Graduation Requirements
Enrollment Requirements
All secondary students are required to meet the requirements of full-time students:
- Grade 9 and Grade 10 students must be enrolled in 4 credits per semester
- Grade 11 students must be enrolled in 4 credits per semester, unless permission is given by principal or designate.
- Grade 12 students must enroll in a minimum of 3 credits per semester
- Returning Grade 12 graduates must enroll in a minimum of 2 credits per semester
Enrollment for returning Grade 12 graduates is not guaranteed and will be determined by the principal or designate.
Exceptions to the requirement for full-time student status may be allowed by the principal or designate, only in exceptional circumstances.
Principals Honour Roll
Students who qualify for Principal’s Honour Roll must achieve:
- Students in Grades 9 and 10 – 80% average in minimum eight courses and be recognized as a full-time student as defined above from September – June.
- Students in Grade 11 – 80% average in minimum eight courses and be recognized as a full-time student as defined above from September – June, unless permission for a reduced courseload is given by the principal.
- Students in Grade 12 – 80% average in minimum six courses and be recognized as a full-time student as defined above from September – June.
The Principal’s Honour Roll is calculated on all courses taken from July 1- June 30 of the school year. Only courses registered through BHNCDSB are eligible for inclusion in the Honour Roll criteria. In all grades, students must have a grade-level Religion course and meet eligibility requirements for a full-time student as defined above.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma Requirements
For Students entering Grade 9 in September 2024 or later
- English (4 credits – one credit per grade)
- Mathematics (3 credits, Grade 9, Grade 10, and one in Grade 11 or 12)
- Science (2 credits)
- French as a second language (1 credit)
- Canadian geography (1 credit)
- Health and Physical Education (1 credit)
- The arts (1 credit)
- Careers (1/2 credit)
- Civics (1/2 credit)
- Technology (1 credit, grade 9 or 10)
- 1 additional STEM-related credit from the group below
STEM-related group:
- Business credit
- Computer studies
- Cooperative education
- Mathematics (in addition to the 3 compulsory credits required)
- Science (in addition to the 2 compulsory credits required)
- Technological education (in addition to the 1 compulsory credit required)
You must also complete:
- 4 religion credits
- 9 optional credits
- Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (Grade 10)
- Financial Literacy requirement (Grade 10)
- 40 hours of community service over four years
- 2 online learning courses
For students entering Grade 9 in September 2023 or earlier
- English (4 credits – one credit per grade)
- Mathematics (3 credits, at least one in Grade 11 or 12)
- Science (2 credits)
- French as a second language (1 credit)
- Canadian geography (1 credit)
- Health and Physical Education (1 credit)
- The arts (1 credit)
- Careers (1/2 credit, grade 10)
- Civics (1/2 credit, grade 10)
One from Group 1 choice:
Additional English, or French as a second language, or Native language, or a classical or an international language, or social science and the humanities, or Canadian and world studies, or guidance and career education, or cooperative education.
One from group 2 choices:
Additional health and physical education, or the arts, or business studies, or French as a second language, or cooperative education.
One from group 3 choices:
Additional science (Grade 11 or 12), or technological education or computer studies, or French as a second language, or cooperative education.
You must also complete:
- 4 religion credits
- 8 optional credits
- Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (Grade 10)
- 40 hours of community service over four years
- 2 online learning courses
Ontario Secondary School Certificate
The Ontario Secondary School Certificate will be granted on request to students who leave school before earning the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, if they have earned a minimum of 14 credits distributed as follows:
Compulsory credits (total of 7)
- 2 credits in English
- 1 credit in Canadian geography or Canadian history
- 1 credit in mathematics
- 1 credit in science
- 1 credit in health and physical education
- 1 credit in the arts or technological education
Optional credits (total of 7) credits selected by the student from available courses, including one religious education credit per year
Certificate of Accomplishment
Students who leave school before fulfilling the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma or the Ontario Secondary School Certificate may be granted a Certificate of Accomplishment. This Certificate of Accomplishment may be a useful means of recognizing achievement for students who plan to take certain vocational programs or other kinds of further training, or who plan to find employment after leaving school
Community Involvement
As part of the diploma requirements, students are required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities. These activities may be completed at any time during their years in the secondary program. The community involvement requirement is designed to provide an opportunity for students to meet the Catholic Graduate