The Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) is a diploma granted to

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

graduates in the

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

province of

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. It is part of the publicly-funded province-wide school system. It is awarded to all students who complete the Ontario education curriculum, including students in Special Education, the TOPS program, MaCS program,

IB Program The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year Curriculum, educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification fo ...

, and other focused secondary school programs.

Diploma requirements

The academic credit system applies to students from Grades 9 through 12. To obtain an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, one must earn the following compulsory credits: * 4 credits in one's first language (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

or French) (from Grade 9 - 12, one credit per year), * 3 credits in

Mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

, with at least one credit in Grade 11 or 12, * 2 credits in

Science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

, one in Grade 9 and one in Grade 10, * 1 credit in Grade 10

Canadian History The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of the Paleo-Indians to North America thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization, the lands encompassing present-day Canada were inhabited for millennia by ...

, * 1 credit in Grade 9 Canadian Geography, * 1 credit in the

arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...

, * 1 credit in

Health and physical education Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

, * 1 credit in one's second language, either French or English, * 0.5 credits in Grade 10

Career The career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work and other aspects of life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways. Definitions The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defin ...

Studies * 0.5 credits in Grade 10

Civics Civics is the study of the rights and obligations of citizens in society. The term derives from the Latin word ''civicus'', meaning "relating to a citizen". The term relates to behavior affecting other citizens, particularly in the context of u ...

Additional provincial requirements

One must also earn 1 credit from each of the following three areas: *Group 1: 1 additional credit in a second language (either French or English), an aboriginal language, a classical or international language, or

social sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soci ...

and the

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...

, or

canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

and World studies, or guidance and career education, or

cooperative education Cooperative education (or co-operative education) is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op", provides academic credit for struct ...

*. *Group 2: 1 additional credit in health and

physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...

, or the

, or business studies, or

*. As of March 2010, 1 additional credit in a second language (either French or English) can be used instead**. *Group 3: 1 additional credit in

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

in Grade 11 or 12, or technological education, computer studies, or

*. As of March 2010, 1 additional credit in a second language (either French or English) can be used instead.** Note that *, only 2 credits in cooperative education can be counted as compulsory credits, and that **, only 2 additional second language (either French or English) credits can be counted as compulsory: one in group 1, or one in either group 2 or group 3. In addition, students must also have completed: *12 optional credits (4 of which may be obtained through approved dual-credit courses and coop), *40 hours of community service, *meet the provincial secondary school literacy requirement. Note that a student can receive their community service from the start of Grade 9 (including the summer between Grade 8 and 9) until the April of grade 12, with summer break and weekends included. The provincial secondary school literacy requirement can be met through passing the

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT; french: test provincial de compétences linguistiques or TPCL) is a compulsory standardized test for secondary school students in Ontario who wish to obtain the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. ...

with a score of 75.0% or above. If one fails the Literacy Test, they must rewrite the test the following school year, or complete the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OLC 3O or 4O) in grade 11 or 12. In Grade 9 and 10 (years 1 and 2, respectively), a student must complete 16 credits in total, 8 each year. In Grade 11 and 12 (Year 3 and 4, respectively), one must complete the 14 remaining credits, with no less than 6 attempted credits each year in accordance with

compulsory education Compulsory education refers to a period of education that is required of all people and is imposed by the government. This education may take place at a registered school or at other places. Compulsory school attendance or compulsory schooling ...

law. In total, 30 credits must be achieved. One can stay in high school until all 30 credits are achieved, or to obtain any additional or required credits for post-secondary admission.

Ontario Secondary School Certificate

The Ontario Secondary School Certificate may be requested by students who leave school before earning their OSSD if they have earned a minimum of 14 credits distributed over the following courses:http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/policy/os/onschools_2016e.pdf * 2 credits in English * 1 credit in Canadian history or geography * 1 credit in mathematics * 1 credit in science * 1 credit in health and physical education * 1 credit in the arts, technological education, or computer studies * 7 additional electives

References

{{reflist Education in Ontario Student assessment and evaluation High School Diploma Secondary school qualifications

Diploma requirements

Additional provincial requirements

Ontario Secondary School Certificate

See also

References