Explore, engage, enrich:
The IB Diploma Programme at Gymnasium Klosterneuburg
What is the International Baccalaureate (IB)?
The International Baccalaureate Diploma is an internationally recognised school-leaving certificate. An academically rigorous programme (IBDP) taught in the last two years of secondary school provides the necessary preparation for final assessments.
The two-year IB Diploma Programme prepares students ideally for university and encourages them to:
ask challenging questions
develop a strong sense of their own identity and culture
become active, compassionate and lifelong learners
develop the ability to communicate with and understand people from other countries and cultures.
Our Vision
We want to see our students leave our school as critical thinkers who have a sustained interest in learning and inquiry. They will be responsible and morally ambitious young adults.
We will help our students to listen and acknowledge the views of others, especially when they oppose their own, and to communicate respectfully. We want our students to embrace each other’s differences, recognise that there is a wider world outside of their familiar context and to live peacefully with their fellow human beings.
To achieve our vision, our school will align the best traditions of an Austrian Gymnasium with the global perspectives of an International Baccalaureate education.
How is the IB taught?
The IB is practice-orientated and promotes independent learning and working. Through a challenging and varied curriculum, students not only learn content, but also skills and approaches in the various disciplines. In Biology or Chemistry, for example, the focus is on designing and carrying out scientific experiments, while in History the emphasis is on analysing primary sources. This allows students to get a taste of the work of a biologist or historian. This in turn can help pupils to find out which direction they want to take after school.
Why IB?
Pupils receive teaching over the two-year period in six subjects of their choice; examination is in written form in May of the final year. The six subjects must include a Science subject, Maths, the study of literature in the mother tongue and a foreign language.
Through the individual choice of three subjects at higher level and three at standard level, the Programme is “tailor-made“ for each pupil and can have, for instance, a strong science focus with 8 hours a week spent in the lab. Alternatively, a pupil may choose to follow three language courses and become a specialist in literary analysis. “Theory of Knowledge“ (TOK), an Extended Essay (EE) and engaging in creative, active and service-oriented projects (CAS) form the compulsory core or “heart” of the IB experience.
The IB supports pupils in
Fostering a love of learning
Pursuing their interests with a tailored curriculum
Strengthening their personality and self-confidence
Pursuing their extracurricular activities (from music to sports)
Reflecting on information critically and consciously in a digitalised world
Becoming socially and civically engaged
Developing into independent and reflective adults
Why IB at Gymnasium Klosterneuburg?
Gymnasium Klosterneuburg has been recognised as an IB World School since 2010 and is one of only 6 state schools in Austria where students have the opportunity to pursue the IB.
The IB route at Gymnasium Klosterneuburg offers a general school education, supplemented by the globally recognised curriculum and methodological objectives of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Two educational qualifications are obtained with this route: the Austrian Reifeprüfung and the IB Diploma.
In comparison to international private schools with high tuition fees, Gymnasium Klosterneuburg is subsidised by the state of Lower Austria. IB students therefore only have to pay a monthly fee of EUR 50 and an one-off examination fee (currently EUR 534).
Admission to Austrian universities with the IB Diploma
The IB Diploma is accepted as a university entrance qualification at Austrian universities. Below is a short list of links to information regarding admission to Austrian universities with an IB Diploma.
International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) (in English)
BG/BRG Klosterneuburg IB World School offers a dedicated university counselling service which guides and assists pupils in their applications to colleges and universities in the UK and USA. In case of any questions, please contact the university counsellor Heewon Park MA.