Curriculum

ONTARIO GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
30 Credits*

18 Compulsory Credits

12 Elective Credits
OSSLT

(Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test)

40 Hours of Community Service

As stated in the OSSD Requirements, secondary school students must have a combination of 18 compulsory and 12 elective credits to graduate. At Burlington Royal Arts Academy we offer academic and arts credits. Our academic courses offered are a combination of compulsory and elective courses. The arts credit, with the exception of the first Grade 9 credit are electives that count towards the 30 credit total required to graduate.

OSSD Requirement

What are the 18 compulsory credits needed to graduate?

Students must earn the following compulsory credits in order to obtain the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD):
  • 4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)
  • 1 credit in a second language
  • 3 credits in mathematics (at least 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
  • 2 credits in science
  • 1 credit in history
  • 1 credit in geography
  • 1 credit in the arts
  • 1 credit in health and physical education
  • 0.5 credit in civics
  • 0.5 credit in career studies
  Plus:
  • 1 additional credit in English, or a third language, or social sciences and the humanities, or Canadian and world studies, or guidance and career education, or a cooperative education course
  • 1 additional credit in health and physical education, or the arts, or business studies, or a cooperative education course
  • 1 additional credit in science (Grade 11 or 12), or computer science, or technological education, or a cooperative education course
Please note: a credit is a means of recognition of the successful completion of a course for which a minimum of 110 hours has been scheduled. A credit is granted to the student by the principal of a secondary school on behalf of the Minister of Education for Ontario. Students who have completed secondary school courses in another country will be offered equivalent credits based on the successful completion of those courses.
In addition to the 18 compulsory credits, students must earn 12 elective credits. Students may earn those credits by successfully completing courses that they have selected from the courses listed in the course calendar. To see the courses listed in the course calendar, click here.
As a requirement set out by the Ministry of Education, students must pass the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test in order to graduate from secondary school. The literacy test is created and assessed by the EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office), an arm’s-length agency of the provincial government that evaluates reading, writing and comprehension skills based on the Ontario Curriculum’s expectations in language and communication up to and including Grade 9.
 As part of graduation requirements, students must complete a minimum of 40 hours in community involvement activities. The purpose of community involvement is to encourage students to develop awareness and understanding of civic responsibility and of the contributions they can make in supporting and strengthening their communities. These activities may be completed at any time during their years in the secondary school program. International students may bring community service hours with them for partial credit, provided the type of community involvement meets the criteria and does not take place during school hours. Community involvement may take place in a variety of settings, including businesses, not-for-profit organizations, public sector institutions (including hospitals), and informal settings. Students may not fulfill the requirement through activities that are counted towards a credit (cooperative education and work experience, for example), through paid work, or by assuming duties normally performed by a paid employee.

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