, or a position in a designated field of their interest. It provides the opportunity for students to learn about theories and concepts through application and practice while developing broad-based skills in authentic and meaningful contexts. The career-related study is provided by a partnership with an outside organization that offers young people real-world experiences—either in person or online—or an approved local, national, or international career and technical education provider. Selecting your CRS Guidance Some providers who often work with IB schools include:
- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) – Develops forward-thinking professionals with the financial and business skills essential for the creation of sustainable economies and flourishing societies. ACCA
- Pearson – Has developed the range of Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualifications and operates in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia. Pearson
- Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) – Offers courses at campuses in the US and France, and also via eLearning. SCAD
- Sustainability Management School (SUMAS) – Offers an innovative learning programme for students ready to make an impact with their education. SUMAS
- World Academy of Sport (WAoS) – Provides learning pathways for participants in the international sports sector through exceptional education programmes and partners. WAoS
Students who complete the programme receive the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme Certificate, the certification awarded by the career-related study provider, and, if applicable, their secondary school high school diploma. In addition, most pathways will offer either college credit or nationally recognized industry certifications in their field.
Supporting Structures
A key feature of the CP is that it provides flexibility to allow for local differences. Each school creates its own distinctive version of the CP to meet the needs, backgrounds and contexts of its students. The career-related study must satisfy IB criteria for accreditation, assessment and quality assurance, which are detailed below, and in more depth in the Programme standards and practices (see in Implementation section).
All Career-related Programme students must enroll in at least two courses from the Diploma Programme.
Students are required to take at least two DP courses in order to receive a CP diploma. IB World Schools are able to select the number of DP courses they wish to offer alongside components of the CP. These courses can come from any of the subject groups in the DP and may be studied at standard or higher level. You can learn more about implementing the DP in the IB Diploma Programme Exchange Entry. The DP courses chosen should be relevant to the student’s career-related studies so that academic and professional skills are developed together and build an overall skillset relevant to a future career.
Schools implementing the CP must also be committed to the process of experiential learning, second language acquisition, ethical analysis, and supporting impactful communication skills, both written and oral. Courses within the CP are assessed in accordance with rigorous international standards. Students take written examinations at the end of their courses, which are marked by external IB examiners. The marks awarded for each course range from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). Every CP student must complete the four elements of the CP core, which have guidelines for grading. The Reflective project is assessed by the school and moderated and graded by the IB, whereas the school holds sole responsibility for confirming with the IB that students have completed the requirements for service learning, personal and professional skills and language development.
The school community must support learners in realizing the IB Learner Profile.
While schools have the freedom to create a school culture that reflects the needs of their community, there are aspects that are essential to implementing the CP. Together, all stakeholders sustain a positive school culture by committing to continuous school improvement, well-being, and a safe and engaging environment that nurtures resilient, optimistic, and lifelong learners.
IB schools seek to create an inclusive learning community that:
- lives peacefully together by engaging with different ways of knowing and being
- prioritizes people and their relationships
- assumes shared responsibility for learning, health and well-being
These attributes foster internationally minded people who embody all attributes of the IB learner profile.
The CP is collaboratively developed by the appropriate staff members with support from the IB.
The development of the CP curriculum is the product of sustained collaborative work involving all the appropriate staff and likely including teachers, coordinators, and more. Collaborative planning and reflection explore connections and relationships between subjects and reinforces knowledge, understanding and skills shared by the different disciplines. The school’s IB educators also work closely with the career-related studies staff to ensure balance and the overall coherence of the students’ full educational experience.
Implementing the CP can require the creation of new roles, such as the appointment of a service-learning coordinator. Schools must also comply with the IB professional development requirement for CP at authorization and at evaluation, which you can learn more about here Professional Development for CP
The CP must be supported by strategic partnerships with local and global organizations.
The IB recognizes the value of building relationships with a wide variety of high-quality career-related studies providers. A number of these providers have signed a formal Cooperation Agreement with the IB and are known as CRS Strategic Providers. The career-related studies have been selected as offering the potential to be implemented by a wide range of CP schools. Schools should therefore feel confident in considering these options to develop and enhance the CP programme. To peruse the CRS Strategic Providers, as well as additional providers that the IB has worked with in the past, visit the website Career-related studies providers
The IB also recognizes and values other career-related studies providers who are working more locally to support the needs of individual CP schools. Schools are encouraged to find providers that are a good match for them and/or utilize and elevate current career and technical education.
Certain aspects of the CP can happen outside of school walls.
Depending on your location and partnerships of choice, certain aspects of the CP—like career-related studies or even certain elements of the CP core—can take place in authentic environments outside of the school building.
Schools should have the infrastructure to offer learners the option to take DP courses online.
CP students can enroll in the authorized DP courses online. The IB has worked closely with Pamoja Education over many years to ensure this offering. Diploma Programme online
Technology, the Learner Profile, and Approaches to Learning work together to develop internationally-minded digital citizens able to exercise academic integrity and practice safe and ethical behaviors. Students must understand the functionality of tools, how to operate tools and resources, and how technology can be used to problem solve, create new opportunities, and communicate. Technology should enable unique opportunities for the learning community to co-construct knowledge and develop conceptual understanding with their school and broader community.
Operations must support strong implementation of the CP.
Adequate resources and supervision must be allocated to successfully execute all requirements of the CP. The IB is a permitted use of Title I, II, and IV funding and federal Perkins V fund, as well as federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding. Using federal funds Perkins V funding
The IB provides a digital toolkit and social networks which can be used for communications.
The IB offers a digital toolkit which provides authorized schools with a wide range of communications materials. Digital toolkit These can be used to present the IB and its programmes to stakeholders such as students, parents, teachers, and school boards, as well as universities and government bodies.
CP teachers around the world use Twitter and LinkedIn to share experiences, ideas, and resources as well as to ask questions of other educators. Social networks
Both the IB and adopting schools must facilitate continuous improvement.
The IB gathers together a worldwide community of educators who share a common belief that education can help to build a better world. Each IB programme and curriculum content undergoes a regular review to ensure that it delivers the best possible education for IB students. The process involves educators from many different cultures and backgrounds.
To maintain their status as an IB World School it is up to schools to regularly review and follow all IB rules, regulations, and guidelines as well as implement and review systems and processes to improve the operation and sustainability of its IB programme. All IB World Schools are required to participate in an ongoing process of review and development ensuring the continued quality assurance of its IB programme delivery.
The schedule should offer ample time for DP courses as well as each component of the CP core.
While schools have the freedom to set their own schedules, they must provide for the recommended hours for each standard and higher-level subject—Standard Level subjects take up 150 teaching hours and Higher Level take up 240 teaching hours. The schedule must also provide time for each component of the CP core.
All Career-related Programme students must enroll in at least two courses from the Diploma Programme.
Students are required to take at least two DP courses in order to receive a CP diploma. IB World Schools are able to select the number of DP courses they wish to offer alongside components of the CP. These courses can come from any of the subject groups in the DP and may be studied at standard or higher level. You can learn more about implementing the DP in the IB Diploma Programme Exchange Entry. The DP courses chosen should be relevant to the student’s career-related studies so that academic and professional skills are developed together and build an overall skillset relevant to a future career.
Schools implementing the CP must also be committed to the process of experiential learning, second language acquisition, ethical analysis, and supporting impactful communication skills, both written and oral. Courses within the CP are assessed in accordance with rigorous international standards. Students take written examinations at the end of their courses, which are marked by external IB examiners. The marks awarded for each course range from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). Every CP student must complete the four elements of the CP core, which have guidelines for grading. The Reflective project is assessed by the school and moderated and graded by the IB, whereas the school holds sole responsibility for confirming with the IB that students have completed the requirements for service learning, personal and professional skills and language development.
The school community must support learners in realizing the IB Learner Profile.
While schools have the freedom to create a school culture that reflects the needs of their community, there are aspects that are essential to implementing the CP. Together, all stakeholders sustain a positive school culture by committing to continuous school improvement, well-being, and a safe and engaging environment that nurtures resilient, optimistic, and lifelong learners.
IB schools seek to create an inclusive learning community that:
- lives peacefully together by engaging with different ways of knowing and being
- prioritizes people and their relationships
- assumes shared responsibility for learning, health and well-being
These attributes foster internationally minded people who embody all attributes of the IB learner profile.
The CP is collaboratively developed by the appropriate staff members with support from the IB.
The development of the CP curriculum is the product of sustained collaborative work involving all the appropriate staff and likely including teachers, coordinators, and more. Collaborative planning and reflection explore connections and relationships between subjects and reinforces knowledge, understanding and skills shared by the different disciplines. The school’s IB educators also work closely with the career-related studies staff to ensure balance and the overall coherence of the students’ full educational experience.
Implementing the CP can require the creation of new roles, such as the appointment of a service-learning coordinator. Schools must also comply with the IB professional development requirement for CP at authorization and at evaluation, which you can learn more about here Professional Development for CP
The CP must be supported by strategic partnerships with local and global organizations.
The IB recognizes the value of building relationships with a wide variety of high-quality career-related studies providers. A number of these providers have signed a formal Cooperation Agreement with the IB and are known as CRS Strategic Providers. The career-related studies have been selected as offering the potential to be implemented by a wide range of CP schools. Schools should therefore feel confident in considering these options to develop and enhance the CP programme. To peruse the CRS Strategic Providers, as well as additional providers that the IB has worked with in the past, visit the website Career-related studies providers
The IB also recognizes and values other career-related studies providers who are working more locally to support the needs of individual CP schools. Schools are encouraged to find providers that are a good match for them and/or utilize and elevate current career and technical education.
Certain aspects of the CP can happen outside of school walls.
Depending on your location and partnerships of choice, certain aspects of the CP—like career-related studies or even certain elements of the CP core—can take place in authentic environments outside of the school building.
Schools should have the infrastructure to offer learners the option to take DP courses online.
CP students can enroll in the authorized DP courses online. The IB has worked closely with Pamoja Education over many years to ensure this offering. Diploma Programme online
Technology, the Learner Profile, and Approaches to Learning work together to develop internationally-minded digital citizens able to exercise academic integrity and practice safe and ethical behaviors. Students must understand the functionality of tools, how to operate tools and resources, and how technology can be used to problem solve, create new opportunities, and communicate. Technology should enable unique opportunities for the learning community to co-construct knowledge and develop conceptual understanding with their school and broader community.
Operations must support strong implementation of the CP.
Adequate resources and supervision must be allocated to successfully execute all requirements of the CP. The IB is a permitted use of Title I, II, and IV funding and federal Perkins V fund, as well as federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding. Using federal funds Perkins V funding
The IB provides a digital toolkit and social networks which can be used for communications.
The IB offers a digital toolkit which provides authorized schools with a wide range of communications materials. Digital toolkit These can be used to present the IB and its programmes to stakeholders such as students, parents, teachers, and school boards, as well as universities and government bodies.
CP teachers around the world use Twitter and LinkedIn to share experiences, ideas, and resources as well as to ask questions of other educators. Social networks
Both the IB and adopting schools must facilitate continuous improvement.
The IB gathers together a worldwide community of educators who share a common belief that education can help to build a better world. Each IB programme and curriculum content undergoes a regular review to ensure that it delivers the best possible education for IB students. The process involves educators from many different cultures and backgrounds.
To maintain their status as an IB World School it is up to schools to regularly review and follow all IB rules, regulations, and guidelines as well as implement and review systems and processes to improve the operation and sustainability of its IB programme. All IB World Schools are required to participate in an ongoing process of review and development ensuring the continued quality assurance of its IB programme delivery.
The schedule should offer ample time for DP courses as well as each component of the CP core.
While schools have the freedom to set their own schedules, they must provide for the recommended hours for each standard and higher-level subject—Standard Level subjects take up 150 teaching hours and Higher Level take up 240 teaching hours. The schedule must also provide time for each component of the CP core.
Supports Offered
All schools offering the CP must first participate in the candidacy and authorization process. The IB works with school communities on this journey toward creating a better world through education. IB journey The IB supports schools in obtaining and sustaining the status of IB World School in a few ways. While there are costs associated, the programme can be funded using a variety of federal funds. Funding the IB toolkit
All IB World Schools use the Guide to School Authorization and the Programme standards and practices (PSP) framework to develop a strong foundation and evolution in a school that fully supports the IB mission. Guide to School Authorization Programme standards and practices (PSP) The IB offers short, interactive PD courses to help schools gain fresh insight into the PSP and how it is used to implement, grow and develop IB programmes. PSP learning resources
IB World School Authorization Process
Cost Associated, Funding Available
During the authorization process, the IB supports schools in building
the understanding and organizational structures needed to implement the DP as well as other IB programmes. Authorization support Resource library If you are interested in implementing the CP, please submit the online form to receive more information about how to become an IB World School.
Professional Development
Cost Associated, Funding Available
The IB provides a range of professional development workshops that support educators and collaborative learning communities. The professional development opportunities include face-to-face and online workshops, webinars, blended learning and e-learning resources. These opportunities are open to both authorized schools and candidate schools. PD Offerings Chart
IB Educator and Leadership Certificate (IBEC)
Cost Associated, Funding Available
The IB educator and leadership certificates help educators develop in many areas that benefit teaching and learning in ways that are oriented toward inquiry, research, and project-based learning, among other things. IBEC FAQ
Reach
Impact
The IB Global Research department collaborates with universities and independent research institutions worldwide to produce rigorous studies examining the outcomes and impact of the IB’s four programmes. Numerous studies have shown that there are many benefits of choosing the Career-related Programme for students in the United States.
Enrollment in the CP has been linked to postsecondary outcomes. CP Research Findings CP Research Summary
- 81% of CP graduates enrolled in university by March 2016 (anytime enrollment), and 76% enrolled immediately after high school graduation (compared to 68% of US students nationally).
- 93% of CP graduates at 4-year universities persisted for one year (compared to 82% nationally). When looking at all institution types, 89% of CP graduates returned for their second year—this is 17 percentage points higher than the national average (72%).
- Of the CP graduates who immediately enrolled in higher education, 79% chose 4-year institutions over 2-year institutions (compared to 64% of the national cohort).
- For those who chose 4-year institutions, over half (55%) enrolled in a university ranked as “very competitive” or better by Barron’s Selectivity Index.
Enrollment in the CP has been shown to improve students’ preparedness for the 21st century. CP Research Findings CP Research Summary
- 75% of students felt the CP had prepared them well for higher education, and 83% reported faring well in their university studies.
- Percent of study participants who agreed they had developed the following skills:
- communication skills: 71%
- general employment skills: 71%
- skills for higher education: 77%
Finally, there are many stories of impact coming directly from school communities. 2020 Huron graduate Florida teen accepted to 27 colleges