A total of EIGHTEEN credits are required to obtain a Nova Scotia High School Graduation Diploma.  The following compulsory credits from the following subject groupings must be taken and passed for students to be eligible for graduation: 

Language, Communication, and Expression

• 3 English Language Arts, one at each grade level

• 1 Fine Arts (Art, Dance, Drama, or Music)

Science, Mathematics, and Technology

• 2 Science (ONE from Biology, Chemistry, Science 10, or Physics, and one additional approved science course)

• 3 Mathematics (three different grade levels)

• 1 other from Science, Math, or Technology 

Personal Development and Society

• 1 Physical Education High School Credit 

• 1 Canadian History (African Canadian Studies 11, Canadian History 11, Contemporary Canadian Studies 11, Gaelic Studies 11, Études Acadiennes 11, and Mi’kmaw Studies 11 fulfill this requirement)

• 1 Global Studies (from Global History, Global Geography, Global Politics, or Global Economics)

Note: Dance 11 may count as a fine arts credit or a physical education credit, but not both.

 At least Five (5) credits must be at the Grade 12 level, and no more than Seven (7) may be at the Grade 10 level. 

Please Note: The above are minimum requirements for graduation, and may not be sufficient to allow a student to meet the entrance requirements for all post-secondary educational institutions 

Transcripts

A transcript is an official school document listing your high school marks for Nova Scotia courses.  Transcripts are required by colleges, universities and other post-secondary institutions, and will include marks from your high school courses.  One transcript will be included with your graduation certificate when you graduate.  Current students should see Kari in the office to request transcripts.  Transcripts must be requested two days in advance. 

Credit System

A credit is awarded to students who have successfully completed an approved course that would normally be completed in a minimum of 110 hours of scheduled class time (usually 1 semester).  Some courses are compulsory in order to receive a High School Graduation Diploma, while others are optional. 

TRANSFER CREDITS

Students transferring into HERH from independent schools or from outside of Nova Scotia will receive credit for courses taken at these institutions on an individual basis. Not every course offered at these schools necessarily qualifies as a valid Nova Scotia credit for graduation.

Course Identification

Courses are identified by subject title and grade level.  For example: Mathematics 11.  In addition, each course is categorized as one of the following credit types:

Graduation: These courses are designed for students who wish to obtain a graduation diploma with a view to proceeding to employment or some selected areas of post-secondary study.

Open: These courses are generally not designed to meet the requirements for university programs. Although none of the open courses are designed to meet the specific requirements of any post-secondary institutions, individual courses may meet entrance requirements of some institutions.

Academic: These courses are designed for students who expect to enter college, university or other post-secondary institutions.

Advanced: These courses are designed to meet the needs of students who have demonstrated an exceptional degree of academic ability or achievement.  

Course Load

Students in grade 10 must enroll in a full course load of eight credits in order to earn as many credits as possible towards the eighteen required credits for graduation.  Grade 11 students should enroll in a minimum of seven (7) courses.  It is recommended that grade  12 students enroll in 3 or 4 courses per semester.  

Due to provincial class caps courses  have a limitation on the number of students who can enroll in them.  Due to these restrictions, students may have to make other selections.  Students who may not be permitted to repeat these courses are as follows: 1) students who have already received credit for the course, 2) students who have failed any or all of these courses, 3) students who have withdrawn from these courses. 

ATHLETICS

Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation (NSSAF) regulations require student athletes to be regular students in order to participate in NSSAF competition.  Any student who is registered as a regular student shall be eligible to compete.  In semestered schools, a regular student is defined as one who is registered in a minimum of three courses in a semester at the school. Students enrolled in fewer than three courses are not considered full-time students and are ineligible for participation in NSSAF sanctioned athletics.

FREE BLOCK

Students wishing to register for a free block must have scheduled the necessary course requirements to graduate.  Please refer to the recommendations above for each grade when considering a free block. 

Promotion

Students are assigned to a grade level based on the number of credits they have achieved. 

Grade 12 students are those who are eligible to graduate that year if they successfully complete the courses for which they have registered. 

Grade 11 students are those students who can graduate within two years by successfully completing the required credits. All other students are considered to be in Grade 10. 

Challenge for Credit

Background

The Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development recognizes that students may have already acquired the knowledge, skills and attitudes that an existing course seeks to develop. Challenge for credit provides a process for students to demonstrate that they have achieved learning outcomes as defined in the Public School Programs and the curriculum guide for a directly-related course. 

Policy

1. All students currently enrolled in a public school in Nova Scotia may challenge for credit.

2. Challenge for credit is applicable only to designated Nova Scotia senior high school courses.

3. Students may challenge for any number of credits, but no more than two credits at each grade level for a total of six will count towards a High School Graduation Diploma.

4. Courses for which students have already received credit are not eligible for challenge for credit.  Challenge for credit is not intended as a way to improve a course mark. Similarly, challenge for credit is not intended as a process by which a student can challenge a lower level course in the same subject at the same grade level as another course which the student has not completed successfully.

5. Successful challenges for credit will be given a mark.

For information on challenging for credit, please see a school counsellor.

Co-operative Education – What is it?

• In-school component

• Career exploration, self-evaluation, and goal setting

• Resumes, cover letters and interview techniques

• Workplace practices and workplace health and safety

Co-op placement

• 80 hours – can be completed during the school day, in the evenings and/or on weekends, PD days, holidays, depending on the placement. 

Why take co-op?

• Real world experience

• Learn about different careers so you can decide what is right for you

• Contacts in the working world

How do you sign up for co-op?

• You must be 16 or older in September

• Request a Co-op course during online course selection

• Co-op requires an application, community and teacher references, plus an interview

• Application forms are available from Ms. Vance (Rm 302), the school counsellors, and in the main office. They are also available on our school website HERH.ccrce.ca in the “Our School” menu.

• Interviews will be scheduled after applications have been received.

Click here for more information about Co-op courses and to get PDF copies of the application forms.

Options and Opportunities – What is it?

• O2 is for anyone!

• Especially those asking “What am I going to do when I leave school?”

• The most successful students are: Willing to learn, positive attitude, interested in investigating careers, hard working, independent

O2 Based Courses

Students in O2 must complete specific courses to earn an O2 certificate which provides them with assured seating status at the Nova Scotia Community College. Students entering the O2 Program in Grade 10 must complete the following courses along with courses required for a graduation diploma:

• Career Development 10 - taken in grade 10

• Community Based Learning 11 - taken in grade 10

• 3 Cooperative Education courses - taken in grades 11 & 12

How do you sign up for O2?

• O2 requires an application, community and teacher references, plus an interview

• Application forms are available from Mrs. Vance (Rm 302), the school counsellors and in the main office. They are also available on the HERH website

• Interviews will be scheduled after applications have been received.

Click here for more information about O2 and to get PDF copies of the application forms.

The High Skills Major certificate allows students to earn credits toward their high school diploma while developing skills and competencies through courses and real-world experiences aligned with their career interests. This pilot, launched in 2023, offers five certificates: Arts, Digital Innovation and Technology, Early Childhood Education, Health and Wellness, and Skilled Trades. HERH will be supporting the Skilled Trades High Skills Major in 2026-2027. 

Skilled Trades courses are the starting point for Nova Scotia high school students who want to explore the skilled trades as a possible career option. These courses are based on curricula that immerse students in the realities of skilled trades work. They were designed by high school teachers and experienced trades educators from the Nova Scotia Community College in consultation with industry representatives.

The great thing about Skilled Trades courses is that they keep one door open to pursue a four-year university degree while opening a second door to a three- to five-year apprenticeship training program. Skilled Trades courses can double your chances of finding a rewarding career.

Click here for more information about High Skills Major 

Personal development credits will be awarded for approved courses or programs of a high school standard that contribute to the Atlantic Essential Graduation Learnings. The Personal Development Credit Policy will acknowledge the value of student learning outside the public school system by recognizing for high school credit, achievements and credentials earned in the community. In order for a Personal Development Credit to be granted, a student must complete and submit the necessary forms and supporting documentation, which can be obtained from Student Services. Personal development credits will be reflected on a student’s high school transcript thereby enhancing the transcript for the student. 

• Personal Development Credits may be granted in grades 10, 11 and 12.

• Personal Development Credits may be half or full credits.

• Personal Development Credits will not duplicate the courses or programs that are part of Nova Scotia’s Public School Program.

• Within the 18 credits a high school student requires for graduation, one elective credit can be a personal development credit. 

• A personal development credit may not be used to fulfill a student’s requirement for the 18 mandatory credits required for graduation.

• A student may have an unlimited number of personal development credits entered on their transcript, beyond the 18 required for graduation.

• Students who have earned a personal development credit from an approved provider prior to entering grade 10 may be awarded that credit any time after they enter grade 10.

For a list of approved providers and courses, as well as more information about Personal Development Credits, please visit the Department of Education website https://www.ednet.ns.ca/cbl/personal-development-credits