Academics
Academics Overview
Our Curriculum
A Shamrock’s journey begins with our strong foundation, faith-based curriculum and mission to cultivate strong, intelligent, independent, informed and devout women.
As a college preparatory school, we focus on academic excellence and a challenging and engaging curriculum, including on-level, Honors, and Advanced Placement courses.
As a college preparatory school, we focus on academic excellence and a challenging and engaging curriculum, including on-level, Honors, and Advanced Placement courses.
Learning Opportunities
List of 5 items.
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College Prep Courses
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Honors
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Advanced Placement Courses
Designed to challenge college-bound students, the Incarnate Word High School curriculum offers on-level, and/or 12 Pre – Advanced Placement, and 12 Advanced Placement courses.AP Biology AP Calculus AB AP Calculus BC AP Chemistry AP English Language and Composition AP English Literature and Composition AP French Language AP Macroeconomics AP Spanish Language AP Physics AP Pre-Cal AP United States Government and Politics AP United States History -
Dual Credit
UIW College Connection
In addition to on-campus college-level courses, IWHS also partners with the University of the Incarnate Word for the Senior Connection Program. This program enables driven IWHS students the opportunity to earn college credit while in high school by attending classes at the university. These credits apply toward high school graduation requirements and towards a degree at the University of the Incarnate Word or may transfer to another accredited college or university.
Benefits Include:- Selected juniors and seniors may earn 3-9 hours of college credit per semester
- 50% discount off dual credit courses
- College-level courses challenge the student intellectually and allow experiences relevant to the student’s future.
- Register for courses with dual credit such as pre-calculus, calculus, government, economics, psychology, sociology, and fine arts - just to name a few.
- Students receive priority registration and reduced fees.
- Senior Connection courses are taught by the University of the Incarnate Word faculty with the same syllabus, textbook, and rigor as any other section taught at UIW.
- As with all Dual Credit courses, grades are weighted an additional 10 points per semester for GPA calculation.
Our students enroll in a college course at IWHS and receive simultaneous academic credit for the course from both the college and high school (Texas Administrative Code [TAC], Title 19,
Part I, Chapter 4, Subchapter D, Rule 4.83). -
Modular System
Withstanding the test of time, the unique modular master schedule at Incarnate Word High School continues to facilitate the delivery of a strong, college preparatory instructional program and allows for innovative teaching and student-directed learning. Recent graduates and alumnae, who now send their daughters to Incarnate Word, extoll the merits of this unique system. Alumnae voice a debt of gratitude for learning the life values of self-discipline, short and long-term goal setting, self-reliance, and the sense of independence and control over their learning that the schedule fosters. These very precise attributes are those specifically required for success in a university setting and life beyond.
The modular schedule is composed of seventeen twenty-minute modules per day. It is designed to allow students to experience a quasi-college-style schedule and permits students to schedule their personal “open lab” time for library research, visitation with faculty, testing, and laboratory activities between scheduled classes. Students quickly adapt to the schedule and appreciate the opportunity for interaction with faculty, as well as time for research and class work during the regular school day.
Sample Modular Schedule
