Graduation Requirements
Wayzata High School students follow a block schedule. Our school day is divided into four blocks with each block being approximately 85 minutes in length; our school year is divided into four terms of nine weeks each. Most courses are either one or two terms and are identified as such in this guide. A two term course in the block schedule is the equivalent of a full year of course work. All students must register for 16 credits per year. Each term of a course results in one term credit Successful completion of a full schedule – four blocks for four terms – results in 16 credits. [Graduation Requirements Worksheet]
graduation requirements
To earn a Wayzata High School diploma, students must have earned sixty (60) credits in Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12, with a distribution of coursework that meets the standards established by the Wayzata School Board and which meets Minnesota State standards, including:
8 credits of English
2: English 9
2: English 10
2: English A
2: English B
8 credits of Math
Including two Algebra II credits or its equivalent, sufficient to satisfy all of the academic standards in mathematics.***
*Two of eight credits may come from STEM courses or Applied Math courses.
8 credits of Science
2: Physical Science
2: Biology
2: Chemistry or Physics**
2: Additional Science
*Two of the eight credits may come from STEM courses.
8 credits of Social Studies
2 Civics, 2 World History, 2 US History and 2 Senior Social Studies/Economics.
2 credits of Fine Art
2 credits of Physical Education
1 credit of Health
23 Elective Credits
*STEM courses are designed to dramatically increase student interest in, and preparation for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Courses that satisfy the STEM designation will be identified by the acronym STEM after the course number.
**Minnesota Department of Education requires that every high school graduate must complete 2 credits of Chemistry or 2 credits of Physics as a part of the student’s science graduation requirements.
***Minnesota Department of Education requires that every high school graduate must complete math through Algebra 2 as a part of the student’s mathematics graduation requirements.
ART CREDITS
The following courses, in addition to all classes as listed within the art department, fulfill the Art graduation requirement:
649B - AP MUSIC THEORY
924 - APPLIED ANIMATION (STEM)
930 - APPLIED GRAPHICS 1
931 - APPLIED GRAPHICS 2
660 - BEL CANTO
670 - CAMERATA
660 - CANTABILE
660 - CANTORI
670 - CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
650 - CONCERT BLUE BAND
660 - CONCERT CHOIR
650 - CONCERT GOLD BAND
650 - CONCERT SILVER BAND
644 - HONORS MUSIC THEORY
686 - IMPROVISATION & COMEDY STUDIES
670 - INTERMEZZO SILVER
670 - INTERMEZZO STRINGS BLUE
670 - INTERMEZZO STRINGS GOLD
923 - INTRO TO ANIMATION
652 - MARCHING BAND
642 - MUSIC HISTORY
640 - MUSIC PRODUCTION 1
641 - MUSIC PRODUCTION 2
643 - MUSIC THEORY
670 - SINFONIA
670 - STRING ORCHESTRA
650 - SYMPHONIC BLUE BAND
650 - SYMPHONIC GOLD
683 - THEATRE 1: INTRO TO ACTING
684 - THEATRE 2: ACTING STYLES
685 - THEATRE 3: DIRECTING WORKSHOP
660 - TROUBADOURS
867SE - UNIFIED ARTS
867GE - UNIFIED ARTS EXPERIENCE
647SE - UNIFIED MUSIC
657GE - UNIFIED MUSIC EXPERIENCE
680SE - UNIFIED THEATRE
680GE - UNIFIED THEATRE EXPERIENCE
660 - VARSITY CHOIR
650 - WIND ENSEMBLE
650 - WIND SYMPHONY BAND
APPLIED MATH CREDITS
The following Applied Math (M) courses can be used to fulfil math credits that are completed after Algebra 2:
713 - ADVANCED ACCOUNTING (CM)
741 - AP MACROECONOMICS (M)
740 - AP MICROECONOMICS (M)
9993B - APPLIED MATHEMATICS - COMPASS (M)
725 - FINANCIAL ALGEBRA (M)
855 - INDEPENDENT MONEY MANAGEMENT (M)
711 - INTRO TO ACCOUNTING (M)
723 - MANAGING YOUR INVESTMENTS (M)
722 - PERSONAL FINANCIAL MGMT (CM)
STEM CreDITS
STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Math
The following STEM (S) courses can be used to fulfill Science credits that are completed after Chemistry and/or Math credits that are completed after Algebra 2:
922S - ADVANCED GAME DESIGN (S)
913S - ADVANCED HOME CONSTRUCTION (S)
951S - ADVANCED WOOD MANUFACTURING (S)
944S - AP COMP SCI/PLTW SFTW ENG PRCP (S)
947S - AP COMPUTER SCIENCE A (S)
924S - APPLIED ANIMATION (S)
925S - APPLIED ROBOTICS (S)
910S - ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1 (S)
911S - ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2 (S)
415 - BIOMEDICAL BIOLOGY PLTW- (S)
457 - CIRCUITS AND ELECTRONICS (S)
943S - CIVIL ENG/ARCHITECTURE (S)
9993A - CYBERSECURITY (COMPASS) (S)
940S - ENGINEERING CONCEPTS (S)
912S - HOME CONSTRUCTION & MAINT (S)
968S - HTC ADV AUTO BODY REPAIR (S)
967S - HTC AUTO BODY REPAIR (S)
970S - HTC AUTOMOTIVE TECH (S)
960S - HTC CONSTRUCTION (S)
978S - HTC EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDER (S)
975S - HTC INTRO TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (S)
963S - HTC NURSING ASSISTANT (S)
964S - HTC OUTDOOR MOTOR PWR SPORT I (S)
965S - HTC OUTDOOR MOTOR PWR SPORT II (S)
976S - HTC TASTE OF TECHNOLOGY (STEM) (S)
760S - INFO TECHNOLOGY 1 HARDWARE (S)
719CS - INTERMEDIATE COMPUTER PROG (S)
942S - INTRO TO ENGINEERING DESIGN (S)
921S - INTRO TO GAME DESIGN (S)
761CS - INTRO TO TECHNOLOGY 2 - SOFTWARE (S)
950S - INTRO WOOD MANUFACTURING 1 (S)
945 - METAL MANUFACTURING (S)
952 - PRECISION (CNC) WOOD MFG. (S)
941S - PRIN ENGINEERING (POE) (S)
459 - PROJECT BASED PHYSICS (S)
9th grade electives
The following courses are offered as electives for incoming 9th grade students:
013C,D - STRENGTH TRAINING & CONDITIONING TERM 3 AND TERM 4
044 - STRESS MANAGEMENT 9/10
152 - THE WORLD OF CINEMA
168 - TOP 20 STRATEGIES 9/10
171 - STORYTELLING WITH PODCASTS
177 - MASS COMMUNICATIONS
184 - INTRO TO PUBLIC SPEAKING
189 - DEBATE
223 - PREP FOR AP HISTORY
240 - ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
241 ANTHROPOLOGY
247 - HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
248 - AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
259 - LEADERSHIP
261 - MOCK TRIAL
300 - FUNDAMENTALS OF INTERM ALGEBRA
509 - FRENCH 1
513 - FRENCH 2
516 - FRENCH 3
519 - FRENCH 4
520 - FRENCH 5
525 - AP FRENCH
531 - SPANISH 1
534 - SPANISH 2
536 - SPANISH 3
539 - SPANISH 5
545 - AP SPANISH
548 - GERMAN 1
553 - GERMAN 2
556 - GERMAN 3
559 - GERMAN 4
560 - GERMAN 5
565 - AP GERMAN
570 - CHINESE 1
571 - CHINESE 2
572 - CHINESE 3
573 - CHINESE 4
574 - AP CHINESE
581 - CHINESE CULTURE & BEYOND
606 - GRAPHIC DESIGN 1
607 - GRAPHIC DESIGN 2
609 - CERAMICS 1
610 -CERAMICS 2
611 - CERAMICS 3
613 - PAINTING 1
614 - PAINTING 2
617 - DRAWING 1
618 - DRAWING 2
625 - SCULPTURE 1
626 - SCULPTURE 2
635 - COMIC ARTS
640 - MUSIC PRODUCTION 1
641 - MUSIC PRODUCTION 2
642 - MUSIC HISTORY
643 - MUSIC THEORY AND EAR TRAINING
644 - HONORS MUSIC THEORY/EAR TRAIN
645 B, C - AP MUSIC THEORY
650 - BAND GRADE 9-12
660 - CHOIR
670 - ORCH GR 9-12
683 - ACTING 1
686 - IMPROVISATION & COMEDY STUDIES
705 - DIGITAL INFO/COMPUTER APPLICATION
711 M - INTRO TO ACCOUNTING (M)
718 - INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
732 - INTRO TO MARKETING
735 - INTRO TO BUSINESS
760 S - INFO TECHNOLOGY 1 HARDWARE (S)
855 M - INDEPENDENT MONEY MANAGEMENT (M)
861 - INTERIOR DESIGN
863 - CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 1
875 - CAREER SEARCH
910 S - ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1 (S)
911 S - ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2 (S)
912 S - HOME CONSTRUCTION & MAINT (S)
913 S - ADVANCED HOME CONSTRUCTION (S)
921 S - INTRO TO GAME DESIGN (S)
922 S - ADVANCED GAME DESIGN (S)
923 - INTRO TO ANIMATION
925 S - APPLIED ROBOTICS (S)
930 - APPLIED GRAPHICS 1
931 - APPLIED GRAPHICS 2
940 S - ENGINEERING CONCEPTS (S)
945 S - METAL MANUFACTURING (S)
950 S - INTRO WOOD MANUFACTURING 1 (S)
credit recovery
Students who are unable to successfully complete all their course work should collaborate with their counselor to develop individualized plans to recover credits. Students can recover credits through our Alternative Independent Study Program. A credit recovery student may not earn more than twenty-four (24) credits in one academic year.
Early Graduation
Students who wish to graduate early must contact their counselor to work out the details. These students will be expected to meet all graduation requirements. A written contract will be established and must be signed by the student, parent/guardian, counselor, and associate principal. This should be completed before the end of the junior year. A student may not earn more than sixteen (16) credits per school year to accelerate graduation.
NCAA ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Athletes interested in becoming eligible for Division I and Division II college athletic programs must meet the NCAA eligibility criteria. Early academic planning is critical. See your counselor for details.
CREDIT CONTRACT – INDEPENDENT STUDY
Wayzata High School students who wish to enroll in an independent study may do so if the course they wish to enroll is one that has been approved through Wayzata Public Schools curriculum review process and the Wayzata High School new course proposal committee (i.e., the course must appear in the Wayzata High School registration guide). Eligible students are responsible for filling out the paperwork and finding a Wayzata High School teacher to facilitate the independent study.
CREDIT FOR online LEARNING
Credit for Online Learning vs Placement by Assessment
A student may earn credit to fulfill graduation requirements from an online MN learning provider approved by the Minnesota Department of Education. Students should meet with their counselor to discuss available options prior to enrolling in an online course. This signifies that the required MN graduation standard has been met.
PLACEMENT BY ASSESSMENT
Credit for Online Learning vs Placement by Assessment
A student may fulfill the prerequisite requirements for a higher level course by completing a Summer Test-in/Test-out option. In preparation for the summer assessment, students may enroll in a course offered by an external provider. The student should meet with their counselor to discuss appropriate course options and review required deadlines prior to enrolling in a course and/or attempting a Placement by Assessment. A student has one opportunity to attempt to test out of a course.