Graduation Guidelines
Bishop O'Connell High School offers a curriculum which is designed to prepare students for admission to the leading colleges or university. For the most adequate college preparation, it is recommended that students follow the sequence of courses indicated by the asterisk (*).
For graduation, Bishop O'Connell High School requires a minimum of 26 credits, to be distributed as follows:
Graduation Requirements |
Subjects | Units |
Theology | 4 units |
English | 4 units |
Mathematics | 3 units, *4 units |
Science | 3 units, *4 units |
Foreign Language+ | 2 units *4 units |
Health and Physical Education | 2 units |
Social Studies, History ++ | 4 units |
Fine Arts | 1/2 unit |
Technology | 1/2 unit |
Electives | 3 units, *4 units |
+ Students must finish two years of a language at Bishop O'Connell High School or any other accredited high school before taking a different language. (This does not include middle school credits.)
++ One of the four units may come from a religion course that includes history i.e. Old Testament History, New Testament History.
* Recommended sequence of courses for leading colleges and universities.
Students normally take seven subjects. A wise choice of subjects requires serious deliberation and prudent judgment. Parents and students will be assisted by studies personnel, guidance counselors, and teachers. These avenues of aid can be valuable sources of advice and understanding.
Once the decisions are finally made, there will be no option to drop or change any elective. The Studies Office however, reserves the right to question and/or change the selection depending on pupil ability, past performance, or teacher recommendation. The school also reserves the right to cancel or postpone courses for which inadequate enrollment, lack of physical facilities, or unavailablity of teacher personnel necessitates such action.
Students desiring to do summer school work in an accredited secondary school shall obtain prior approval from the Assistant Principal of Academics for any courses that are to be transferred to apply toward graduation requirements.
Credit earned in the eighth grade for subjects normally taken in grades 9-12 (e.g., algebra 1, foreign language 1, etc.) may be counted toward fulfillment of the required courses after a qualifying test has established proficiency, but will not reduce the overall requirements of 26 units for graduation from Bishop O'Connell High School.
