Ministry Policy Site

Graduation Requirements

SECTION 1: 1995 GRADUATION PROGRAM

This section applies to students who begin Grade 10 before July 1, 2004.

Please see Section 2 for details of this policy as it applies to the 2004 Graduation Program, which applies to students who begin Grade 10 on or after July 1, 2004.

Issued June 18, 1996, and updated in February, 1997.

Current policy - This policy replaces Policy Circular 97-01.

In order to meet graduation requirements, all students under 19 years of age must earn a minimum of 52 credits to graduate. These must include Foundations Studies (28 credits) and Selected Studies (minimum 24 credits).

In 1995, graduation requirements were changed to a credit model for the 1995 Graduation Program.

See Ministerial Order 205/95, the Graduation Requirements Order.

Students who start Grade 10 before July 1, 2004, have until June 30, 2011 to graduate under the 1995 Graduation Program requirements.

Students must earn a minimum of 52 credits in order to graduate. Schools are responsible for recording all course credits and for reporting that information to the Ministry for transcript production.

Students must complete 28 credits of appropriate Foundation Studies courses. A list of all courses that may be used to satisfy each Foundation Studies subject area is found in the Course Information Book.

Courses listed as fulfilling requirements in two different subject areas can only be used to satisfy the requirement for one area.

After each Foundation Studies subject area requirement has been met, additional courses in that area count as Selected Studies credits.

Students must complete a minimum of 24 credits of Selected Studies courses. These can include the following types of courses: Ministry-Authorized, Career Program, Locally Developed, and Board/Authority Authorized. Locally developed courses can only count for up to 8 credits in the Selected Studies area.

Of these 24 credits of Selected Studies, 10 credits must be at the Grade 12 level. This includes any Grade 12 courses reported as Ministry-authorized, Career Programs, and Board/Authority Authorized. It does not include courses reported as Locally Developed.

Schools should ensure that students understand the requirements for graduation, and provide them with guidance in course selection. Schools shall report credits earned by students to the Ministry for entry on student transcripts and for calculation of graduation eligibility.

Handbook of Procedures

Course Information Book

Ministerial Order 205/95, the Graduation Requirements Order

1995 Graduation Program web site

If you have any questions relating to the Graduation Requirements Policy, please contact Robert Lazar, Graduation Standards Unit, Learning Management Division.

SECTION 2: 2004 GRADUATION PROGRAM

This section applies to students who begin Grade 10 on or after July 1, 2004.

Please see Section 1 for details of this policy as it applies to the 1995 Graduation Program, which applies to students who begin Grade 10 before July 1, 2004.

Issued January 2004 and in effect July 1, 2004.

Current policy

In order to meet graduation requirements and be awarded a British Columbia Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood) students must earn a minimum of 80 credits to graduate. These must include 48 credits for required courses, a minimum of 28 elective credits, and 4 credits for Graduation Transitions.

The graduation requirements were changed in 2003 for students entering Grade 10 beginning in the school year 2004/2005.

See Ministerial Order 302/04, the Graduation Program Order

Definition - "Required Courses:" Credits that must be earned in the following subject areas:

• a Language Arts 10 (4 credits)
• a Language Arts 11 (4 credits)
• a Language Arts 12 (4 credits)
• a Social Studies 10 (4 credits)
• a Social Studies 11 or 12 (4 credits)
• a Mathematics 10 (4 credits)
• a Mathematics 11 or 12 (4 credits)
• a Science 10 (4 credits)
• a Science 11 or 12 (4 credits)
• Physical Education 10 (4 credits)
• Fine Arts and/or an Applied Skills 10, 11, or 12 (4 credits)
• Planning 10 (4 credits)

Definition - "Graduation Transitions:" A standards-based assessment worth 4 credits, evaluated by schools based on Ministry of Education scoring guides included in the appropriate program guide (2007).

Definition - "Elective Credits:" Additional credits earned by students to support their academic, career, or personal interests.

Definition - "Board/Authority Authorized (BAA) Courses:" Grade 10, 11 and 12 courses developed or adopted at the district/school level that meet standards set by the Ministry of Education as outlined in the Handbook of Procedures. For more information, see the Board/Authority Authorized Courses Policy.

Students must earn a minimum of 80 credits in order to graduate. Schools are responsible for recording all course credits and for reporting that information to the Ministry for transcript production at the end of Grades 10, 11, and 12.

Students must complete 48 credits of appropriate required courses. A list of all courses that may be used to satisfy this requirement is found in the Course Information Book.

Students must complete 4 credits for Graduation Transitions. The standards for evaluating students and guidelines for reporting are contained in the Graduation Transitions program guide.

Students must complete a minimum of 28 elective credits. These 28 credits must be from Ministry-authorized or BAA or post-secondary courses or external credentials, but not Locally Developed courses.

Students must complete a minimum of 16 credits at the Grade 12 level, 12 credits in addition to a required Language Arts 12 course. These twelve Grade 12 credits may be for required courses, electives, Independent Directed Study, or External Credentials or dual credit for post-secondary institutions (see the Earning Credit through Equivalency, Challenge, External Credentials, Post-Secondary Credit and Independent Directed Studies policy for additional information).

Information about options for satisfying the requirements for Fine Arts and/or Applied Skills (4 credits) is found in the Fine Arts and Applied Skills Requirements in the Graduation Program Policy and in the appropriate Handbook of Procedures for the 2004 Graduation Program.

Once the credits for required courses have been met, additional courses in that subject area count as elective credits.

Schools should ensure that students understand the requirements for graduation, and provide them with guidance in planning and course selection. Schools shall report credits earned by students to the Ministry for entry on student transcripts at the end of Grades 10, 11, and 12, and for calculation of graduation eligibility.

Handbook of Procedures

2004 Graduation Program web site

If you have any questions relating to the Graduation Requirements Policy, please contact Robert Lazar, Graduation Standards Unit, Learning Management Division.