Requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma

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

• 4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)*
• 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 the 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:
Group 1:

• English or French as a second language**
• a Native language
• a classical or an international language
• social sciences and the humanities
• Canadian and world studies
• guidance and career education
• cooperative education***

Group 2:

• health and physical education
• the arts
• business studies
• French as a second language**
• cooperative education***

Group 3:

• science (Grade 11 or 12)
• technological education
• French as a second language**
• computer studies
• cooperative education***

In addition to the compulsory credits, students must complete:

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

*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.

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

Source: www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/graduate.html