Course Outline

Environmental Systems and Societies represents the first attempt by the IB to produce a properly trans-disciplinary course in the Diploma Programme. It covers parts of Group 3 (Individuals and Societies) and Group 4 (Experimental Sciences). This means it has a human-centred approach, but it has scientific rigour and a large practical component.

The course is formally split into 8 topics (for the new syllabus, first examination 2017):

In addition, there should be a consistent thread of Theory of Knowledge running throughout the course. Because of its broad nature, Environmental Systems presents a lot of opportunities to think critically about the issues raised, ranging from the ethical responsibilities of humans to the value of the scientific method in environmental research.