Graduation Requirements & Course Information
Course Requests & Scheduling
Process & Timeline:
March-April:
Students in grades 8-11 are asked to complete course requests. The purpose of this is to request courses they are interested in for the following school year.
10th-12th grade students may sign up for an individual advising appointment with the School Counselor to enroll in summer & fall HCC Early College courses.
April-May:
Administration evaluates data from student course requests to build a master schedule.
July-August:
Student schedules are complete and ready to view in Infinite Campus.
The first week of school, the School Counselor will email all students a "Schedule Change Request Form" in which students are able to request schedule changes for up to one week. After the first week, schedule changes will not be granted.
November-December:
Students can submit course change requests for second semester courses to the School Counselor.
Students sign up for an individual advising appointment with the School Counselor to enroll in spring dual credit courses through HCC.
Parents & guardians are more than welcome to contact the School Counselor with questions about enrollment, course offerings & graduation requirements. However, student schedules should be student driven - meaning the student should initiate any changes and communicate with teachers, the School Counselor, and their parents/guardians about their class schedule and plans. Our goal is foster student independence and help them gain confidence in making decisions - two very important lifelong skills. Parents & guardians may also utilize Infinite Campus to view student schedules and grades.
The Kansas Department of Education has developed new graduation requirements, starting with the class of 2028. This link will take you to the KSDE website to find more information.
Click on this link to view Doniphan West Graduation requirements for the class of 2028 and beyond.
Doniphan West High School Diploma
(through class of 2027)
Doniphan West High School requires the following units to be completed for a high school diploma, as approved by the USD 111 Board of Education.
Subject Area | # of Units |
English | 4 |
Math | 3 |
Science | 3 |
Social Studies | 3 |
Computer Technology | 1 |
Fine Arts (Art or Music) | 1 |
Financial Literacy | 1 |
Physical Education & Health | 1 |
Senior Project | 1 |
Electives *Most students have more than 8 units of electives by graduation | 8+ |
TOTAL | 26 |
Community Service Hours | 60 |
Kansas Scholars Curriculum
It is recommended, but not required, that students who plan to attend a university complete the Kansas Scholars Curriculum, outlined below. Students must express intent to pursue this program no later than the end of sophomore year. Specific course requirements and options are listed on this page.
*The main difference between the DWHS Diploma and the Kansas Scholars Curriculum are Physics, Advanced Math, Foreign Language, and a Social Studies elective.
Subject Area | # of Units |
English | 4 |
Math *Must include Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry & Advanced Math | 4 |
Science *Must include Biology, Chemistry & Physics | 3 |
Social Studies *Must include US History, US Gov’t, Economics, and one social studies elective | 3 |
World/Foreign Language *Two years of world/foreign language is required | 2 |
Computer Technology | 1 |
Fine Arts (Art or Music) | 1 |
Financial Literacy | 1 |
Physical Education & Health | 1 |
Senior Project | 1 |
Electives | 5 |
TOTAL | 26 |
Community Service Hours | 60 |
Doniphan West High School - Kansas Scholars Curriculum Requirements & Completion Standards
Students who complete the KSC per current KBOR requirements will receive a certificate at the end-of-year academic awards ceremony and recognition at graduation.
Students must express intent to complete this curriculum no later than the end of sophomore year, and work with the counselor to identify alternative courses if DWHS does not offer required classes.
Associated costs are the family’s responsibility.
Annual exceptions will not be filed with KBOR; students must plan to complete all KSC requirements. Exceptions filed with KBOR are intended as a one-time solution for a specific issue and are not meant as a long-term workaround. Since the unavailability of certain courses is ongoing within our district, it does not meet the intent of the KBOR exception.
Requirements and costs are current to the best of our knowledge as of November 2025 and subject to change without notice.
*Effective for the c/o 2027 and beyond.
# of years (units) | Course options @ DWHS *No cost *No college credit | Course options @ HCC *HCC Early College tuition rate applies PLUS any consumable fees by course. *College Credit | Course options @ Greenbush Virtual Academy (GVA) *$350/semester class (i.e. $700 for a full-year course) *Online high school course - no college credit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
English | 4 | 1 unit - English I 1 unit - English II 1 unit - English III 1 unit - English IV | 0.5 unit - ENG 101 Composition I 0.5 unit - ENG 102 Composition II | |
Mathematics | 4 | 1 unit - Algebra I 1 unit - Geometry 1 unit - Algebra II 1 unit - Advanced Math | 0.5 unit - MAT 104 College Algebra 0.5 unit - MAT 203 Statistics 0.5 unit - MAT 105 Trigonometry 0.5 unit - MAT 106 Calculus I | 0.5 unit - Statistics 1A 0.5 unit - Statistics 1B |
Science | 3 | 1 unit - Biology 1 unit - Chemistry** *All students will take Physical Science sophomore year but that does not count toward the KSC. **Depending on the school year, Chemistry may not be offered at DWHS. ***Physics is not offered at DWHS and must be taken through an alternative source. | 1 semester - CHM 107 Gen. Chem I & Lab 1 semester - PS 203 Gen. Physics I & /Lab *Each course shall be considered equal to one full year of high school chemistry and one full year of high school physics, respectively. | 0.5 unit - Chemistry 1A 0.5 unit - Chemistry 1B 0.5 unit - Physics 1A 0.5 unit - Physics 1B |
Social Studies | 3 | 1 unit - US History 0.5 unit - US Gov’t 0.5 unit - World History 0.5 unit - Economics
| 0.5 unit - One of the following:
*If you’ve taken these courses instead of the high school equivalent, they cannot be double-counted. You would need to select 0.5 units from the remaining three options. | 0.5 unit - One semester of the following:
|
Foreign Language | 2 | None. | 1 unit - LG 101 Spanish I 1 unit - LG 102 Spanish II *HCC charges an $80 consumable fee for Spanish | 0.5 unit - Spanish IA 0.5 unit - Spanish IB
0.5 unit - Spanish 2B |
Options to complete this requirement:
| ||||
ACT | Required to be taken at least once. | |||
Residency | Must be a Kansas resident. | |||
Benefit | Students who complete this curriculum and meet the other requirements may be designated as a State Scholars, making them eligible to receive the Kansas State Scholarship as provided by the Kansas Legislature. The academic profile of recent designated scholars include an average ACT of 30 and an average GPA of 3.90. State Scholars may receive up to $1,000 annually for up to four undergraduate years (five if enrolled in a designated five-year program), based on financial need and the availability of State funds. Financial need is measured by federal methodology using data submitted on the FAFSA. | |||
Helpful Links
DWHS Diploma Course Sequence
Below is a sample course sequence for families to use for course planning purposes, only.
Recommended Sequence | |
9th grade | 10th grade |
English I Algebra I Biology I Computer Technology PE Guided Studies Electives (3) | English II Geometry Physical Science World History Fine Arts Guided Studies Electives (3) |
11th grade | 12th grade |
English III Algebra II or Tech Math Chemistry or Env. Science US History Personal Finance or Agribusiness Guided Studies Electives (3) | English IV or College English US Gov’t & Economics Senior Project Guided Studies Electives (5) |
KS Scholars Diploma Course Sequence
Below is a sample course sequence for families to use for course planning purposes, only.
Recommended Sequence **Must take the ACT between April of sophomore year and December of senior year. | |
|---|---|
9th grade | 10th grade |
English I Algebra I Biology I Computer Technology PE Social Studies Elective Guided Studies Electives (2) | English II Geometry Physical Science World History World Language Fine Arts Guided Studies Electives (2) |
11th grade | 12th grade |
English III Algebra II Chemistry US History World Language Personal Finance or Agribusiness Guided Studies Electives (2) | Eng. IV or College Eng. US Gov’t & Economics Advanced Math Physics Senior Project Guided Studies Social Studies Elective (0.5) Electives (2.5) |