The arts are fundamental to developing the values at the heart of an IB education.
Through practical engagement and rigorous academic exploration, students cultivate creative and intellectual curiosity while developing the skills to imagine new possibilities and create innovative solutions.
Students experience the excitement of creation and the fulfilment of bringing their ideas to life. Artistic practice fosters their agency, well-being, and sense of accomplishment. They are empowered to communicate their ideas in meaningful, unconventional, and diverse forms.
Through artistic processes, students learn to take creative risks, embrace challenges, and view errors not as failures but as opportunities for growth and development. In this way, they develop courage, resilience, and a strong creative disposition.
In the arts, students learn to welcome the unexpected, harness their unique creative potential, and lead with empathy and adaptability in any learning environment or professional landscape.
The arts in the IB DP aim to:
- Foster critical thinking, creativity, and intercultural understanding.
- Develop skilled and imaginative creators and collaborators.
- Build resilience, intellectual rigour, and lifelong engagement with the arts.
- Prepare students to analyse, reflect, and respond to challenges with a global perspective.
Students can choose from five subjects, available at both higher and standard levels:
Additionally, the following interdisciplinary course is available at the standard level:
The following course is available online:
To enrol in the DP Film online, please visit this page to learn more about the enrollment process.
Other arts courses are available through the DP Online Pilot. For more information see Online DP pilot - International Baccalaureate®.
Explore how the Arts in the Diploma Programme (IBDP) and the Career-related Programme (IBCP) equip students with the skills and mindsets to excel in the challenges and opportunities of higher education and the wider world.
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DP subject briefs
Find out about what each subject offers within the Diploma Programme (DP).
Our DP subject briefs—for both standard and higher level—contain information about core requirements, aims and assessment.
