The Academic Honors Diploma is considered a 'college prep' diploma. It is considered 'college prep' because students must take various criteria required by higher level 4-year colleges. If your child is planning on applying to a 4-year college, it is strongly recommended that he/she aim for an Academic Honors Diploma since many Indiana colleges will give a financial incentive to incoming students who have earned the Honors diploma.
The Academic Honors Diploma (AHD) requires:
47 credits
- Complete all requirements of a Core 40 Diploma
- Earn 2 additional Core 40 Math credits
- Earn 6 credits (3 years) of a foreign language OR 8 credits (4 years) of two different foreign languages (4 credits must be from one language, 4 from the other language)
- Earn 2 Fine Arts credits (Art, Music, or Yearbook / Newspaper)
- Earn a grade of a C- or better in courses that will count toward the diploma.
- Maintain an 8.0 (B average) GPA by graduation
- Complete ONE of the following:
A. Earn 4 credits in 2 or more AP classes and take the corresponding AP exam.
B. Earn 6 verifiable, transcripted dual credits (usually 2 high school classes worth 3 dual credits each; some classes are worth 6 dual credits).
C. Earn 2 credits from 1 AP class and take the corresponding AP exam, and earn 3 transcripted dual credits
D. Earn a combined score of a 1250 or higher on the SAT, with a minimum score of 560 on the math section and a 590 on the evidence-based reading and writing section (these are the proposed changes to the SAT requirements, but we are anticipating that this will most likely pass in the next legislation).
E. Earn an ACT composite score of a 26 or higher and complete written section
What is the difference between Honors, AP, or dual credits? See a comparison here.
Students and parents may also access our Course Description Guide to see our graduation requirements as well as view potential classes.