General information
The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) was officially founded in 1968 and concentrates on the last two years of secondary school and is based on a comprehensive curriculum that leads to the so-called "baccalaureate" diploma. The organization currently works with over 2000 schools in 132 countries and offers challenging programmes to more than 488,000 students aged 3 to 19 years.
Hamrahlid College (MH) is an upper secondary state school governed by the Upper Secondary School Act pf 1996 and administered by the Ministry of Education. It is situated in Reykjavík, the capital of , not far from the city centre with relatively easy access by public transport.
The school offers two academic pre-university programmes for 16 to 20-year-olds: the Icelandic four year academic programme of study which concludes with the matriculation examination (“stúdentspróf”) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Currently, about 1200 students follow the Icelandic programme, which in this case is a unit credit system where each subject is divided into a number of defined courses which last for one semester, and about 80 students follow the IB programme which is taught in English. Most graduates from MH continue their studies at universities or colleges of higher education in or abroad. MH has been known for its open and friendly atmosphere and the students tend to be open minded and even rebellious in a constructive sort of way.
Most IB students are either Icelanders who have returned back home after several years abroad, or foreigners with residence permit in . Some of the students are simply Icelandic students who come straight from primary school but aim to work or study in an international atmosphere in the future. Students who have completed 10th or 11th grade at a foreign or international school, or the first year of the Icelandic gymnasium, with excellent academic results and proficiency in the English language may be admitted directly to the two-year IB Diploma course. Applicants from grade 9 or 10 in foreign or Icelandic schools must start with a one-year preparatory course, the pre-IB which is also taught in English.
