BIHS course pathways
These pathways illustrate some of the likely sequences of courses withing the six IB groups. Other sequences of courses are also possible, and these charts cannot cover all unique individual situations.
(This material was presented at the February 2008 curriculum information nights.)
English course pathway (all classes in BIHS): Group 1
| Grade 9 | Freshman Literature & Composition |
| Grade 10 | Global Literature |
| Grade 11 | IB English HL |
| Grade 12 | IB English HL |
BHS requirement: four years of English
UC/CSU requirement "b": four years of English
History course pathway (all classes in BIHS): Group 3
| Grade 9 | Global Studies | ||
| Grade 10 | Global History | Comp. Values & Beliefs* | Comp. Pol. & Econ. Systems** |
| Grade 11 | IB History of Americas HL | ||
| Grade 12 | IB History of Americas HL |
BHS requirement "a": four years of history, including one semester each of Economics and American Government (American Government is included in the two years of History of the Americas)
UC/CSU requirement: two years of history, including one year of world history and one year of US history or one semester of government and one semester of US history
*Comparative Values & Beliefs is an elective which meets the "g" requirement, not the "a" requirement
**Economics is an elective which meets the "g" requirement, not the "a" requirement
World language course pathways: Group 2
Spanish
| Grade 9 | Spanish 1/2 | Spanish 3/4 | Spanish 5/6 | no Spanish |
| Grade 10 | Spanish 3/4 | Spanish 5/6 | Spanish 7/8 | no Spanish |
| Grade 11 | IB Spanish B SL | IB Spanish B HL | IB Spanish A HL | IB Spanish ab initio SL |
| Grade 12 | IB Spanish B SL | IB Spanish B HL | IB Spanish A HL | IB Spanish ab initio SL |
French
| Grade 9 | French 1/2 | French 3/4 | French 5/6 |
| Grade 10 | French 3/4 | French 5/6 | French 7/8 |
| Grade 11 | French 5/6/IB French SL* | French 7/8/IB French HL | IB French HL/AP French |
| Grade 12 | French 7/8/IB French SL | IB French HL/AP French | IB French HL |
*IB French SL and IB French HL are two-year courses
Latin
| Grade 9 | Latin 1/2 |
| Grade 10 | Latin 3/4 |
| Grade 11 | Latin 5/6/IB Latin HL* |
| Grade 12 | IB Latin HL/AP Latin |
*IB Latin HL is a two-year course
Mandarin
| Grade 9 | Mandarin 1/2 |
| Grade 10 | Mandarin 3/4 |
| Grade 11 | Mandarin 5/6/IB Mandarin HL* |
| Grade 12 | IB Mandarin HL |
*IB Mandarin HL is a two-year course
Kiswahili
| Grade 9 | Kiswahili 1/2 |
| Grade 10 | Kiswahili 3/4 |
| Grade 11 | Kiswahili B SL* |
| Grade 12 | Kiswahili B SL |
*IB Kiswahili B is a two-year course
BHS requirement: one year of world language or art
UC/CSU requirement "e": two years of same world language (3 years recommended)
Science course pathways: Group 4
| Grade 9 | No sci/Integ Sci/Adv Bio | No sci/Integ Sci | No sci/Integ Sci/Adv Bio | Advanced Biology |
| Grade 10 | Chemistry | Advanced Biology | AP Chemistry | AP Biology |
| Grade 11 | IB Bio SL/IB Chem SL | IB Chem SL | IB Biology SL | IB Chem SL |
| Grade 12 | IB Bio HL/IB Physics HL | IB Bio HL/IB Physics HL | IB Physics HL/IB Chem HL | IB Bio HL/IB Physics HL |
* Students should not take two levels (SL and HL) of the same science course.
NB: Students taking IB HL courses senior year may take either the IB SL or HL science exam in May of 12th grade.
BHS requirement: one year of life science and one year of physical science
UC/CSU requirement "d": two years of lab science, one life and one physical (3 years recommended)
Math course pathways: Group 5
| Grade 9 | Algebra I/IMP I* | Geometry/IMP II | Geometry/IMP II | Algebra II |
| Grade 10 | Geometry/IMP II | Algebra II/IMP III | Algebra II/IMP III | Math Analysis |
| Grade 11 | Algebra II/IMP III | Math Anal/IB Math I | Math Anal/IB Math I | Calc BC/IB Math HL |
| Grade 12 | IB Math Studies SL | Calc AB/IB Math SL | Calc BC/IB Math HL | BCC Math/IB Math HL |
*Honors courses are included in Algebra, Geometry, IMP and Math Analysis
**IB SL Math and IB HL Math are two-year courses; IB SL Math Studies is a one-year course.
BHS requirement: two years of math, including algebra
UC/CSU requirement "c": three years of math, including Algebra II or IMP III (4 years recommended)
Art course pathways (9th grade in BIHS) Group 6
| Grade 9 | Cultural Aesthetics | Cultural Aesthetics | Cultural Aesthetics | Cultural Aesthetics |
| Grade 10 | No art/art elective | No art/art elective | No art/art elective | No art/art elective |
| Grade 11 | IB Art SLA | IB Art HLA | IB Music HL | No art/art elective |
| Grade 12 | No art/art elective | IB Art HLA | IB Music HL | IB Music SL |
BHS requirement: one year of world language or art
UC/CSU requirement "f": one year-long course of visual or performing art
Additional BIHS course requirement: Theory of Knowledge (meets the UC "g" requirement)
Additional BHS requirements: social living (covered in Global Studies; students transferring into BHS/BIHS after 9th grade can take a 9-week social living course); PE (covered by courses, varsity sports, or outside physical education activities with a PE waiver).
Additional UC/CSU requirement "g": 1 year of electives chosen from additional "a-f" courses