Students entering ninth grade for the first time in 2021-2022 or afterwards must pass the following courses and earn at least 22 credits:
NC Math 1, 2, and 3 and a fourth mathematics course to be aligned with the student’s post high school plans
In the rare instance a principal exempts a student from the Future-Ready Core mathematics sequence, except as limited by N.C.G.S. §115C-81(b), the student will be required to pass: NC Math 1 and Math 2 plus two additional courses identified on the NC DPI Math options chart.
Notes: A fourth-level mathematics course is required for UNC minimum requirements, this includes Math IV, Precalculus, and other higher level courses.
English I
English II
English III
English IV
Founding Principles of the United States of America and North Carolina: Civic Literacy
Economics and Personal Finance
American History
World History
a physical science course
Biology
an earth/environmental science course
Students are required to successfully complete CPR instruction to meet Healthful Living Essential Standards as a requirement for high school graduation.
Accommodations/alternative assessments for students identified by ADA or IDEA will be provided.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) or
Arts Education or
World Language
Note: For clarification, possible elective combinations may include 2 World Language credits; or 1 CTE credit and 1 Arts Education credit; or 2 CTE credits; or 1 Arts Education credit and 1 World Language credit; or other combinations from a, b and c.
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
ROTC
Arts Education (e.g., dance, music, theater arts, visual arts)
Any other subject area or cross-disciplinary courses (e.g., mathematics, science, social studies, English and dual enrollment courses)
Students must complete the standard course of study (no local electives) for a given arts education course in its entirety to satisfy this requirement. After-school activities or partial courses do not fulfill this graduation requirement.
Students who transfer into a public school unit beginning in the ninth grade or later may be exempt, if such a requirement would prevent a student from graduating with the graduation cohort to which the student was assigned when transferring.
NOTE: Students entering Grade 9 in 2026-27 will have an additional requirement to take a credit in Computer Science. Electives will be reduced from 6 to 5.