FAQ

1. Required English Proficiency for IB Program

Depending on the subject to be taught, the practicum site, and the desired place of employment, English proficiency to take one of the required courses, QELE516 Teaching Methods in English-Medium Instruction (English course), is necessary. Please continue to brush up on your English skills to broaden your options.

2. Can I apply for this Program without a teaching license?

Teaching certification in Japan (or equivalent certification in another country) is one of the requirements for completion of the program. If you are a prospective teacher (enrolled in a teaching program), you are eligible to participate.

3. How many students have completed the program?

Please click Career Path

4. Is a certificate mandatory to work as a teacher in an IB school?

It is also possible to attend an IB-sponsored workshop after starting work as a teacher. However, these workshops are designed for in-service teachers, and the content is mainly “useful for tomorrow‘s teaching,” which is conducted in a short period of time. After obtaining the prescribed credits, ranging from basic knowledge of the IB to theoretical frameworks, as well as educational practice at an IB school, you can apply to the International Baccalaureate Organization for receipt of the certificate. The subjects, contents, objectives, duration, etc., are very different.

5. Which certificate should I pursue, DP or MYP?

To obtain your certificate, you will need to choose one of the two options and complete the IB teaching practicum. Your decision may depend on whether you prefer to teach middle school or high school students, as well as how you plan to market yourself during future job searches. It is recommended that you begin considering your choice during the initial step—taking the "Introduction to IB Programmes" course—and further deepen your understanding through the elective course Philosophy of IB Education (MYP/DP).

6. When can I start participating in the IB Program?

The IB program is offered by ICU Graduate School, and graduate courses are available to students in their third year of undergraduate study or above. Please complete QEFD 424 “Introduction to IB Programmes” successfully, you can apply for the IB Program by completing the registration process. In addition, a teaching license or equivalent is required for the certificate, so we recommend that you plan your coursework as early as possible in parallel with the program. (Some of the required and elective courses in the teaching program are approved as requirements for the IB program.)

Please note that there are no major (College of Liberal Arts) or program(Graduate School) conditions for enrolling in the IB teacher certification program. Although there is a tendency for many participants to be graduate students belonging to Education and Psychology, successful IB certificate recipients have come from all programs, including Public Policy and Social Research, Comparative Culture, and Natural Science.

7. How much does it cost to participate ?

This program is open to degree-seeking students at ICU. There are no fees for “program participation” other than the usual fees for entrance examinations, tuition, etc. Depending on the host institution of the IB teaching practice, there may be cases in which the actual expenses for participation in the practice, transportation, etc. will be required.

Admissions & AID

https://www.icu.ac.jp/en/admissions/

＜Reference＞

Students who completed the program can apply for the IB Educator Certificate which is issued by the IBO. Please note that there will be a registration fee with the IBO.　

*$295 U.S. dollars for the academic year 2024, subject to change from year to year.

8. Where can I get other reference information?

＜External Link＞
●International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)
●IB educator certificates (IBEC)
●MEXT IB Consortium

＜ICU Students & Faculty＞
●IB Teacher Certification Program Site@ ICU　　
●ICU Portal Graduate School Group

Contact

IB (International Baccalaureate) Program
International Christian University, Graduate School Group
ERB1-115, 3-10-2 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8585, Japan
email: ibec@icu.ac.jp