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Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

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Graduation Requirements

CHCCS follows State Graduation Requirements:
The Future Ready Course of Study includes 22 credits. The Occupational Course of Study is available for students with disabilities who are specifically identified for the program and has adapted course requirements to earn 22 credits. 

Course requirements are determined by 9th grade entry. Please check the NC Department of Public Instruction site  for a full list of all 9th grade entry dates.

Students entering 9th Grade for the first time in 2026-2027 or afterwards who are following the Future-Ready Core of Study must pass the following 22 credits.

Four sequential English credits which shall be:
  1. Starting with English I
  2. English II
  3. English III
  4. English IV 
Four Mathematics credits which shall be either: 
  1.  NC Math 1, 2, and 3 and a fourth mathematics course to be aligned with the student’s post high school plans, or
  2.  In the rare instance a principal exempts a student from the Future-Ready Core mathematics sequence, the student will be required to pass: NC Math 1 and Math 2 plus two additional courses identified on the NC DPI Math options chart.
Three Science credits which shall be: 
  1. a physical science course
  2. Biology
  3. an earth/environmental science course
Four Social Studies credits which shall be:
  1. Founding Principles of the United States of America and North Carolina: Civic Literacy
  2. Economics and Personal Finance
  3. American History
  4. World History
One Health and Physical Education credit: 
  1. Students are required to successfully complete CPR instruction to meet Healthful Living Essential Standards as a requirement for high school graduation.
  2. Accommodations/alternative assessments for students identified by ADA or IDEA will be provided. 
One Computer Science credit:
  1. Courses for this requirement involve the Computer Science, IT, and Technology Education area of CTE.
  2. If a student enrolls in a NC public school after completion of Grade 11 or if a student’s IEP states that the student’s disability would prevent completing this course, the student shall be exempt from this specific requirement and shall earn one additional elective credit.
Two Elective credits of any combination from either: 
  1. Career and Technical Education (CTE) or
  2.  Arts Education (e.g., dance, music, theater arts, visual arts) or
  3. World Language 
Three Elective credits from any subject area or cross-disciplinary course.
Note: Students entering Grade 9 for the first time in 2025-26 shall have at least one arts education course in grades 6-12. 
  1. Students must complete the standard course of study (no local electives) for a given arts education course in its entirety to satisfy this requirement. After school activities or partial courses do not fulfill this graduation requirement. 
  2. Students who transfer into a public school unit beginning in the ninth grade or later may be exempt, if such a requirement would prevent a student from graduating with the graduation cohort to which the student was assigned when transferring.

Students following the Occupational Course of Study entering ninth grade for the first time in 2021-2022 must pass the following 22 credits plus any local requirements:

Four English credits that shall be: 
  1. English I
  2. English II
  3. English III
  4. English IV
Four Mathematics credits that shall be: 
  1. Introduction to Mathematics
  2. NC Math I
  3. Financial Management
  4. Employment Preparation IV: Math (to include 150 work hours)
Three Science credits that shall be: 
  1. Applied Science
  2. Biology
  3. Employment Preparation I: Science (to include 150 work hours)
Four Social Studies credits that shall be: 
  1. Founding Principles of the United States of America and North Carolina: Civic Literacy
  2. Economics and Personal Finance
  3. Employment Preparation II: Citizenship 1A (to include 75 work hours)
  4. Employment Preparation II: Citizenship IB (to include 75 work hours)
One Health and Physical Education credit: 
  1. Students are required to successfully complete CPR instruction to meet Healthful Living Essential Standards as a requirement for high school graduation.
  2. Accommodations/alternative assessments for students identified by ADA or IDEA will be provided.
Two Additional Employment Preparation Education credits, which shall be:
  1. Employment Preparation III: Citizenship II A (to include 75 work hours)
  2. Employment Preparation III: Citizenship II B (to include 75 work hours)

The work hours included in Employment Preparation I, II, III, IV shall be as follows:

  1. 150 hours of school-based training work with activities and experiences that align with student's post school goals, and
  2. 225 hours of community-based training, and
  3. 225 hours of paid employment or 225 hours of unpaid vocational training, unpaid internship, paid employment at community rehabilitation facilities, and volunteer and/or community services hours.
  4. Total work hours:  600
Four Career/Technical Education Elective credits
A career portfolio
Completion of the student’s IEP objectives