Required Credits and Course Options

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
Students need one-half (0.5) credit in the following course to meet the KPS graduation requirement:

Computer Applications – KPS students who passed the Computer Applications course in middle school will have met this requirement. High school students who did not attend a KPS middle school or did not pass the course will be required to test out or take Computer Applications to fulfill this requirement for graduation.

ENGLISH
Four (4.0) credits are required for graduation:

• English 9 (or Honors English 9)
• English 10 (or Honors English 10)
• English 11 (or Honors English 11)
• Or AP English: Language & Composition

Students must take one English or English-related course during their senior year. Students must choose from the following courses to fulfill the fourth credit requirement for graduation:

• AP English: Language and Composition
• AP English: Literature and Composition
• English 12
• College English
• Advanced Journalism

HEALTH
Students must take one of the following courses to meet the health requirement of one-half (0.5) credit for graduation:

• Health: A Wellness Approach
• Integrated Dance/PE/Health Class

MATHEMATICS
Four (4.0) credits are required to meet the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) for graduation, including the following required courses:

• Algebra I
• Geometry
• Algebra II

KPS students who passed Algebra I in 8th grade will receive one (1.0) high school math credit. High school students who did not attend a KPS middle school, or did not pass Algebra I in middle school, will need to take Algebra I in high school or pass the test out exam. See your counselors for details. Students have the opportunity to take Algebra II over four trimesters for two math credits.

Students must earn one math or math-related credit during their senior year. Any of the following math or math-related electives will count towards fulfillment of the fourth math credit requirement:

• Accounting
• Advanced Placement Calculus AB
• Advanced Placement Statistics
• AP Computer Science Principles
• Art and Design Career Skills
• Automotive Technology
• Aviation Technology
• Basic Marketing
• Business Finance
• Business Information Systems
• Computerized Manufacturing
• Construction Trades
• Culinary Arts
• Electrical Technology
• Electronics and Robotics
• Engineering in Wood Technology
• Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration
• Honors Chemistry: Analytical
• Honors Chemistry: Organic
• International Business
• Math Analysis
• Mathematical Modeling
• Mechatronics
• Personal Financial Literacy (This class fulfills the Economics credit required for graduation.)
• Physics
• Precalculus
• Statistics and Probability
• Welding Trades

ONLINE EXPERIENCE
Students must take the one-half (0.5) credit course to meet the state mandated online experience required for graduation:

• College and Career Readiness

Students may waive the College and Career Readiness course by fulfilling the minimum 20 hours of online learning experience in accordance with the guidelines published by the Michigan Department of Education.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Students must earn one-half (0.5) credit of physical education to meet the MMC requirements and graduate from KPS. Students are required to elect one of the following courses to fulfill the physical education requirement:

• Healthy Lifestyles Through Aquatics
• Healthy Lifestyles Through Physical Activity
• EFA: Beginning Dance Studio
• EFA: Integrated Dance/PE/Health 
• EFA: Marching Band

KPS students are limited to no more than two (2) physical education courses during their freshman year. The physical education credit may be subject to a waiver. For more information, please contact your school counselor or dean of students.

SCIENCE
Students are required to earn three (3.0) science credits to meet the graduation requirement. Starting in the 2023-2024 school year, students must have successfully completed one trimester in each of the following areas of science: Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth Science.

Physical Science Courses

• Environmental Science A
• Chemistry: Foundations
• Honors Chemistry: Analytical
• Honors Chemistry: Organic
• Forensics Science A
• Physics
• AP Physics
• AP Chemistry

Life Science Courses

• Biology
• Human Anatomy and Physiology
• Forensics Science B
• AP Biology

Earth Science Courses

• Environmental Science B
• Astronomy
• Earth Science
• Geology

Students may also complete the third science credit required for graduation by electing any Career and Technical Education (CTE) course for at least one credit, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Agriscience: Animals and Plants
• AP Computer Science Principles
• Art and Design Career Skills
• Automotive Technology
• Aviation Technology I or II
• Computerized Manufacturing
• Conservation Biology
• Construction Trades
• Dental Assisting
• Electrical Technology
• Electronics and Robotics I or II
• Emergency Medical Technology (EMT)
• Engineering in Wood Technology
• Fundamentals of Health Science
• Health Science
• Hating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
• Mechatronics
• Veterinary Science
• Welding Trades

SOCIAL STUDIES
Four (4.0) credits are required for graduation, including the following required courses:

• World History
• United States History or AP U.S. History
• Economics (or Personal Financial Literacy)
• Government and Politics: United States or AP United States Government and Politics

Students must earn an additional one-half (0.5) social studies credit to fulfill the graduation requirement.

VISUAL, PERFORMING AND APPLIED ARTS
Any of the following courses will count toward the one (1.0) credit required for graduation:

• Abstracted Sculpture
• Advanced Visual Art Studio
• Advanced Art for Portfolio Preparation
• Advanced Mixed Chorus
• Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop
• Advanced Placement Art History
• Advanced Placement Studio Art Portfolio
• African American Studies 
• American Popular Music
• Art and Design Career Skills
• Basic Design
• Basic Marketing
• Beginning Dance Studio
• Business Information Systems B
• Cartoon/Comic Drawing
• Ceramics as Sculpture
• Computerized Manufacturing
• Concert Band
• Construction Trades
• Cosmetology or Barbering
• Creative Writing
• Culinary Arts
• Debate
• Desktop Publishing
• Digital Photo Art
• Digital Studio Art
• Drama I and Drama II
• Drawing Studio
• Electronics and Robotics I
• Engineering in Wood Technology
• Figure Drawing
• Film and Video Arts
• Food and Nutrition
• Forensics
• Functional Ceramics
• Graphic Design
• Hawthorne Singers
• Integrated Dance/PE/Health Class
• Intermediate Dance Studio
• Jewelry Design
• Journalism
• Literature Through Films
• Marching Band
• Master Singers
• Media Arts (KVCC)
• Mixed Chorus
• Mixed Media
• Object Drawing
• Orchestra
• Painting
• Parenting
• Photography: Digital Imaging
• Public Speaking
• Representational Sculpture
• Slam Poetry: Writing and Performance
• Symphonic Band
• Teacher Academy
• Theatre Improv and Scriptwriting
• Treble Chorus
• Visual Arts Exploration
• Watercolor
• Welding Trades
• Women’s Honors Chorale
• Yarn: Weave, Knit and Sew (Fiber Arts)
• Yearbook

WORLD LANGUAGE
Two (2.0) credits are required for graduation. Students may earn their two (2.0) required World Language credits in World Language courses, or may choose to earn one credit in a World Language course and another with the substitution of one of the following:

• Any course that meets the requirement for Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts (VPAA); or
• Any Career and Technical Education (CTE) course

Beginning with the class of 2025, students must earn two credits in the same World Language:

• Chinese
• French
• Latin
• Spanish

KPS students who passed Spanish I in 8th grade will receive one (1.0) high school credit. Students who took Spanish in a non-KPS middle school will need to take and pass the test out exam for credit to be awarded. Please contact your counselor for more information.