What do you need to graduate? Ontario's secondary school program is based on a credit system. In order to obtain a secondary school diploma, students must earn a total of 30 credit, complete the literacy requirement, and complete 40 hours of community involvement. In order to earn a credit, students must successfully complete the 110-hour course. 17 out of the 30 credits students complete must come from a compulsory list of subjects. The remaining 13 credits are optional, earned in courses that the student may choose for him or herself from those available at the school.

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 technological education (Grade 9 or Grade 10)
• 1 credit in Canadian history (Grade 10)
• 1 credit in Canadian geography (Grade 9)
• 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 and citizenship
• 1 credit from the STEM-related course group

The following apply to compulsory credit selections.

• You can use the Grade 11 English: Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis and Inuit Voices course to meet the Grade 11 English compulsory credit requirement.
• You can use the Grade 9 Expressions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Cultures course to meet the compulsory credit requirement in the arts.

STEM-related course group

Of the 17 compulsory credits, you must complete 1 from the following group:

• business studies
• computer studies
• cooperative education
• mathematics (in addition to the 3 compulsory credits currently required)
• science (in addition to the 2 compulsory credits currently required)
• technological education (in addition to the 1 compulsory credit required)

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 French as a second language, or cooperative education**

1 additional credit in science, or technological education, or French as a second language, or computer studies, or cooperative education**

In addition to the compulsory credits, students must complete:

• 13 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.

***May include up to 4 credits achieved through approved Dual Credit courses.

Printable Diploma Requirements