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IB HL Global Politics

For students who initially enroll in IB HL Global Politics, this is a 5-credit course. In junior year, students take two mods: Power, Peace, and Well-Being; and Sovereignty, International Organizations, and Human Rights. In senior year, students take Political Engagement Activity; Oral Presentations on Case Studies; and Case Studies in Global Politics. Students who take the SL Global Politics sequence and want to change their registration after junior year to HL Global Politics must repeat Case Studies in Global Politics in senior year as a sixth total mod of Global Politics to refresh main ideas, review case studies, and prepare for the examination. (Parts of this course are also open to students taking Topics in Global Politics and IB SL Global Politics.)

Power, Peace, and Well-Being
Students use realism, liberalism, and critical theory to examine different types of power, resources needed to acquire power, and examples of how individuals, organizations, and states effect change. Students also learn the difference between positive and negative peace, as well as the concept of structural violence, and use an understanding of these frameworks to identify a spectrum of conflicts in society that hinder well-being. Finally, students begin exploring development initiatives used to address conflict, improve living conditions, and strive towards peace. (This mod is also open to students taking Topics in Global Politics and IB SL Global Politics.)

Sovereignty, International Organizations, and Human Rights
Students in this mod examine the notion of statehood and compare the power of states in the global system to the influence of multinational corporations, NGOs, and non-state actors. Students also develop an understanding of the history of human rights, as well as our mechanisms to monitor and enforce human rights, and the obstacles in doing so. (This mod is also open to students taking Topics in Global Politics and IB SL Global Politics.)

Political Engagement Activity
This mod asks students to build on summer work they have completed related to their political engagement inquiry. Students spend this mod completing their research on their self-designed question and writing an 8-page activity report that is due at the completion of this mod for internal assessment.

Oral Presentations on Case Studies
This mod gives students the opportunity to explore and investigate global political challenges through case studies. Students select a case study of interest to them personally and research and analyze it through two chosen lenses, and then prepare a ten-minute oral presentation to be delivered and recorded for submission.

Case Studies in Global Politics
This mod is open only to IB diploma and certificate students. It focuses on preparing students for the IB exam, with attention to three in-depth case studies and regular exam practice, including both document analysis and regular analytical writing to demonstrate the application of political theory to current events. Students also engage in one independent research project and presentation of a case study of their choice, culminating in a multimedia presentation.

Min-Max Credit Hours: 5.0-6.0