Grade 11 Into Grade 12

Pathways to Graduation &

Course Selection - Class of 2026

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Important Note: Full IB Diploma students do not need to complete the course selection process.

Session Overview

• Graduation Pathways
• Credit Requirements and Graduation Credit Check
• UAE Equivalency
• US High School Courses
• AP Courses
• IB Diploma
• Blended Pathway
• Course Selection
• HS HUB
• The Role of the Counselor

Graduation Pathways

Points to consider when selecting a graduation pathway:

• Future university requirements
• Academic requirements
• Academic interest
• Balancing academics with extracurricular activities
• Refer to the Diploma Pathways by Country presentation

Credit Requirements

⇒ Click here for additional details.

Graduation Credit Check

1. Log into the portal and navigate to Grade History in the left menu.
2. Click on the ‘View Graduation Plan Progress’ button.
3. This action will display the graduation plan progress. Click on each requirement to access further details.

Note: Transfer credits may be pending.

DAA

Grade Scale

UAE Equivalency

What is UAE Equivalency?

Equivalency is the process by which the Ministry of Education officially endorses qualifications, in this case high school qualifications, and declares the document to be equal to UAE standard.

Who may need UAE Equivalency?

• If you are applying to university within the UAE; check the university admission requirements to see if Equivalency is required.
• If you are a UAE National male and wish to pursue only 12 months of the mandatory national service.
• If you are a UAE National and are pursuing Scholarships for UAE Nationals.
• Equivalency requirements are above and beyond DAA/KHDA High School graduation requirements.

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For more information about UAE Equivalency, review the UAE Equivalency and/or speak to your counselor.

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Students MUST have an active UAE Pass to apply for equivalency.

University Requirements and Unifrog

• Students should use Unifrog and other research avenues to look up university entrance requirements.

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• Students should list any university they wish to apply to in their Unifrog Applications Tab to let counselors know what universities they are applying to; without doing this, the school cannot send supporting documents.*

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*If applying to universities via the CommonApp, students should link their CommonApp and Unifrog so that their universities automatically transfer to Unifrog.

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US High School Courses

HS English

• English 12

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HS History/Humanities

• US History*
• History Through the Arts and Media

* Offered in alternating years, US History offered in 2025/26

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Electives

• 35 elective courses available

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HS Science

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics

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Math

• Math Modeling: Functions
• Math Modeling: Statistics and Probability
• Precalculus
• Calculus

9

Advanced Placement (AP)

Courses

• College-level courses for students in Grades 9-12
• Internationally recognised - not only US
• Choice of AP courses across the curriculum
• One-year duration of courses
• University credit may be awarded (qualifying scores)

AP Course Offerings

• Eligibility
• Teacher recommendation
• Students NOT following the full IB Diploma Programme.
• AP courses are college-level courses
• AP Exams
• Students who register for AP courses must sit the AP exam in May 2026
• Students may earn college credit, depending on their score and the university - allocated on completion.

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It is imperative that students and parents make informed choices in course selection and are always mindful of aspirations and academic talent. GEMS DAA’s Counselor team can assist with this and should be utilized.

AP Course Offerings

AP Course offerings are subject to student interest and staffing constraints.

AP Capstone

AP Capstone is a diploma program from the College Board.

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AP Capstone is based on two year-long AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research.

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These courses develop students’ skills in research, analysis, evidence-based arguments, collaboration, writing, and presenting.

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Click HERE to learn more about the AP Capstone Diploma.

AP International Diploma

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• The AP International Diploma (APID) is a globally recognized certificate awarded to students who display exceptional achievement across a variety of disciplines.
• APID is available to international students attending secondary schools outside the U.S. (DAA)
• The APID certifies outstanding academic excellence with a global perspective.
• Click HERE to learn more about the AP International Diploma.

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Current enrollment in IB Diploma Programme courses affects the number of courses that students need to select in PowerSchool

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• Students must enroll in a minimum of 6 credits per year

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• When selecting Grade 12 courses, please use Unifrog and speak to your counselor regarding university-specific requirements.

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15

IB Courses and Credits

Islamic Education Requirements

• Required by KHDA for all Muslim students
• Students attend Islamic Education every other lesson, resulting in 0.25 credits per semester
• Muslim students must pass Islamic Education each semester
• Islamic, Non-Native
• Muslim
• Non-Arab Passport Holder
• Islamic, Native
• Muslim
• Arab Passport Holder

Arabic Requirements

All students registered through KHDA with an Arab passport must complete study in Arabic language in every semester throughout High School.

• Electives are either year-long or semester-long electives
• 1 credit, year-long elective, 120 hours
• 0.5 credits, semester-long elective, 60 hours

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• Islamic Education and Arabic Requirements
• Muslim students must take 0.5 credits of Islamic Education per year
• Arab nationals must take Arabic Language A

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• Refer to High School Program of Studies for elective offerings and specific course details.

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18

Electives

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• Recommendation Criteria
• Teacher Recommendations - Visible in PowerSchool on March 10^th
• 25-26 Against Recommendation Form

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19

Teacher Recommendations

Next Steps

Phase 1: Research - February 10^th - March 7^th

Phase 2: Course Selection - March 10^th - April 18^th

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PowerSchool Opens on March 10^th and

Closes on April 18^th

• Surnames A - At, Katrina Watson

k.watson_daa@gemsedu.com

Katrina Watson Booking

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• Surnames Au - Elsal, Nedra Brown

n.brown_daa@gemsedu.com

Nedra Brown Booking

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• Surnames Elsam - Kabk, Sulakshana Divekar

s.divekar_daa@gemsedu.com

Sulakshana Divekar Booking

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We ask that both parents and students attend meetings with counselors to ensure continuity of communication regarding graduation pathways and subject selection.

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• Surnames Kabl - Moul, Fify Kassem

f.kassem_daa@gemsedu.com

Fify Kassem Booking

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• Surnames Moum - Sh, Jeff Chelin

j.chelin_daa@gemsedu.com

Jeff Chelin Booking

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• Surnames Si - Z, Trisha Johnson t.johnson_daa@gemsedu.com

Trisha Johnson Booking

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21

High School Counselors

HS HUB

The High School HUB is a resource for parents and students.

Refer to the Course Selection page on the High School HUB.

• High School Program of Studies
• High School Course Offerings
• Course Descriptions
• Credits Overview
• Subject Pathways
• IB Overview
• AP Overview
• GPA
• Credits

Thank You

If you have any further questions, please contact your child’s counselor:

Details on Slide 21

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Additional Resources

• Diploma Pathways By Country - If you are debating between which Diploma Pathway, review the countries that you are considering.
• Four Year Academic Planning - If you know which career pathway you want to pursue plan out your courses for the remainder of high school, make a copy of the Four Year Academic Planner on slide 12.
• University Degree Course Suggestions - This identifies DAA courses that could be helpful in course selections according to which university degree program you plan to pursue.
• 25/26 DAA High School Course Offerings- All classes offered.
• Course Recommendation Criteria - Course academic requirements.
• 25/26 DAA High School Program of Studies- Course descriptions.
• Career Exploration: How to Research - If you are unsure of which career pathway you want to pursue, complete the four Profile Quizzes outlined on slide 2 and review the career suggestions once completed.
• University Exploration: How to Research - If you know what career you want to pursue but aren’t sure of which universities you want to apply to and are unsure of their admission requirements, review the countries that you are considering.