Aspire Higher
Interactive GuideRequirements verified July 2026

Course selection is a map, not a menu.

In B.C. high schools, courses connect like stops on a transit map: some Grade 9 and 10 choices quietly decide which doors are still open in Grade 12 — and which university programs stay within reach. Use the map below to see every connection before choosing.

Step 1 · Choose how to explore

Step 2 · Pick a goal

Your course map appears here

Pick a goal above and the map will show only the courses that matter for it — from Grade 8 all the way to graduation.

What the diploma actually requires

The map shows sequence. The Dogwood also imposes arithmetic. Eighty credits sounds generous until you subtract the fifty-two already spoken for, and notice that sixteen of the total must sit at the Grade 12 level.

80
Total credits

The minimum for a B.C. Certificate of Graduation.

52
Required credits

Fixed by subject area, including 8 for Career Education.

28
Elective credits

Minimum. Extra courses in a subject count here once its requirement is met.

16
At the Grade 12 level

Minimum, and must include a Language Arts 12 and Career Life Connections.

The 52 required credits

Subject area · credits
Language Arts 10, 11 and a required 1212
Career Life Education + Career Life Connections4 + 4
Mathematics 10 and a Mathematics 11 or 124 + 4
Science 10 and a Science 11 or 124 + 4
Social Studies 10 and a Social Studies 11 or 124 + 4
Physical and Health Education 104
Arts Education and/or ADST, at Grade 10, 11 or 124
Indigenous-focused coursework4

The Indigenous-focused 4 credits

Alternatives, not a checklist
Through Language Arts — an English First Peoples courseAlso counts as LA
Through Social Studies — B.C. First Peoples 12, Contemporary Indigenous Studies 12Also counts as SS
A provincially authorised First Nations language courseElective credit
A locally developed Indigenous-focused course, or a First Nation Language and Culture external credentialVaries
A student satisfies the requirement through English or through Social Studies — or through both, if they want the courses. At the Grade 12 level a single course carries all four credits; at Grade 10 the English First Peoples courses are worth two each, so two are needed.
Introduced 2018Grade 10 Numeracy Assessment

Not tied to a single math course. Written by all students.

Introduced 2019/20Grade 10 Literacy Assessment

Cross-curricular; not an English exam in the old sense.

Introduced 2021/22Grade 12 Literacy Assessment

The final one. All three must be written to graduate.

Ready to start the journey?

The process begins with a conversation—understanding your goals, answering your questions, and exploring whether we're the right fit to support your family.

Credit rules and assessment requirements follow B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care graduation policy. Grade 8 and 9 courses do not carry graduation credits; credit accumulation begins in Grade 10. Course titles, streaming rules, Pre-AP and Bridging variants, and second-language offerings are set locally and vary by school and district — the mathematics sequence shown is a common model, not a provincial standard. Admission requirements are set by each institution, differ between them, and change annually; the destinations here describe faculty-level patterns and are not a substitute for checking a specific programme in the year of application.