Diploma & Certificate Requirements

What do you need to earn a secondary school diploma?

You must complete the following requirements in order to obtain an

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

Part 1 Students must complete 18 Compulsory Credits

ALL 15 credits listed below are REQUIRED

+

1 credit from EACH group is REQUIRED

Credits required per subject

Group 1: One (1) Credit

English (1 cr. per grade)

Mathematics (1 gr. 11 or 12 cr.)

Science

Canadian History

Canadian Geography

The Arts

Health & Physical Education

French as a 2nd language

Career Studies

Civics

4

3

2

1

1

1

1

1

0.5

0.5

· English or French as a 2^nd language**

· a Native language

· a Classical or International Language

· Social Sciences and the Humanities

· Canadian and World Studies

· Guidance and Career Education

· Cooperative Education ***

Group 2: One (1) Credit

· Health & Physical Education

· The Arts

· Business Studies

· French as a 2^nd language **

· Cooperative Education ***

Group 3: One (1) Credit

· Science (Grade 11 or 12

· Technological Education

· French as a 2^nd language

· Computer Studies

· Cooperative Education ***

Part 2 Students must also complete:

• 12 optional credits; the 12 optional credits may include up to 4 credits earned through approved dual credit courses.
• 40 hours of community involvement;
• Successful completion of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, OSSLT, written in Grade 10 OR the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course, OLC4O1

* A maximum of 3 credits in English as a 2^nd 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 2^nd language can count as compulsory credits, one from group 1 and one from either group 2 or 3.

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

Ontario Secondary School Certificate (OSSC)

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:

• Students are not required to complete 40 Community Involvement hours.
• Students are not required to complete the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Requirement.

The provisions for making substitutions for compulsory credits (Substitutions for Compulsory Courses) also apply to the Ontario Secondary School Certificate.

Programs are designed to help students develop their technological skills and to prepare them for further skills training or immediate entry into the workplace upon graduation. The student’s timetable will typically include a variety of credit and non-credit courses in technology, literacy and numeracy related to life and work skills.

The principal may grant the OSSC (Ontario Secondary School Certificate) to a mature student following successful completion of PLAR. Unlike adolescents, mature students are eligible to receive this certificate and continue to pursue and earn an OSSD in the future.

Certificate of Accomplishment (COA)

The Certificate of Accomplishment is granted to students who have earned a maximum of 13 credits and who leave school without fulfilling the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma or the Ontario Secondary School Certificate. This certificate may be a useful means of recognizing achievement for students who plan to take certain vocational programs, other kinds of further training, or who plan to find employment after leaving school. The student’s transcript will accompany the Certificate of Accomplishment. Students who return to school to complete additional credit and non-credit courses will have their transcript updated accordingly, but will not be issued a new Certificate of Accomplishment. The Ontario Secondary School Diploma or Ontario Secondary School Certificate will be granted when a student has fulfilled the appropriate requirements.

Programs are typically designed to help students develop technological skills with workplace and life skills. It will provide the student with skills necessary to face the challenges of work and society upon graduation.

• Students are not required to complete 40 Community Involvement hours.
• Students are not required to complete the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Requirement.