IB History Syllabus (2025): Overview and Objectives
History in the IB Diploma Programme invites students to explore the past in order to better understand the complexities of the present. The course emphasizes the development of critical thinking, historical inquiry, and the ability to engage with multiple perspectives on key global events, themes, and processes that have shaped human societies.
At its core, IB History encourages students to question evidence, assess interpretations, and construct well-reasoned arguments. Through the analysis of primary and secondary sources, learners refine their skills in evaluating the origins, purpose, and reliability of historical materials, while learning to communicate their conclusions with clarity and balance.
The syllabus offers a comparative and international approach, engaging students with topics such as conflicts and peacebuilding, political ideologies, independence movements, and the evolution of global systems. By considering diverse voices and contexts, students gain a nuanced understanding of continuity and change, and develop an appreciation for history as a dynamic and interpretive discipline that connects the past to the challenges of the modern world.
The study of IB History fosters curiosity and critical awareness, equipping students with the skills to interpret the past and understand its impact on today’s interconnected world.
IB History Syllabus Content
| Component | Recommended teaching hours |
|---|---|
|
Prescribed subjects One of the following, using two case studies, each taken from a different region of the world: 1. Military leaders 2. Conquest and its impact 3. The move to global war 4. Rights and protest 5. Conflict and intervention |
40 |
|
World history topics Two of the following, using topic examples from more than one region of the world: 1. Society and economy (750–1400) 2. Causes and effects of wars (750–1500) 3. Dynasties and rulers (750–1500) 4. Societies in transition (1400–1700) 5. Early Modern states (1450–1789) 6. Causes and effects of Early Modern wars (1500–1750) 7. Origins, development and impact of industrialization (1750–2005) 8. Independence movements (1800–2000) 9. Emergence and development of democratic states (1848–2000) 10. Authoritarian states (20th century) 11. Causes and effects of 20th-century wars 12. The Cold War: Superpower tensions and rivalries (20th century) |
90 |
|
HL options: Depth studies One of the following: 1. History of Africa and the Middle East 2. History of the Americas 3. History of Asia and Oceania 4. History of Europe |
90 |
| Internal assessment Historical investigation |
20 |
