Diploma Program Requirements

OSSD REQUIREMENTS

In order to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, a student must earn 30 credits (18 compulsory credits and 12 optional credits), complete 40 hours of community involvement activities and successfully meet the Secondary School Literacy Graduation Requirements. The Ministry of Education defines a full credit course as comprising a minimum of 110 hours of instruction.

COMPULSORY CREDITS

Students must earn the following compulsory credits to obtain the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD):

• 4 credits in English (1 credit per grade - must be ENG course)
• 3 credits in mathematics (1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
• 2 credits in science
• 1 credit in Canadian history
• 1 credit in Canadian geography
• 1 credit in arts
• 1 credit in health and physical education
• 1 credit in French as a second language
• 0.5 credit in career studies
• 0.5 credit in civics

Plus one credit from each of the following groups:

• 1 additional credit in English, or French as a second language**, or a Native Language, or a classical or an international language, or Social Sciences and the Humanities, or Canadian and World Studies, or Guidance and Career Education, or cooperative education***
• 1 additional credit in health and physical education, or the arts, or business studies, or French as a second language**, or cooperative education***
• 1 additional credit in Science (Grade 11 or 12), or Technological Education, or French as a second language**, or Computer Studies, or cooperative education***

*A maximum of 3 credits in English as a Second Language (ESL) or English Literacy Development (ELD) may be counted towards the 4 compulsory credits in English, but the fourth must be a credit earned for a Grade 12 compulsory English course.

**In groups 1, 2, and 3, a maximum of 2 credits in French as a second language can count as compulsory credits, one from group 1 and one from either group 2 or group 3.

***A maximum of 2 credits in cooperative education can count as compulsory credits.

In addition to the compulsory credits, students must complete:

• 12 optional credits****
• 40 hours of community involvement activities
• the provincial literacy requirement

****The 12 optional credits may include up to 4 credits earned through approved dual credit courses.

OSSC REQUIREMENTS

The Ontario Secondary School Certificate will be granted on request to students who leave school before earning the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, provided that they have earned a minimum of 14 credits distributed as follows:

Compulsory credits (total of 7)

• 2 credits in English
• 1 credit in Canadian geography or Canadian history
• 1 credit in mathematics
• 1 credit in science
• 1 credit in health and physical education
• 1 credit in the arts or technological education

Optional credits (total of 7)

• 7 credits selected by the student from available courses

CERTIFICATE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

Students who leave school before fulfilling the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma or the Ontario Secondary School Certificate may be granted a Certificate of Accomplishment. The Certificate of Accomplishment may be a useful means of recognizing achievement for students who plan to take certain vocational programs or other kinds of further training, or who plan to find employment after leaving school.