Welcome to High School!

objectives

The purpose of this course is to give you information on the Utah Adult Schools Graduation Requirements. After completing this course you will have an understanding of how credits work.  There is a quiz at the end of each module to help you determine if you understood the content of the module. At the end of the course, you will create a high school graduation plan to help you determine how and when you will be taking courses.  Examples provided in this course are based on courses offered at Horizonte Instruction and Training Center. Horizonte offers courses in person, online, in packets, and morning and evening classes. You will set a SMART goal and determine your date of graduation. Remember you are in control of this journey and for this journey, you need a plan. Knowledge is power. 

Graduation requirements

In order to earn a high school diploma, you need 24 credits which is equivalent to 96 classes. Most schools offer courses that are worth .25 credits per course. Some credits are required, and some are elective credits. Some schools offer 6 terms, and you can take 4 classes each term. If you take 4 classes each term you can earn a maximum of 6 credits per year. This means that it will take you 4 years to complete your high school diploma.

Required Credits

There are 18.5 credits that come from required areas and 5.5 credits that come from electives. There are four core courses:  English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Other required courses are Arts, Health Education, Physical Education, Career and Technical Education, Digital Studies, and General Financial Literacy. You need to earn the following credit in each of these categories:

Elective Credits

In this area, you need to earn 5.5 credits. This area is very broad, and credits can come from different areas including work experience. You can get up to 4 credits for work experience and your school has their own criteria of what counts as a credit. Some schools go by hours, others will go by whether you work part-time or full-time. See your counselor for more information about it. You can also use any extra credits that you have earned in other areas.

Exams

In addition to earning 24 credits, you need to pass the Basic Civic Test. This test is usually taken in middle school. If you attended middle school check your middle school transcripts to see if you passed it. If you are not sure see your school counselor for more information on how to take this test. You also need to score ABE 5 or 6 in the CASAS Post-Test.

Check your understanding by taking the Graduation Requirements Quiz.

Learn more about required courses by clicking on the links below: