Program FAQs

There are three semesters:
Fall semester: (August – December)
Winter semester: (December – April)
Spring semester: (April– June)

Fall and Winter semester timetables are organized into four, 75 minute periods, totaling 110 hours of classroom instruction.
Spring semester has three intensive periods of instruction: 2.5 hours in the morning and two 2.5 hour periods in the afternoon, also totaling 110 hours of classroom instruction.

You need to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). The OSSD is granted to students who earn a minimum of 30 credits, pass the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) and complete 40 hours of Community Service.

The number will depend on your previous schooling and how many equivalent credits you can transfer. Please check here for more on equivalency credits.

If you have done 2 years or 3 years of high school in your home country, you should be able to finish the OSSD program in 3 – 5 semesters. If you are an ESL student then you will have to take ESL courses in addition to the regular program.

We will assess you on arrival at SOC to determine your ESL levels and plan a program for you.

Our guidance counselor will meet with you to discuss your interests, strengths and future education and career goals. You will then follow an individualized learning plan that ensures that you take the requisite subjects to meet those goals. The guidance counselor will meet with you regularly over the course of your program to ensure that you are on track.

We do not specifically prepare students for IELTS, however our ESL programs are designed with IELTS tests in mind. SOC is the official IELTS test venue in Hamilton. Approximately 40 IELTS tests are held on our campus each year.