Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) Requirements
What you need to graduate
To earn a high school diploma in Ontario, students must:
- earn 18 compulsory credits
- earn 12 optional credits
- pass the literacy requirement
- earn at least two online learning credits
- complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities
Compulsory Credits (Total of 18)
4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)
- The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC) may be used to meet either the Grade 11 or the Grade 12 English compulsory credit requirement.
- The Grade 11 Contemporary Aboriginal Voices course may be used to meet the Grade 11 English compulsory credit requirement.
- For English language learners, the requirement may be met through earning a maximum of 3 credits in English as a second language (ESL) or English literacy development (ELD); the fourth credit must be a Grade 12 compulsory English course.
3 credits in mathematics
(at least 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
2 credits in science
1 credit in the arts
The Grade 9 Expressing Aboriginal Cultures course may be used to meet the compulsory credit requirement in the arts.
1 credit in Canadian geography (Grade 9)
1 credit in Canadian history (Grade 10)
1 credit in French as a second language
Students who have taken Native languages in place of French as a second language in elementary school may use a Level 1 or 2 Na¬tive language course to meet the compulsory credit requirement for French as a second language.
1 credit in health and physical education
0.5 credit in career studies
0.5 credit in civics
3 additional credits, consisting of 1 credit from each of the following groups:
Group 1:
English (including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course), French as a second language, classical languages, international languages, Native languages, Canadian and world studies, Native studies, social sciences and humanities, guidance and career education, cooperative education
Group 2:
French as a second language, the arts, business studies, health and physical education, cooperative education
Group 3:
French as a second language, science (Grade 11 or 12), computer studies, technological education, cooperative education
Note:
The following conditions apply to selections from the above three groups:
- A maximum of 2 credits in French as a second language may count as additional compulsory credits, 1 credit from Group 1, and 1 credit from either Group 2 or Group 3.
- A maximum of 2 credits in cooperative education may count as additional compulsory credits, selected from any of Groups 1, 2, or 3.