Are you looking to have your university's programmes recognized by the IB?
To ensure we have talented educators ready to teach IB curriculum and lead in IB World Schools, we provide educators seeking degrees the chance to select a programme that is recognized by the IB and meets the qualifications for an IB educator certificate (IBEC).
Higher education institutes work with the IB to align their teaching and educational leadership programmes with the IB mission, vision and pedagogy.
Your university can offer IB-recognized degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, or postgraduate level—available online, in-person, or hybrid, in any language.
Which certificates can you offer?
Depending on your students, the degrees you offer and the needs of the IB community in your area, you will need to decide which certificate(s) would be the best fit for your institution.
Read about the different certificates you can offer.
Conditions for recognition
Your university must meet the following five conditions at a minimum to pursue recognition. The university must have:
- Accreditation: achieved current recognition/accreditation from the national educational authorities and/or independent accrediting agencies as a legitimate provider of graduate and undergraduate programmes in the areas of teacher and/or leader education
- Internal validation: required the programme to undergo a rigorous internal validation process at their institution prior to seeking IB recognition
- IB knowledge: developed a strategy for ensuring that the elements of the programme that are “IB content heavy” are facilitated by faculty who have a deep knowledge and understanding of the current IB context
- Practicums for pre-service teachers: established a strategy for offering the required period of practicum in the case of pre-service programmes linked to the IBCTL
- Legal agreements for any partners: established all the necessary third-party legal agreements if the programme is to be offered in partnership with another organization.
Additionally, your university should:
- conduct a feasibility study that involves assessing the nature and extent of the relevant local, regional, national and international markets for prospective students and developed an appropriate marketing strategy
- understand the financial costs to both the institution and their participating students of becoming IB-recognized
- establish effective relationships with the local IB school community to enable participating students to actively engage with authentic IB teaching and leadership—for example, visits, speakers and mentoring
- establish rigorous procedures for assuring the ongoing quality of its programs.
What is the process for recognition?
The recognition process is a collaborative effort between your university and the IB. Here’s how it works:
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Submit a formal letter that includes a brief description of your programme and the certificate you're interested in.
- The IBEC team will answer questions about the process and assign a consultant to support you in the process.
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Complete a detailed application form demonstrating course alignment with IB requirements.
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- Use IB guidelines for aligning IB academic requirements with your course of study.
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Gain necessary approvals within your university.
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Plan a formal IB recognition visit with your consultant.
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Timeline
The recognition process may take six months or more to complete, depending on your university's resources and internal approval timelines.
Support
The IB will provide access to an IBEC consultant to guide you during the application process. They will help answer questions and review materials. Once you collectively feel that the application is complete, you will schedule a recognition meeting.
IBEC costs
The IBEC fees include a one-time recognition fee at the time of recognition of your first programme. Subsequently, the university will be charged an annual license fee that covers access to the IB’s intellectual property and support from the IBEC team.
Upon your students’ graduation, the fee for the formal certificate may be paid directly by the students or by the university.
Once you complete the form below, our team will follow up with fee information.