18 compulsory credits
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 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:
- 1 additional credit in English, or French as a second language, or a Native language, or a classical or an international language, or social sciences and the humanities, or Canadian and world studies, or guidance and career education, or cooperative education**
- 1 additional credit in health and physical education, or the arts, or business studies, or cooperative education**
- 1 additional credit in science (Grade 11 or 12), or technological education, or computer studies, or cooperative education**
In addition to the 18 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.
**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.
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