Until the last century, young people did not choose an “occupation”. They simply followed in their parents’ footsteps and learned the knowledge and skills required for work in their childhood and early adolescent years. In the world of technology, this scenario no longer holds. For one thing, tech-related jobs are created rapidly. Within the past ten years, for example, new jobs such as Uber driver, an Airbnb host, drone operator and social media manager have been created. Parents no longer have the academic knowledge or technical skills, nor the time or resources required to prepare their child for future employment. Schools have taken over this responsibility and are the main force of socializing the young generation for future job opportunities. In a tech-driven world, having a high school diploma has become the minimum academic requirement to enter post-secondary education and the job market. If you need help understanding what you must have to earn your Ontario Secondary School Diploma, look no further. Here is a simple guide to the Ontario diploma requirements:
Compulsory Credits
In order to earn your Ontario Secondary School Diploma, you need to earn a minimum of 30 credits. Except for co-op courses that often earn you 2.0 credit and civics and career studies that give you 0.5 credits each, most courses in the Ontario Secondary Curriculum, gives you 1.0 credit. Out of the 30 credits, you must complete a minimum of 18 compulsory courses. Majority of the compulsory courses are completed in Grade 9 and 10, with a few remaining for Grade 11 and 12.
- English: Four credits, one credit in every grade
- Math: Three credits, one credit in grade 9, one credit in grade 10, one credit in Grade 11 or Grade 12
- Science: Two credits (grade 9 and 10)
- Canadian History: One credit
- Geography: One credit
- Art: One Credit
- Health and Physical Education: One credit
- French as a Second Language: One credit
- Career Studies, Civics: One credit combined
Compulsory Credits Per Group
In addition to the above-mentioned courses, you are also expected to earn one credit from each of the following group of courses:
Group 1:
- English or a French as 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
Other Graduation Requirements
In addition to the compulsory courses, you must also earn a minimum of 12 credits in optional credits. BrightMinds Online School offers a wide range of fun and engaging optional credit courses such as The World of Fashion, Biology, and Media Studies. The last two OSSD requirements are the 40 hours of community involvement and successful completion of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).
If you have any question about the Ontario Secondary School Diploma requirement or need help navigating your way through course selection for graduation, Contact us. We are here to help you.