Ontario High School Diploma Requirements
If you are a Canadian student or a student from abroad hoping to graduate high school in Ontario, you will need to fulfill the following requirements in order to earn your Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).
Why complete your OSSD?
At the time this article was written, Ontario is reported to have hundreds of post-secondary institutions, including 20 public universities, 24 colleges, and over 400 registered private career colleges. In most cases, a high school diploma is required to attend a college or university in Ontario. That being said, all schools have their own admissions requirements for eligibility. Generally, there is also a different set of rules for international students. Checking a school’s website or contacting them directly is usually the most direct way to get more specific and fully updated information about admissions.
What do you need to graduate?
To earn your OSSD, students must earn a total of 30 credits, complete the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), and complete 40 hours of community service or community involvement hours. The 30 credits that are required can be broken down into 18 compulsory credits and 12 optional credits.
*This article was written in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some changes may be made in light of these novel and unprecedented circumstances. The OSSLT was cancelled, as per the Ministry of Education, for the 2019-2020 school year.