The Halton Catholic District School Board offers a wide assortment of challenging regular and specialty programs that prepare students for a successful post-secondary experience.

There are 23 universities and 24 colleges located across Ontario, Canada. Less than an hour away from Halton Region, is the University of Toronto, which is a top medical-doctoral university in Canada, consistently ranked among the world’s best universities.

International Students who are interested in attending post-secondary school in Ontario can learn more about how to choose the right school, what you need to apply, how to get scholarships, and much more, on the Province of Ontario’s website.

Ontario High School Diploma Requirements

In addition to the below listed Ontario High School Diploma requirements, HCDSB students are also required to obtain one religion credit per school year in order to graduate.

18 Compulsory Credits:

  • 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:

Group 1
  • English or French as a second language**
  • a Native language
  • a classical or an international language
  • social sciences and the humanities
  • Canadian and world studies
  • guidance and career education
  • cooperative education***
Group 2
  • health and physical education
  • the arts
  • business studies
  • French as a second language**
  • cooperative education***
Group 3
  • science (grade 11 or 12)
  • technological education
  • French as a second language**
  • computer studies
  • cooperative education***

In addition, students must complete:

  • 12 optional credits†
  • 40 hours of community involvement activities
  • the provisional 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.

**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.

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