18 compulsory credits

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

  4 credits in English*
  3 credits in mathematics
  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:

  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 French as a second language,** or cooperative education***

  1 additional credit in science (Gr. 11 or 12), or technological education, or French as a second language,** or computer studies, or 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. **A maximum of 2 credits in French as a second language can count as compulsory credits. ***A maximum of 2 credits in cooperative education can count as compulsory credits. ****May include up to four credits achieved through approved dual credit courses.