Skip To Main Content

Graduation Requirements

Students must complete a minimum requirement of sixty (60) units of academic credit and ninety (90) hours of community engagement to graduate from the Branson School. Unless otherwise indicated, yearlong courses receive 3 units of credit and semester-long courses receive 1.5 units of credit.

Graduation Requirements by Department

Department  

ARTS
9 units (3 years)

Students complete three years of coursework in the Arts department.

COLLEGE COUNSELING 
0.5 units (1 year)

All students take The College Process I in the spring of eleventh grade and The College Process II in the fall of senior year.

ENGLISH
12 units (4 years)

All students take English I in the ninth grade and English II in the tenth grade. In the eleventh and twelfth grade, students choose from semester electives and must take an English class each semester.

HISTORY
9 units (3 years)

All students take Modern World History in the ninth grade, U.S. History in the tenth grade, and select a minimum of two semester-long seminars during the eleventh and twelfth grade. 

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 
2 units (4 years)

All students take The Developing Mind in the ninth grade, Healthy Sexuality in the tenth grade, Leadership and Scholarship in the eleventh grade, and The Path Forward – Life Beyond Branson in the twelfth grade. Each class is one semester in length. 

LANGUAGE
9 units (3 years) of one language

Students are welcome to sign up for any first-year language, or take a placement test to determine placement into a higher level. Students will complete three years of language study, including the successful completion of a level 3 course.

MATHEMATICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE   
9 units (3 years) including completion of Algebra II 

The core curriculum of the Mathematics & Computer Science program follows the sequence of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Precalculus, and Calculus. Students enter the program in the course that best suits their ability and background. Regardless of where they begin, all students must complete at least three years of math, and they must complete all courses through Algebra II.

SCIENCE
9 units (3 years) that include Physics, Chemistry, and Biology

All students take Physics in the ninth grade, Chemistry in the tenth grade, and Biology in the eleventh grade. Students may take elective courses in Science during their junior or senior year, and they may take advanced courses in Science during their senior year with the approval of the Science Department.

GENERAL ELECTIVES
1.5 units (optional)

 General elective courses are UC-approved electives that do not fall within an academic department. While they do not fulfill a specific graduation requirement, they ask the same academic commitment as any junior/senior level elective, receive a letter grade, and are equivalent to any other academic course.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
4 units (1 unit each year)

Students must complete at least 36 hours of Physical Education each year. This requirement can be fulfilled by playing on a school-sponsored team or completing an Alternate Activity Program (AAP). Alternative Activity Programs must be school approved, and seniors must complete all AAPs by April 1 of their senior year.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
90 hours

Students must complete 5 Core and 10 Support hours in the ninth grade, and 15 Core and 10 Support hours in each of the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades. School service hours can fulfill ten Support hours for ninth graders and up to five Support hours for tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders.

IMMERSIVES
2 units (spring term in grades 9-12)

 Students must complete 2 units by taking one immersive course every spring in the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade.

Note: This grid reflects current Branson graduation requirements for the 2026-27 school year.