What Are the Requirements for a High School Diploma?
Article
Update : January 5, 2026
What are the requirements for obtaining a high school diploma (SSD)? How does the credit system work? We explain in this article!
What are the requirements for obtaining a high school diploma (SSD)? How does the credit system work? We explain in this article!
The Secondary School Diploma (SSD) is awarded by the Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec when a student finishes secondary school, generally after five years. This diploma proves that the student has successfully completed all compulsory courses and met their program requirements. The SSD is required for postsecondary programs and certain jobs.
To earn an SSD, a student must accumulate 54 course credits in Secondary IV and Secondary V. They must also complete at least 20 credits in Secondary V or their vocational program.
In addition to these credits, students must pass the following courses:
Grade Level | Mandatory Courses |
| Secondary IV |
|
| Secondary V |
|
To help you better understand the value of these courses, we’ve created a table outlining the Secondary IV and V curriculum with their respective course credits:
Secondary IV | ||
Course | Credits | |
| Language of instruction | 6 | |
| Second language | Regular | 4 |
| Enriched | 4 | |
| Mathematics | Cultural, Social, and Technical Option (CST) | 4 |
| Technical and Scientific Option (TS) | 6 | |
| Science Option (SN) | 6 | |
| Science (mandatory) | Science and Technology (ST) | 4 |
| Applied Science and Technology (AST) | 6 | |
| Science (optional) | Environmental Science and Technology (EST) | 4 |
| Science and the Environment (SE) | 2 | |
| History of Québec and Canadadu Québec et du Canada | 4 | |
| Art | 2 | |
| Physical Education | 2 | |
| Culture and Citizenship in Québec | 4 | |
| Electives (multimedia, Spanish, etc.) | Varies from course to course | |
Secondary V | ||
Course | Credits | |
| Language of instruction | 6 | |
| Second language | Regular | 4 |
| Enriched | 6 | |
| Mathematics | Cultural, Social, and Technical Option (CST) | 4 |
| Technical and Scientific Option (TS) | 6 | |
| Science Option (SN) | 6 | |
| Contemporary World | 2 or 4 | |
| Financial Education | 2 | |
| Art | 2 | |
| Physical Education and Health | 2 | |
| Culture and Citizenship in Québec | 2 | |
| Electives (chemistry, physics, integrative project, History of the 20th Century, etc.) | Varies from course to course | |
The Ministère de l’Éducation defines one credit as the equivalent of about 25 hours of classroom or school activity. So, a two-credit course is equivalent to approximately 50 hours of classroom instruction during the year. When a student passes a course, they automatically earn the associated credits.
Note: A minimum score of 60% is required to pass an exam.
Your school’s guidance counsellor can keep you updated on your child’s academic progress and help them review their options if necessary. Guidance counsellors are also great allies for helping students make informed course selections.
Despite their best efforts, your child hasn’t earned all the credits they need to graduate. What now? The good news is, they have a few options. You can encourage them to do one of the following:
Note: It’s important to understand that the TENS is not equivalent to an SSD and does not provide the same opportunities. The TENS leads to an Attestation of Equivalence of Secondary Studies (AESS), which can improve access to certain jobs, some vocational training, and other programs that lead to an Attestation of Collegial Studies (ACS). For more information, please contact your local SARCA office!