Program of study & graduation requirements
Graduating from GOVS comes down to two things: earning your credits and completing your testing. Here's exactly what's required and how your path to a diploma is built.
Earn the credits Ohio requires to graduate
To graduate, GOVS students meet the State of Ohio's minimum credit requirements, with specific credits required within core subject areas like English, math, science, and social studies, plus electives.
Your full course-by-course breakdown lives in the GOVS Program of Studies, which lists every course and what it counts toward.
Get a schedule built around the credits you need
You don't have to figure out your path alone. Once your counselor receives your transcript from your previous school, they build a schedule around the exact credits you still need - so you're never repeating work you've already done.
Seniors are scheduled first for the courses required to graduate, with the option to add more. And if you ever run low on assigned work before year's end, your counselor adds what's next.
Complete the state testing required for a diploma
Credits are only part of the picture. Like all Ohio students, GOVS students complete required state testing to earn a diploma. That includes meeting Ohio's graduation testing requirements through end-of-course exams or the state's competency and readiness pathways.
We track each student's testing requirements and tell you well ahead of time which tests you need and when.
Earn a Ohio diploma issued by GOVS
When you meet your credit and testing requirements, you earn a real Ohio high school diploma - issued by GOVS, not your former district, and held to the same state standards as any school in Ohio.
It's not a GED and not a certificate. It's the real thing, and your credits transfer if you ever move or return to another school.
