Course selection at ESS
Organisation of Studies
The secondary part of European Schools is divided in three cycles:
- The Observation Cycle: It comprises the first three years of the secondary cycle (S1-S3)
- The Pre-Orientation Cycle: It comprises year four and five he first three years of the secondary cycle (S4-S5)
- The Orientation Cycle: It comprises the last two years of the secondary cycle (S6-S7)
The European Schools’ graduation certificate is known as the European Baccalaureate. It is recognized as a qualification for university admission in all EU member states, as well as in several other countries and non-EU nations. At the end of the second cycle, students who have successfully completed S5 may receive the Junior Laureate Certificate or the "Mittlerer Bildungsabschluss" of Saarland.
The Observation Cycle (S1-S3)
During the first three years, students in a section follow a common curriculum, with most subjects taught in their native or dominant language (L1).
In S1, all students learn a second foreign language (L3) and take ICT (computer science).
In S2, Latin is offered as an elective.
In S3, all students take Human Sciences and Religion or Ethics in their first foreign language (L2). In addition, ICT will now be an elective, and students who opt out of ICT will have more study time available.
| Lessons per week | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | S2 | S3 | |
| Language 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Language 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Language 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Mathematics | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Physical Education | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Relgion/Ethics | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Human Sciences | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Integrated Sciences | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Art | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Music | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Latin | - | 2* | 2* |
| ICT | 1 | 1 | 2* |
| Total | 33 | 33 or 35 | 31 or 33 |
*Optional
The Pre-Orientation Cycle (S4-S5)
Starting in S4, the European Schools follow a course system in which students take between a minimum of 31 and a maximum of 35 lessons per week.
The table on the right shows between 27 and 29 course units in compulsory subjects, which all students take as a class.
In addition, students must take a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 hours of optional courses, choosing from the seven subjects listed below. The same schedule applies to grades 4 and 5, and students are not permitted to change their optional courses.
| Lessons per week | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Subjects | S4 | S5 | ||
| Language 1 | 4 | 4 | ||
| Language 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Language 3 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Mathematics | 4 or 6 | 4 or 6 | ||
| Physical Education | 2 | 2 | ||
| Relgion/Ethics | 1 | 1 | ||
| Geography | 2 | 2 | ||
| History | 2 | 2 | ||
| Biology | 2 | 2 | ||
| Chemistry | 2 | 2 | ||
| Physics | 2 | 2 | ||
| Subtotal: | 27 or 29 | 27 or 29 | ||
| Optional Subjects | S4 | S5 | ||
| Language 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| Latin | 4 | 4 | ||
| Ancient Greek | 4 | 4 | ||
| Economics | 4 | 4 | ||
| Art | 2 | 2 | ||
| Music | 2 | 2 | ||
| ICT | 2 | 2 | ||
| Total | 31* to 35 | 31* to 35 | ||
* If Mathematics 6 is elected, the minimum of lessons per week is 33 lessons.
The Orientation Cycle (S6-S7)
The goal upon successful completion of S7 is to earn the European Baccalaureate. Students' class schedules in S6 and S7 must include between a minimum of 31 and a maximum of 35 lessons per week.
Students must select at least 29 lessons of compulsory and optional courses. Students whose class schedule totals fewer than 31 class lessons after selecting their compulsory and optional courses must take a complementary course. Otherwise, students are not required to take a complementary course.
Please note the following regarding the table:
1: The list of elective courses varies from school to school.
2: Science, Technology, and Society must be selected as a required course if neither Physics, Chemistry, nor Biology is selected in Column 3.
3: Laboratory practice courses should only be selected if the corresponding subject course with 4 periods is taken.
4: All courses in Column 2 must be taken if they are not selected in column 3.
5: Advanced Math can only be selected in combination with Math 5.
6: Science, Technology, and Society can be selected as an advanced course if students have already selected Biology, Chemistry, or Physics in Column 3.
7: Cannot be selected if these subjects have already been selected in Column 3.
| Compulsory Courses | Optional Courses | Complementary Courses1 | |||||||||
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | |||||||
| Language 1 | 4p | STS2 | 2p | History | 4p | Language 1 Advanced | 3p | Biology Laboratory3 | 2p | ||
| Language 2 | 3p | Geography4 | 2p | Geography | 4p | Language 2 Acvanced | 3p | ICT | 2p | ||
Maths 3 or 5 | 3p or 5p | History4 | 2p | Philosophy | 4p | Maths Advanced5 | 3p | Sociology | 2p | ||
| Religion/Ethics | 1p | Philosophy4 | 2p | Biology | 4p | STS6 | 2p | Art7 | 2p | ||
Physical Education | 2p | Chemistry | 4p | Music7 | 2p | ||||||
| Physics | 4p | Language 5 | 2p | ||||||||
| Language 3 | 4p | Physical Education | 2p | ||||||||
| Language 4 | 4p | Politics | 2p | ||||||||
| Art | 4p | Sustainability and Active Citizenship | 2p | ||||||||
| Music | 4p | Performing Arts and Media | 2p | ||||||||
| Latin | 4p | ||||||||||
| Ancient Greek | 4p | ||||||||||