Ontario Secondary School Diploma
Ontario Secondary School Certificate
Certificate of Accomplishment
Requirements to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
Part 1 - Students must complete 18 Compulsory Credits
ALL 15 credits listed below are REQUIRED
- Four (4) English Credits (1 credit per grade)
- Three (3) Mathematics Credits (including 1 grade 11 or 12 credit)
- Two (2) Science Credits
- One (1) Canadian History Credit
- One (1) Canadian Geography Credit
- One (1) The Arts Credit
- One (1) Health & Physical Education Credit
- One (1) French as a second language Credit
- One Half (0.5) Career Studies Credit
- One Half (0.5) Civics Credit
+
One (1) credit from EACH group is REQUIRED
Group 1: One (1) Credit
- English as a second language or French as a second language**
- a Native language
- a Classical or International Language
- Social Sciences and the Humanities
- Canadian and World Studies
- Guidance and Career Education
- Cooperative Education ***
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Group 2: One (1) Credit
- Health & Physical Education
- The Arts
- Business Studies
- French as a 2nd language **
- Cooperative Education ***
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Group 3: One (1) Credit
- Science (Grade 11 or 12
- Technological Education
- French as a 2nd language
- Computer Studies
- Cooperative Education ***
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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 2nd 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 2nd 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.
Requirements to earn an 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:
Compulsory Credits (7)
- 2 credits in English
- 1 credit in Mathematics
- 1 credit in Science
- 1 credit in Canadian History OR Canadian Geography
- 1 credit in Health and Physical Education
- 1 credit in the Arts OR Technological Education
+
Optional Credits (7)
- 7 credits selected by the student from available courses
NOTE:
- 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.
Requirements to earn a 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.
NOTE:
- 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.
To learn more, contact Yvette: yvette@pathways4u.com
