If you would like to see the "Big Project" element of CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service), please consider the Open Mic Night in the Hellgate Library on Monday 3/6! Details in the poster linked below...

March 6 Open Mic

Welcome to the Advanced Programs at Hellgate High School. We are proud to offer both Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate course options to all of our Knights. Below, you will find a variety of sources to peruse, but please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, Britt Hanford, via email or call 406-728-2400 x6078 with any questions.  My daily schedule is located on my teacher page.

If you have registered for an AP or IB exam in the May 2023 session, check the 2023 AP and IB Exam Schedule + Conflicts to see exam dates.

These informational Slides were presented to all freshmen and sophomores in preparation for spring registration. I will present similar information on the parent nights scheduled for January 25 (for rising 10th-12th graders) and February 1 (for rising 9th graders).

At Hellgate, we offer Advanced Placement (AP) options at all grade levels. To take an AP class, students need to be sure that they have completed any prerequisites and then register for the class. These are honors-level courses that may result in college credit if the student registers for the AP exam and earns a passing score. AP exams are not required coursework and it is important to note that college credit in exchange for an AP exam varies depending on the institution. An easy way to see if your college of interest takes AP credit and the scores that are necessary, simply look up the name of the college along with the words "AP credit" and you should be routed to a page containing that information. Here's a list of AP courses currently available at Hellgate. 

ENGLISH: AP Seminar

MATH: AP Statistics, AP Calculus

SCIENCE: AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Environmental Science, AP Biology

WORLD LANGUAGE: AP French, AP Spanish

ART: 2D, 3D

SOCIAL STUDIES: Human Geography, World History

More information about AP courses can be found here and you can access Hellgate's AP (and IB!) course listings with prerequisites here. Click on the circle at the bottom of the page that says "AP & IB".

IB Courses

Juniors and seniors at Hellgate have the opportunity to take International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. Like AP, these offer students a challenge and potential college credit. All IB courses function out of the guiding principles outlined in the IB Learner Profile.

Currently, we offer the following options:

IB Language and Literature HL (Higher Level)

IB History HL

IB Sports, Exercise and Health Science SL (Standard Level) or HL

IB Spanish SL or HL

IB German ab initio

IB Music SL

IB Philosophy SL

IB Economics SL

Theory of Knowledge

Students are welcome to enroll in any of the courses listed above, keeping in mind that there are prerequisites in some cases. More information about this can be found here.

IB DIPLOMA

The IB Diploma is internationally recognized by universities and organizations as a rigorous and valuable pathway out of high school. At many colleges, including UM and MSU, students who successfully complete the IB Diploma are admitted with 30 credits, placing them at sophomore standing. 

As mentioned above, a simple search of your college of interest + IB credit will take you to a page on their website that outlines credit given for both individual IB courses and the Diploma. This document offers a snapshot of acceptance rates at top-rated colleges for IB students.

In order to earn a diploma, students must successfully complete the following:

3-4 HL (Higher Level) Courses

2-3 SL (Standard Level Courses)

Theory of Knowledge (2 semesters)

CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) Project: an 18 month exploration of activities with monthly reflections, and a summative project. Students have an advisor. Here's some more information about CAS.

EE (Extended Essay): a 4,000 word research essay on a topic of the student’s choice. This project is completed outside of classes and scored by an external examiner. Students have an advisor to assist with planning, scheduling and formatting. Here's some more information about the extended essay.

If you are interested in the IB Diploma, please schedule a meeting with Britt.