Standard Diploma
To graduate with a Standard Diploma, students must earn at least 22 standard units of credit by passing required courses and electives, and earn at least six verified credits by passing end-of-course SOL tests or other assessments approved by the Board of Education. The table below displays the minimum course and credit requirements for a Standard Diploma.
Standard Diploma Course Requirements (8 VAC 20-131-50.B) Please note: Your school counselor can tell you which courses are offered by your school to fulfill the requirements for a Standard Diploma.
Discipline Area Standard Credits
Effective with ninth graders in 1998-99		 Verified Credits - Effective for Ninth Graders in . . .
    2000-01 through 2002-03 2003-04 and beyond
English 4 2 2
Mathematics [Note 1] 3   1
Laboratory Science [Notes 2 & 6] 3   1
History and Social Sciences [Notes 3 & 6] 3   1
Health and Physical Education 2    
Fine Arts 1    
Career & Technical Education 1    
Electives [Note 4] 5    
Student Selected Test [Note 5]   4 1
Total 22 6 6

 

NOTE 1: Courses completed to satisfy this requirement shall be at or above the level of algebra and shall include at least two course selections from among: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, or other mathematics courses above the level of algebra and geometry. The Board may approve additional courses to satisfy this requirement.

NOTE 2: Courses completed to satisfy this requirement shall include course selections from at least two different science disciplines: earth sciences, biology, chemistry, or physics. The Board may approve additional courses to satisfy this requirement.

NOTE 3: Courses completed to satisfy this requirement shall include U.S. and Virginia History, U.S. and Virginia Government, and one course in either world history or geography or both. The Board may approve additional courses to satisfy this requirement.

NOTE 4: Courses to satisfy this requirement shall include at least two sequential electives as required by the Standards of Quality.

NOTE 5: A student may utilize additional tests for earning verified credit in computer science, technology, career and technical education or other areas as prescribed by the Board in 8 VAC 20-131-110.

NOTE 6: Students who complete a career and technical [education] program sequence and pass an examination or occupational competency assessment in a career and technical education field that confers certification or an occupational competency credential from a recognized industry, or trade or professional association or acquires a professional license in a career and technical education field from the Commonwealth of Virginia may substitute the certification, competency credential, or license for (1) the student selected verified credit and (2) either a science or history or social science verified credit when the certification, license, or credential confers more than one verified credit. The examination or occupational competency assessment must be approved by the Board of Education as an additional test to verify student achievement.

Approved Courses for the Standard and Advanced Studies Diplomas
bullet. Electives

Sequential Electives

Beginning with the graduating class of 2003, at least two sequential electives are required for the Standard Diploma. See Superintendent’s Memorandum, Interpretive, No. 3, May 25, 2001 and Guidelines Governing Sequential Electives - Approved by the Board on February 5, 2002 – Attachment A to Superintendent’s Memorandum, Interpretive, No. 1, March 8, 2002.

  • Sequential electives may be in any discipline as long as the courses are not specifically required for graduation.
  • Courses used to satisfy the one unit of credit in a fine arts or career and technical education course may be used to partially satisfy this requirement.
  • For career and technical education electives, check with the Office of Career and Technical Education at (804) 225-2051.
  • An exploratory course followed by an introductory course may not be used to satisfy the requirement.
  • An introductory course followed by another level of the same course of study may be used.
  • Sequential electives do not have to be taken in consecutive years.