Graduation Requirements
In the course of a normal four-year program, a student is required to complete satisfactorily the departmental requirements outlined below.
- English
(40 units) - English 1, 2, 3, and two semesters of senior electives
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Fine Arts and Performing Arts
(10 units)
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Foreign Language
(20 units) -2 years of the same language
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Mathematics
(30 units) - Algebra (2 years), Geometry
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Physical Education
(20 units) - Freshman Physical Education, Sophomore Physical Education/Health, Upper Division Physical Education
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Religious Studies
(40 units) A religion course must be taken each semester - Christian Sexuality and Hebrew Scriptures freshman year, Christian Scripture and The Catholic Experience sophomore year, Christian Morality and an elective or Peace and Justice junior year. Senior year, Peace and Justice and an elective are required or two electives if Peace and Justice was taken in the junior year.
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Science
(20 units) - Biology, 1 year of physical science
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Social Studies
(30 units) - Geo-History, United States History, American Government and Economics/Foreign Affairs
Students must enroll in a minimum of 30 units per semester. Requirements for graduation must be fulfilled during the regular school year. Courses taken elsewhere at the high school or college level must have prior approval of the Counselor and the Assistant Principal for Academics. Students must earn a minimum of 240 semester units of credit in order to graduate.
Honors Courses
Honors level coursework is available in geo-history, English 1, English 2, English 3, Latin 3, Spanish 3, French 3, Italian 3, Italian 4, geometry, algebra 2/trigonometry, pre-calculus, chemistry, and physics. Placement is determined by departmental standards.
Advanced Placement
The College Board offers advanced placement curricula and exams in numerous academic disciplines. These curricula are college level and students often receive some college credit or advanced standing once entering college. Students take AP exams in mid-May. Performance is evaluated on the basis of 1 (no recommendation) to 5 (extremely well-qualified).
When completing course registration, students should sign-up for the Advanced Placement courses in which they are interested in enrolling. While the criteria for placement in AP courses may vary slightly by department, general criteria include honors grades, strong teacher recommendation, a previous record of timely and successful completion of assignments and above-average standardized test scores. Due to the rigorous nature of AP course work, it is imperative that students meet minimum placement standards and be committed to completing comprehensive reading and writing at the college level with success.
Enrollment in AP courses includes the commitment to write the AP examination for that course in May as well as the commitment to pay the established fee for that examination. Students enrolling in more than two AP courses must have parental approval.
Independent Study
Bishop O'Dowd offers the option of independent study to serious, motivated students who wish to pursue in-depth study of a specific subject area in which the student is deeply interested, working outside the regular classroom routine in conjunction with a faculty member. Independent study may not duplicate a course contained in the regular curricular offerings and must be at least an additional course on the student's roster. Independent studies may not be used to fulfill graduation requirements. The student, in cooperation with the faculty member, must design specific guidelines, goals, and criteria for the course. All independent study options must be approved by the department chairperson.
Course of Study by Grade Level 2012-13
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Grade 9
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Credit/Units
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Christian Sexuality/Hebrew Scriptures
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1 year / 10
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English 1/Honors English 1
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1 year / 10
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Mathematics (options vary according to placement)
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1 year / 10
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Geo-History/Honors Geo-History
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1 year / 10
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Biology, Integrated Science or Physical Education
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1 year / 10
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Fine or Performing Arts Elective
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1 year / 10
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World Language or English Study
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1 year / 10
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Grade 10
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Credit/Units
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Christian Scriptures/The Catholic Experience
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1 year / 10
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English 2/Honors English 2
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1 year / 10
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Mathematics (options vary according to placement)
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1 year / 10
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Biology, Chemistry, or science elective
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1 year / 10
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World Language
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1 year / 10
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Physical Education/Health
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1 year / 10
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Elective
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1 year / 0-10
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Grade 11
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Credit/Units
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Christian Morality/Religion Elective
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1 year / 10
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English 3/Honors English 3
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1 year / 10
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U. S. History/AP U.S. History
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1 year / 10
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Mathematics (options vary according to placement)
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1 year / 10
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Chemistry, AP Biology ('08), Physics, or science elective
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1 year / 10
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Foreign Language
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1 year / 10
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Electives
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1 year / 0-10
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Grade 12
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Credit/Units
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Peace & Justice/Religion Elective
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2 semesters/20
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English Electives/AP English
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2 semesters/20
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American Government and Economics or AP U.S. Government and AP Comparative Government
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1 year / 10
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Physical Education (if not elected in grade 11)
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1 semester or 1 year/5 or 10
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Electives (concurrently)
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6-7 semesters/25-30
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Honors & AP Course Placement
Placement in honors and AP (Advanced Placement) courses is determined by individual academic departments. Student who wish to enroll in these courses must fulfill a variety of requirements in order to be eligible.
In general, students may be required to:
- Complete a detailed application and/or submit copies of previous graded work (January)
- Maintain a specified GPA (grade point average)
- Maintain a specified grade in prerequisites to the course
- Interview with the teacher or department chairperson
Once a student has been accepted into a course, he/she must:
- Maintain the required GPA and grades
- Complete all summer work and projects
For more information, please contact the Department Chairperson of the academic department or consult the Course Catalog.
Bishop O’Dowd students can purchase or rent their textbooks through our Online Bookstore, managed by Follett Virtual Bookstores.
Book List
An unfinalized Book List for the 2013-2014 School Year will be made available to students during Finals Week. Students can use this Book List to help them determine what books to keep or sell to Follett. This Book List is not finalized, and is subject to change, based on book availability and instructor decision. The 2013-2014 Book List will be finalized in June and made available to students in time for the annual book store launch in July.
Click here for the current Book List (2012-2013)
Book Buy Back
The Book Buy Back will be on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31, from 10:00am to 12:00pm. At the Buy Back, students can sell their books to Follett, even if they purchased them elsewhere. Students who rented books can return their rentals at the Buy Back. Students will receive an email will Buy Back information near the end of the school year. Books not being used by O’Dowd, but by other schools, may be purchased by Follett at a lower price.
eBooks
Bishop O’Dowd provides the following eBooks at no cost to families:
Math: Algebra I (CA Ed), 2008
Math: Algebra II (CA Ed), 2007
Biology, 2010
American Nation, 2005
Discovering French Bleu (Level 1), 2007
Discovering French Blanc (Level 2), 2007
Discovering French Nouveau(Level 3), 2007
Click to download the textbook FAQ 2013 – 2014