What Is the MYP? A Clear Guide to Its 8Subject Groups, 6 Global Contexts, and Assessment Approach
The term “MYP” is becoming increasingly familiar to parents interested in international schools and globally oriented education. However, many families may still have questions: How does the MYP relate to the IB? What do students study? Is the programme suitable for their child?
This article provides a clear overview of the Middle Years Programme, including its purpose, age range, eight subject groups, six global contexts, culminating projects, and key considerations when selecting an MYP school.
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What is the MYP (Middle Years Programme)?
The Middle Years Programme, or MYP, is the International Baccalaureate programme designed for secondary school students.
It serves students during early adolescence, a significant period of intellectual, social, and emotional development. In addition to subject knowledge, the programme emphasizes inquiry, critical thinking, independent learning, and the ability to connect academic study with real-world issues.
The MYP builds on the inquiry-based approach of the Primary Years Programme, or PYP, and provides a strong foundation for further study in the Diploma Programme, or DP, and the Career-related Programme, or CP.
This section explains the MYP’s purpose, age range, position within the wider IB framework, and historical development.
Definition and Age Range of the MYP
The MYP is one of four educational programmes offered by the International Baccalaureate. It is designed for students from approximately 11 to 16 years of age.
The complete MYP is a five-year programme. Some schools, however, are authorized to offer a shorter version covering two, three, or four years.
Early adolescence is a formative stage during which students develop a stronger sense of identity, independence, and self-confidence. The MYP is designed to support students through this period by providing a structured academic framework while encouraging them to explore their interests, express their ideas, and take greater responsibility for their learning.
The Role of the MYP Within the 4 IB Programmes
The IB offers four programmes for different stages of education: the Primary Years Programme for students aged 3 to 12, the Middle Years Programme for students aged 11 to 16, and the Diploma Programme and Career-related Programme for students aged 16 to 19.
Program
Target Age
Overview
PYP (Primary Years Programme)
Ages 3–10
Inquiry-based primary education
MYP (Middle Years Programme)
Ages 11–15
Cross-curricular middle education
DP (Diploma Programme)
Ages 16–17
Aims for an international university admission qualification
CP (Career-related Programme)
Ages 16–18
Practical education emphasizing vocational skills
The MYP acts as a bridge between the inquiry-based learning developed in the PYP and the more specialized academic or career-related study offered through the DP and CP.
Students deepen their ability to investigate questions, understand concepts, and apply knowledge in real-world contexts. The academic, research, communication, and self-management skills developed during the MYP also support successful progression to later stages of education.
The MYP is not solely a preparatory course for the DP or CP. It is a complete educational programme in its own right, designed to provide a broad and balanced secondary education.
For a broader overview of the IB and its educational philosophy, please also refer to the following article:
The International Baccalaureate introduced the Diploma Programme in 1968 as an internationally recognized pre-university qualification.
The MYP was introduced in 1994, followed by the PYP in 1997. Together with the later development of the CP, these programmes created a coherent international education framework for students from early childhood through the end of secondary school.
The MYP was developed in response to the need for an educational programme that would help young people acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to participate responsibly in an increasingly interconnected world.
Its design was informed by the work of educators seeking a secondary curriculum that combined academic rigor with conceptual understanding, international-mindedness, and practical connections to society.
Although the MYP supports students who later enter the DP or CP, its broader purpose is to develop capable, reflective, and independent learners.
How Learning Is Structured in the MYP: Eight Subject Groups, Six Global Contexts, and ATL Skills
A defining feature of the MYP is that students do not study subject knowledge in isolation. They are encouraged to connect what they learn with real-world issues, broader concepts, and global perspectives.
Three important elements support this approach: the eight subject groups, the six global contexts, and Approaches to Learning, or ATL, skills.
8 Subject Groups for a Broad and Balanced Education
The MYP curriculum is organized into eight subject groups:
Language and Literature
Language Acquisition
Individuals and Societies
Sciences
Mathematics
Arts
Physical and Health Education
Design
Together, these subject groups provide students with a broad and balanced education.
Individuals and Societies may include disciplines such as history, geography, economics, and civics. Sciences may incorporate biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science.
Although each subject group has its own objectives and assessment criteria, interdisciplinary learning is also an essential part of the MYP.
Students are expected to make meaningful connections between subjects rather than treating each discipline as entirely separate. For example, a study of sustainable cities may combine scientific knowledge, mathematical analysis, geographical understanding, design principles, and persuasive communication.
This interdisciplinary approach helps students understand complex issues from several perspectives and apply knowledge more effectively.
Connecting Learning to the Real World Through 6 “Global Contexts”
The MYP uses six global contexts to help students connect academic content with their own lives, society, and the wider world.
The six global contexts are:
Identities and relationships
Orientation in space and time
Personal and cultural expression
Scientific and technical innovation
Globalization and sustainability
Fairness and development
These contexts build on the six transdisciplinary themes used in the PYP. They provide a clear framework for exploring why a topic matters and how it relates to individuals, communities, and global society.
For example, in a science unit using the global context of Scientific and Technical Innovation, students might investigate how developments in medical technology affect individuals and healthcare systems.
A unit on climate change might use the context of Globalization and Sustainability to examine how environmental decisions in one part of the world affect communities elsewhere.
The global contexts prevent learning from becoming a simple exercise in memorizing facts. They help students understand the relevance, consequences, and practical application of what they study.
Developing the Ability to Learn Through ATL Skills
Alongside subject knowledge, the MYP places substantial emphasis on Approaches to Learning skills.
ATL skills are transferable abilities that students can apply across subjects, projects, and real-life situations. They are organized into five categories and ten skill clusters.
Information literacy skills, Media literacy skills
Thinking skills
Critical thinking skills, Creative thinking skills, Transfer skills
Communication skills include expressing ideas clearly, listening carefully, reading critically, and adapting communication to different audiences.
Collaboration skills include working productively with others, sharing responsibility, managing disagreement, and respecting different perspectives.
Self-management skills help students organize their work, manage time, regulate emotions, maintain focus, and reflect on their progress.
Research skills enable students to locate, evaluate, interpret, and use information responsibly.
Thinking skills help students analyze evidence, generate original ideas, solve unfamiliar problems, and apply knowledge in new situations.
ATL skills do not receive a separate grade. However, they are essential to student performance in every subject and are deliberately taught, practiced, and reflected upon throughout the programme.
Culminating MYP Experiences: The Community Project and Personal Project
Project-based learning gives students an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills developed through their regular studies.
Two important MYP experiences are the Community Project and the Personal Project. These projects require students to plan, investigate, take action, evaluate their progress, and communicate their findings.
The project completed by students depends on the length and structure of the MYP offered by their school.
The Community Project (Years 3 and 4)
The Community Project is generally completed by students in MYP Year 3 or Year 4 at schools where the programme concludes at that stage.
The project focuses on community engagement and service as action. Students identify a need within a community and develop a practical response through research, planning, implementation, and reflection.
The project may be completed individually or in a group of up to three students.
Possible projects include working with an organization that supports older people, developing a campaign to raise awareness of an environmental issue, or planning an event that promotes intercultural understanding.
The specific form of the project depends on the needs and characteristics of the school’s local or wider community.
Assessment considers the complete process rather than the final activity alone. Students are expected to demonstrate how they investigated the issue, planned their response, took action, collaborated when relevant, and reflected on the outcome.
The Personal Project (Year 5)
Students completing MYP Year 5 undertake the Personal Project as the culminating experience of the programme.
Each student selects a topic based on a genuine personal interest and develops an individual project over an extended period. The process usually involves defining a clear learning goal, conducting research, producing an outcome, documenting progress, and evaluating the completed work.
Unlike the Community Project, which focuses specifically on service and community needs, the Personal Project begins with the individual student’s interests.
A student might create a short film, design a sustainable product, write a collection of stories, develop an educational resource, investigate a scientific question, or organize an initiative connected to a social issue.
The Personal Project requires students to use the ATL skills developed throughout the MYP. They must manage their time, evaluate information, make independent decisions, respond to difficulties, and explain what they have learned.
It is therefore both an academic project and a significant demonstration of independence, responsibility, and personal growth.
Important Factors When Choosing an MYP School
The MYP provides a rigorous and engaging educational framework. However, schools do not all offer the same learning environment, programme structure, language support, or pathway after completion.
Families should therefore consider the school’s IB status, curriculum, language provision, legal classification, and progression routes before making an enrollment decision.
Understanding the Availability of Authorized MYP Schools
Families should first confirm whether an authorized MYP school is available in their area.
According to Japan’s Consortium for the Promotion of IB Education, as of March 31, 2026, Japan had 47 authorized MYP schools and 11 candidate schools, including both Article 1 schools and schools outside that classification.
An authorized school has completed the IB authorization process and has been approved to offer the MYP.
A candidate school is working toward authorization but has not yet completed the process. Candidate status does not guarantee that authorization will ultimately be granted.
Families should therefore confirm a school’s current status directly rather than relying only on general descriptions such as “IB-style” or “IB-based” education.
Points to Consider and Support Families Can Provide
Some MYP schools in Japan include Japanese-language study within their curriculum. However, classroom instruction alone may not always be sufficient to develop advanced Japanese reading and writing skills, particularly vocabulary and kanji proficiency.
Families can support first-language development by establishing regular reading habits, encouraging meaningful conversation, and giving children opportunities to explain complex ideas in Japanese.
These activities help students build the vocabulary, accuracy, and confidence needed for academic communication.
The appropriate school also depends on the student’s intended pathway after the MYP.
A student planning to enter the DP may require different preparation from a student intending to transfer to a Japanese high school or apply to a Japanese university through a domestic educational route.
Families should consider not only the child’s immediate learning environment but also the qualifications, language abilities, and admissions requirements that may be relevant later.
International Education at Yoyogi International School
Since its establishment in 1999, Yoyogi International School has provided inquiry-based international education in Shibuya, Tokyo.
The school builds on the inquiry-based foundation developed through the PYP and continues this approach into the middle school years. Students are encouraged to ask substantive questions, examine evidence, connect ideas across disciplines, and apply their learning to real-world contexts.
This continuity helps students progress from guided inquiry in the primary years toward greater academic independence, critical thinking, and personal responsibility in middle school.
Families seeking further information about the curriculum or admissions at Yoyogi International School may attend a School Tour or arrange an individual admissions consultation.
The MYP is a five-year IB programme designed for students from approximately 11 to 16 years of age.
Through eight subject groups, six global contexts, and a structured approach to ATL skills, students develop academic knowledge while also learning how to research, communicate, collaborate, think critically, and manage their own learning.
The Community Project and Personal Project provide opportunities to apply these abilities through sustained, independent work. These experiences can mark an important stage in a student’s development as a responsible and self-directed learner.
When selecting a school that offers the MYP, families should consider its official IB authorization status, legal classification in Japan, language provision, support for Japanese literacy, and compatibility with the student’s intended pathway after the programme.
A school visit is also essential. It allows families to assess how the curriculum is implemented, how teachers support students, and whether the school’s educational philosophy and community are appropriate for the child.
For a broader explanation of the IB’s structure and educational philosophy, please also refer to the following article:
