Alberta is changing its high school graduation requirements to give students more room for optional courses. Starting with students entering high school in 2028, only 47 credits in core classes will be required, down from the current 56. Under the changes, students will need only one senior-level, 30-level course in either English or social studies, while senior-level math and science will no longer be mandatory.
In grades 11 and 12, individual mandatory course requirements will be replaced with broader areas of required learning. Students will need ten credits in humanities, drawn from English language arts, social studies or a combination of both, and five credits in math or science. Physical education, wellness and financial literacy credits will also be required. Grade 10 students will continue to complete required learning in English, social studies, math and science, and will take renewed mandatory career and life management and physical education and wellness courses.S2
The changes will be phased in over three school years, beginning with Grade 10 students in fall 2028, followed by Grade 11 students in fall 2029, and all senior high school grades starting in fall 2030. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the new system will let students spend more time developing interests or learning hands-on job skills by taking more optional classes. Physical education will become mandatory throughout high school rather than only in Grade 10, and a new wellness and financial literacy course will be required for all three years of high school.S2
Nicolaides said the changes give students more choice to find their passions and prepare for further schooling or jobs, adding that more flexibility does not mean lower expectations. Students will still have to write at least one diploma exam to graduate, in English language arts, social studies, mathematics or a science course. The province said it will consult education partners this fall on new one-credit physical education, wellness and financial literacy courses, as well as new mathematics 10 and social studies 10, 20 and 30 curriculums.S1S2
