Course Requirements
To receive an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, students must earn 30 credits - 18 compulsory credits, 12 optional credits (includes 4 credits in religious education and 8 optional credits), pass the literacy requirement, earn at least two online learning credits, and complete the community involvement hours. For more information, please visit the Ministry of Education's 'What Do I Need to Graduate?'.
| Number of Credits | Name of Course |
|---|---|
|
4 credits (1 credit per Grade) |
English |
|
3 credits (1 credit in Grade 11 or 12) |
Mathematics |
|
2 credits |
Science |
|
1 credit |
Canadian History |
|
1 credit |
Canadian Geography |
|
1 credit |
Arts |
|
1 credit |
Health and Physical Education |
|
1 credit |
French as a Second Language |
|
0.5 credit |
Career Studies |
|
0.5 credit |
Civics |
|
4 credits (1 credit per Grade) |
Religious Education |
|
8 optional credits |
Elective Courses |
Students also need one credit from each of the following groups:
Group One
English or French as a Second Language, Native language, classical or an international language, social science and the humanities, Canadian and world studies, guidance and career education, or cooperative education.
Group Two
Health and physical education, the arts, business studies, French as a second language, or cooperative education.
Group Three
One additional credit in science (Grade 11 or 12), or technological education, or French as a second language, or computer studies, or cooperative education.
To receive an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, students must earn:
- 30 credits - 17 compulsory credits, 13 optional credits (includes 4 credits in religious education and 9 optional credits);
- Pass the literacy requirement;
- Earn at least two online learning credits; and
- Complete the community involvement hours.
For more information, please visit the Ministry of Education's 'What Do I Need to Graduate?'.
Starting in September 2025, students must also earn a new financial literacy graduation requirement as part of their compulsory Grade 10 mathematics course. Students need to achieve a mark of 70% or higher to pass this new requirement and earn their high school diploma.
Students who began Grade 9 in 2024 onwards need the following to receive their Ontario Secondary School Diploma:
Students need the following 17 compulsory credits:
| Number of Credits | Name of Course |
|---|---|
|
4 credits (1 credit per Grade) |
English |
|
3 credits (Grade 9, Grade 10 and 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12) |
Mathematics |
|
2 credits |
Science |
|
1 credit (Grade 9 or Grade 10) |
Technological Education |
|
1 credit |
Canadian History |
|
1 credit |
Canadian Geography |
|
1 credit |
Arts |
|
1 credit |
Health and Physical Education |
|
1 credit |
French as a Second Language |
|
1 credit |
STEM-related course group |
|
0.5 credit |
Career Studies |
|
0.5 credit |
Civics |
|
4 credits (1 credit per Grade) |
Religious Education |
|
9 optional credits |
Elective Courses |
STEM-related course group
Of the 17 compulsory credits, students must complete 1 from the following group:
- Business Studies
- Computer Studies
- Co-operative Education
- Mathematics (in addition to the 3 compulsory credits currently required)
- Science (in addition to the 2 compulsory credits currently required)
- Technological Education (in addition to the 1 compulsory credit required)
The Ontario government implemented a new high school graduation requirement to help better prepare students across our province for the jobs of tomorrow. Beginning with students entering Grade 9 in September 2024, all students will now be required to earn a Grade 9 or 10 Technological Education course as part of their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
This graduation requirement will expose students to at least one Technological Education course that could guide them to a future career in the highly skilled workforce, including the skilled trades.
What courses meet the Grade 9 or 10 Technological Education requirement?
The Technological Education curriculum covers a broad range of sectors, including construction, transportation, manufacturing, green industries, health care, computer technology, hospitality, communication, technological design, hairstyling and aesthetics.
Course offerings at each DCDSB secondary school will vary. For a complete list of course offerings at your secondary school refer to the secondary school course calendars.
Do students have to complete the mandatory Grade 9 or 10 Technological Education course in their Grade 9 or 10 year?
Students are strongly encouraged to complete the mandatory Grade 9 or 10 Technological Education course in their Grade 9 or 10 year. If a student needs to defer this compulsory course until their Grade 11 or 12 year, they will need to take a Grade 9 or 10 Technological Education course.
Community Involvement
Students must complete 40 hours of community involvement activities.
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Requirement
Students must fulfill the Ontario Literacy Requirement by successfully completing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) or the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course.
Online Learning Graduation Requirement
The Ministry of Education will require secondary students to earn two eLearning credits as part of the requirements to graduate with an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), beginning with students who entered Grade 9 in the 2020-2021 school year. For further details, including frequently asked questions, please visit the Online Learning Graduation Requirement webpage