Our Picks: Top 10 Grade 12 Elective Credits
It’s a question we receive often from Grade 12 students looking to round out their ‘top six’ for university applications: “What elective would you recommend?”. Well, we’ve got your answer! Here is our list of the top 10 electives you can take at OVS to earn that all-important last credit.
Important!
Please note that the following course options are electives only. While we have designed this list with only 4U and 4M-level credits, which would satisfy minimum admission requirements for any post-secondary pathway, course selections for Grade 12 should be made based on specific post-secondary program requirements first. If you have questions about this, please speak with your guidance counsellor or admissions officer before registering.
So, without further ado, here are our top picks (in alpha order)!
BBB4M – International Business
Are you interested in Business? International Trade and Commerce? Marketing? BBB4M will cover all this and more, giving you an excellent background to prepare for a career in business!
Course Breakdown: 4 units
Number of In-Course Assessments: 12, 1 test per unit + 2 smaller assignments
Format of Summative Assessment: Final Exam
Prerequisite: None
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!
BOH4M – Business Leadership
Are you a leader? An aspiring entrepreneur or CEO? Do you dream of running your own business one day? Then BOH4M is the elective for you!
Course Breakdown: 5 units
Number of In-Course Assessments: 5, 2 tests + 3 assignments
Format of Summative Assessment: Final Exam + Create-Your-Own Business Project
Prerequisite: None
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!
CGW4U – World Issues
Do you keep up with current global events? Do cultural, environmental, economic, and geopolitical issues pique your interest? CGW4U is a great, common-interest elective credit that uses a geographic, global lens to understand and analyse major events happening in our modern society.
Course Breakdown: 5 units
Number of In-Course Assessments: 10, 1 test per unit + 5 assignments
Format of Summative Assessment: Final Exam + Independent Study Project
Prerequisite: ENG3U, or another 3U/3M course in the Social Sciences or Humanities.
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!
CPW4U – Politics
Are you looking to pursue a career in politics or foreign relations? Or maybe you just want to learn more about how governments operate, both locally and internationally? CPW4U is a great entry point into the arena of global politics – even for those with just a casual interest in the political sphere!
Course Breakdown: 4 units
Number of In-Course Assessments: 4, 1 assignment per unit
Format of Summative Assessment: Final Project – “Build a Society”
Prerequisite: ENG3U, or another 3U/3M course in the Social Sciences or Humanities.
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!
HFA4U – Food and Nutrition
HFA4U is a prime example of a general interest course that EVERYONE can stand to learn something from! After all, how much do we really know about what we eat, where it comes from, and how it fuels our bodies day after day? This course offers you the opportunity to gain knowledge that will help you make healthy choices in your everyday life while earning a university-level credit!
Course Breakdown: 4 units
Number of In-Course Assessments: 7, 3 tests + 4 assignments
Format of Summative Assessment: Summative Project – Family Meal Plan & Analysis
Prerequisite: ENG3U, or another 3U/3M course in the Social Sciences or Humanities.
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!
HHS4U – Families in Canada
True, we don’t choose our families, but you can choose to learn more about them! HHS4U is another excellent, common-interest Social Science elective that looks at family relationships from sociological, anthropological, and psychological standpoints. Do you want to learn more about changing trends in family compositions and examine how family norms have changed across Canada in the last hundred years? Then HHS4U is the course for you!
Course Breakdown: 4 units
Number of In-Course Assessments: 5, 3 tests + 2 assignments
Format of Summative Assessment: Independent Study Project + Final Exam (15% each)
Prerequisite: ENG3U, or another 3U/3M course in the Social Sciences or Humanities.
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!
HNB4M – Fashion
Do you dream of classroom-sized walk-in closets, filled with all the latest designs? Perhaps of your own creation? Then look no further! HNB4M offers you a unique opportunity to explore the illustrious world of fashion from the perspective of a designer – while earning an elective credit to put towards your post-secondary applications! This course will teach you how to create your own products, as you learn about the many realms of this multifaceted industry.
Course Breakdown: 4 units
Number of In-Course Assessments: 4 assignments, 1 per unit
Format of Summative Assessment: Summative Project + Final Exam (15% each)
Prerequisite: ENG3U, or another 3U/3M course in the Social Sciences or Humanities.
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!
HSB4U – Challenge & Change in Society
Are you interested in understanding why humans behave the way we do? Do you want to effect social change in our global society? Then this is the elective for you! HSB4U allows you to study and analyze how and why cultural, social, and behavioural patterns change over time, as well as discussing current trends and impacts of social change.
Course Breakdown: 3 units
Number of In-Course Assessments: 6, 1 assignment + 1 test per unit
Format of Summative Assessment: Final Essay + Final Exam (15% each)
Prerequisite: ENG3U, or another 3U/3M course in the Social Sciences or Humanities.
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!
NDW4M – Indigenous Studies
Are you interested in learning more about indigenous groups? This elective explores a wide range of issues and challenges faced by various indigenous communities around the world, including questions of identity, independence, and cultural relations.
Course Breakdown: 4 units
Number of In-Course Assessments: 8, 1 test + 1 discussion forum per unit
Format of Summative Assessment: Summative Project
Prerequisite: ENG3U, or another 3U/3M course in the Social Sciences or Humanities.
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!
SES4U – Earth & Space Science
Do you gaze up at the galaxies above and find yourself brimming with questions? Well, this elective won’t answer the philosophical dilemmas, but it will give you a solid foundational understanding of the cosmos above! SES4U will also provide you with a solid understanding of Earth’s basic make-up, its geological history, and how its systems interact and change over time.
Course Breakdown: 4 units + 1 prerequisite review unit
Number of In-Course Assessments: 9, 1 test & 1 assignment per unit + 1 lab
Format of Summative Assessment: Research Project + Final Exam (15% each)
Prerequisite: SNC2D
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!
And, here are three more honourable mentions, because we just couldn’t choose!
EWC4U – Writer’s Craft
If you love to write, then this is the elective for you! Designed as a workshop to allow you to hone your writing skills as you work towards producing a range of written pieces (hello, portfolio!), EWC4U is any creative writer’s dream!
Course Breakdown: 4 units
Number of In-Course Assessments: 7 assignments
Format of Summative Assessment: Submission of written piece or collection of pieces
Prerequisite: ENG3U
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!
HHG4M – Human Growth & Development
Are you interested in childcare? Do you dream of being a pediatrician, nurse, doctor, or even an early childhood educator? Then this is the elective credit for you! Learn how early brain and childhood development are linked to lifelong learning, health, and well-being as you explore key theories on the stages of human growth, including physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development.
Course Breakdown: 5 units
Number of In-Course Assessments: 5, 3 tests + 2 assignments
Format of Summative Assessment: Research Project + Final Exam (15% each)
Prerequisite: ENG3U, or another 3U/3M course in the Social Sciences or Humanities.
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!
PSK4U – Kinesiology
Are you a fitness fiend? Do you ever find yourself Googling to find out exactly how those exercises your favourite fitness influencer suggests actually benefit your body? Well then this is the elective for you! Kinesiology focuses on the study of human movement and development, and how physical activity impacts the body. This course will discuss the physiological, psychological, and social impact of sports, as well as their history!
Course Breakdown: 4 units
Number of In-Course Assessments: 8, 1 test + 1 assignment per unit
Format of Summative Assessment: Summative Project + Final Exam (15% each)
Prerequisite: Any 3U/3M course in Science or Health and Physical Education.
For a full course description, or to view a sample lesson, view our course outline!