Upper School Course Guide
Course Selection Resources
OSSD Requirements
What students need to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) depends on the year they started Grade 9.
For Students Who Started Grade 9 in Fall 2023 or Earlier
Students are required to complete 30 credits, each of 110 hours, to obtain an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). The following 18 compulsory credits must be successfully completed in order to be awarded an OSSD. The remaining 12 credits are electives.
Students must earn the following 15 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 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 | Group 1:
|
| 1 | Group 2:
|
| 1 | Group 3:
|
In addition, students must complete:
| 12 | optional credits † |
| 40 | hours of community involvement activities |
| Provincial Literacy Requirement (OSSLT) | |
* 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.
** In groups 1, 2 and 3, a maximum of 2 credits in French as a second language can count as compulsory credits, one from group 1 and one from either group 2 or group 3.
*** 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
** In groups 1, 2 and 3, a maximum of 2 credits in French as a second language can count as compulsory credits, one from group 1 and one from either group 2 or group 3.
*** 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
For Students Who Started Grade 9 in Fall 2024 or Later
Students are required to complete 30 credits, each of 110 hours, to obtain an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). The following 17 compulsory credits must be successfully completed in order to be awarded an OSSD. The remaining 13 credits are electives.
Students must earn the following 17 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 the Arts |
| 1 | credit in Health and Physical Education |
| 1 | credit in French as a Second Language |
| 1 | credit in technological Education (Grade 9 or 10) |
| 1 | credit from the STEM-related Course Group1 |
| 0.5 | credit in Career Studies |
| 0.5 | credit in Civics |
1STEM-related Course Group:
Of the 17 compulsory credits, you must complete one 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)
In addition, students must complete:
| 13 | optional credits |
| 40 | hours of community involvement activities |
| Provincial Literacy Requirement (OSSLT) | |
