Graduation Requirements

The B.C. Certificate of Graduation or Dogwood Diploma is awarded to students who successfully complete the provincial graduation requirements.

Students require a minimum of 80 credits to graduate.

Of these 80 credits:

• At least 16 credits must be at the Grade 12 level, including a required Language Arts 12 and Career Life Connections

• At least 28 credits must be elective course credits 

• At least 4 credits must have an Indigenous focus (EFP10, EFP11, EFP12 or BC First Peoples 12)

• 52 credits are required from the following: 

  1. Career-Life Education (4 credits), and Career-Life Connections (4 credits) 

  2. Physical and Health Education 10 (4 credits)

  3. Science 10 (4 credits), and a Science 11 or 12 (4 credits)

  4. Social Studies 10 (4 credits), and a Social Studies 11 or 12 (4 credits)

  5. A Math 10 (4 credits), and a Math 11 or 12 (4 credits)

  6. A Language Arts 10, 11 and a required 12 (12 credits total)

  7. An Arts Education 10, 11, or 12 and/or an Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies 10, 11, or 12 (4 credits total) 

In addition, students must also complete three graduation assessments:

• The Grade 10 Numeracy Assessment

• The Grade 10 Literacy Assessment 

• The Grade 12 Literacy Assessment

The Adult Dogwood Diploma is the BC high school graduation credential for learners who are 18 years or older and did not previously complete the regular Dogwood Diploma. It’s designed for adults returning to complete high school.

Students on track for an Adult Dogwood Diploma are required to have 20 credits or 5 courses. 

• Language Arts 12 (4 credits) 

• Mathematics 11 or 12 (4 credits)

• Three additional Grade 12 elective courses (4 credits each) or one Grade 11 Social Studies and two Grade 12 electives. 

Note: Only two of the Adult Dogwood courses may be carried over from before the student's 18th birthday. Of the five courses required for the Adult Dogwood, at least three must be completed after the adult student has entered the Adult Graduation Program. 

The Adult Dogwood cannot become a registered pathway to graduation until the student turns 18. 

Please see the British Columbia Adult Graduation Diploma Program for more information.