Northwood High School: 2026-27 Course Map and Selection Rules

The 2026-27 Northwood High School Program of Studies is 185 pages long, and this page organizes 186 courses from it. The school uses an Alternating Block schedule, with 4 class periods of 90 minutes each day and a late start on Wednesdays. This page first explains the course selection rules and then presents the full course map. The rules are where families most often make mistakes.

Course Selection Rules

Number of courses	Students in grades 9-11 must take 6 courses on campus each semester; students in grade 12 must take at least 5 courses, with at least 2 on campus each day; A maximum of 8 courses (including off-campus ROP career courses, community college courses, and district online courses); students already taking 8 courses may still add Marching Band, Jazz Band, or Color Guard
Open electives	Six non-open-enrollment courses is the limit; beyond that, students may add up to 2 open-enrollment electives: arts, varsity athletics, Associated Student Body (ASB), Model United Nations, school newspaper, yearbook, Speech and Debate, English Language Development (ELD), study skills, teacher's assistant, and similar courses
Teacher recommendation	Most honors and AP courses require a signed recommendation from the current teacher on the Course Requestor each March
Add/drop and level changes	The deadline to add a course is within the first two weeks of each semester. Courses dropped within the first three weeks leave no record on the transcript; drops from week 4 through the end of the first or third quarter are recorded as W; drops after the start of the second or fourth quarter are recorded as WF. Moving from an honors course to a college-preparatory section requires the teacher's approval. Drops may not leave a gap between periods 3 and 6
Outside courses and community college	Off-campus courses require school administrator approval within the two weeks before the course begins. Credits earned outside Irvine Unified School District are not recorded on the Northwood High School transcript and cannot be used to meet prerequisites or graduation requirements. Community college enrollment is limited to 11 units per semester, with priority for grades 11-12
Repeating a course	For courses with an original grade of D or F, a retake grade of C or higher replaces the original in the GPA calculation; for courses with an original grade of C or higher, the original grade is still used. Both grades remain on the transcript
Contract courses	Teacher's assistant, student assistant, and work experience are contract courses; combined, a maximum of 30 credits count toward graduation, and students may take only one of them in a given semester
Eligibility for athletics and extracurricular activities	Eligibility for athletics and extracurricular activities requires a GPA of 2.0 or higher in the previous quarter, passing 4 courses, and current enrollment in 5 or more courses

Graduation Requirements (225 Credits Beginning with the Class of 2027)

Subject	Credits
English	40
Mathematics (must include Math II or higher)	30
Science	30
Social Science (World History 10, US History 10, Economics 5, Government 5)	30
World Language / Fine Arts / CTE (one of the three)	10
Physical Education	20
Health	5
Electives	60

Each course earns 5 credits per semester, and the passing grade is D-. The Classes of 2024 through 2026 required 215 credits. Beginning with the Class of 2028, two semesters of Physical Education are also required in grade 10. Community service is not a graduation requirement; students who complete 25 hours in a school year may have it noted on the transcript

Graduation requirements and college admission requirements are two separate standards. Graduation requires only a grade of D-, while the University of California and California State University UC A-G courses require a grade of C- or higher. Graduation requires only one year of a world language, arts, or career technical course, while UC A-G requires two years of the same world language. Course selection should follow the UC A-G standard.

Course Levels by Subject

In the pathways below, CP refers to College Prep (standard courses that are neither honors nor AP), Honors refers to honors sections, and AP refers to Advanced Placement courses. In grades 9 through 10, English and history are combined into the Humanities Core, taught by a pair of teachers.

English

Grade 9: Humanities Core: World Literature, taught in tandem with World History, with Embedded Honors
Grade 10: Humanities Core: US Literature, taught in tandem with US History, with Embedded Honors
Grade 11: European Literature or Honors European Literature (weighted; the teacher signature requirement was removed starting in 2026-27); students may also apply for Honors Critical Theory and Literature in the Forensics Core program
Grade 12: AP English Literature and Composition, Contemporary Literature, or Film and Literature

Social Science

Grade 9: Humanities Core: World History, with Embedded Honors
Grade 10: Humanities Core: US History, with Embedded Honors
Grade 11: AP US History, AP World History: Modern, AP Psychology, or semester electives such as Anthropology, World Religions, and Ethnic Studies
Grade 12: the full-year combination of AP American Government and Politics and Honors Political Economy, which satisfies both the Government and Economics graduation requirements at once; students may also choose college-preparatory American Government with Economics of Business

Science (standard sequence)

Grade 9: Integrated Science 1
Grade 10: Integrated Science 2
Grade 11: Integrated Science 3, strongly recommended by the school; completing all three years covers the full Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Grade 12: electives such as Anatomy and Physiology, Geology, and Marine Science

Science (most rigorous sequence)

Grade 9: Honors Integrated Science 1, taught in the same class as the college-preparatory section; not weighted
Grade 10: Honors Integrated Science 2; not weighted
Grade 11: Honors Integrated Science 3 (weighted), or AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, or AP Environmental Science
Grade 12: a second AP science course, or Honors Geology, Honors Interdisciplinary Climate Explorations, or Honors Forensic Science in the Forensics Core program

Entry requirements for AP science courses:

Course	Entry requirements
AP Biology	A college-preparatory grade of A in the second semester of Integrated Science 2 or Integrated Science 3, or a science GPA of 3.5 or higher in grade 11
AP Chemistry	A college-preparatory grade of A in the second semester of Integrated Science 2 or Integrated Science 3, or a science GPA of 3.5 or higher in grade 11
AP Physics 1	Grades 11-12; requires knowledge of algebra and basic trigonometry
AP Environmental Science	A college-preparatory grade of A in the second semester of the previous science course
AP Computer Science Principles	No prerequisite; available from grade 10

Mathematics courses are covered on a separate page: Math Pathways. The school offers four world languages:

Spanish 1-3 + Honors Spanish 4 + AP Spanish Language and Culture
French 1-3 + Honors French 4
Korean 1-3 + Honors Korean 4 (new in 2025-26)
American Sign Language 1-3 + Honors ASL 4
The school does not offer Chinese, Japanese, or Latin; native and heritage speakers may place directly into level 2 or 3 through a competency exam

Full Course Map

Expand each subject to view its courses. Each course shows its level, grade levels, prerequisites, and UC A-G category. Dark labels mark AP courses, yellow labels mark honors or enhanced courses, and blue labels mark community college and university dual enrollment courses.

English 22 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP English Literature and Composition	AP	12	Year-long, honors level for seniorsWEIGHTED. Only AP English offered (no AP Lang). #1193/1194	b
Honors Humanities Core: World Literature	Honors	9	Embedded honors track within World Literature; teacher recommendation from 8th gradeNot weighted; 9th and 10th grade embedded honors carry no extra grade point. #10009	b
Honors Humanities Core: US Literature	Honors	10	Embedded honors trackNot weighted. #11214	b
Honors European Literature	Honors	11	Open access; the teacher signature requirement was removed for 2026-27WEIGHTED (+). #1168/1169	b
Honors Critical Theory and Literature (FORCE)	Honors	11-12	Juniors/Seniors only; FORCE program application (due ~3/18); co-enroll in H Forensic Science and H Forensic PsychologyWEIGHTED. Part of Forensics Core (FORCE). UnGrading assessment model. #1209/1210	b
Humanities Core: World Literature	CP	9	None; required of all 9th gradersEmbedded Honors: Honors designation possible each semester (only an Honors A is awarded; <A reverts to CP grade). Paired with World History teacher. #10008/10009	b
Humanities Core: US Literature	CP	10	Humanities World LiteratureEmbedded Honors available. #11213/11214	b
European Literature	CP	11	Humanities US LiteratureYear-long, designed for juniors. #1165/1166	b
Contemporary Literature	CP	12	European Literature or equivalent#1177/1178	b
Film and Literature	CP	12	—#10052/10053	b
Beginning Journalism	CP	9-12	—One or two semesters. #1599/1600	g
NHS Newspaper (The Howler)	CP	10-12	1 semester Beginning Journalism + advisor permissionOpen enrollment. #1604/1605	g
Creative Writing	CP	9-12	None (1 or 2 semesters)#1065/1066	g
Advanced Creative Writing	CP	10-12	Creative Writing and/or teacher rec#1060/1061	g
Business Communications	CP	11-12	—On the course requestor and the UC/CSU a-g list. #1508/1509	g
Reading & Writing for Academic Success (Read/Write)	Other	9-12	Teacher & counselor/admin recommendation + writing assessmentOpen-enrollment support class. #1006/1016	—
Literacy Skills (Reading Lab)	Other	9-12	Placement by 8th-grade assessments / recommendationNon-college prep. #1017/1018	—
English Language Development 1	Other	9-12	IUSD Language Development Program placement (ELPAC emerging)Open enrollment. #1852/1853	b (max 1 yr ELD counts)
English Language Development 2	Other	9-12	ELPAC placement#1198/1199	b (max 1 yr)
English Language Development 3	Other	9-12	ELPAC placement#18623/18624	b (max 1 yr)
Introduction to English	Other	9-12	ELPAC placement#1038/1039	b
Functional English 1-3 / Functional English / Practical English	Other	9-12	IEP team recommendationSpecial education	—

Social Science 19 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP American Government & Politics / Honors Political Economy	AP	12	Must enroll both semesters; teacher recWEIGHTED both semesters (AP Gov fall, H Pol Econ spring); satisfies Gov+Econ grad reqs. #6535/6644	a (Gov) / g (Econ)
AP United States History	AP	11-12	Recommendation from previous history teacherWEIGHTED. May replace the US History graduation requirement. About 6 hours of homework per week. #6341/6342	a
AP World History: Modern	AP	11-12	Recommendation from previous history teacherWEIGHTED. ~5 hrs HW/week. #6410/6411	a
AP Psychology	AP	11-12	—WEIGHTED. #6842/6843	g
Honors Humanities Core: World History	Honors	9	Embedded honorsNot weighted. #62001	a
Honors Humanities Core: US History	Honors	10	Embedded honorsNot weighted. #62005	a
Honors Forensic Psychology (FORCE)	Honors	11-12	FORCE application; co-enroll H Forensic Science + H Crit TheoryWEIGHTED. #5082/5083	g
Humanities Core: World History	CP	9	Required of all 9th gradersEmbedded Honors. #62000/62001	a
Humanities Core: US History	CP	10	Required of all 10th gradersEmbedded Honors. #62004/62005	a
American Government	CP	12	Seniors only (semester)Grad requirement (5 cr). #6501	a
Economics of Business	CP	11-12	Juniors/Seniors (semester)Satisfies Economics grad req. Articulated: B+ earns 3 units IVC MGT 1. #6616	g
Anthropology	CP	11-12	Semester#66006	g
Ethnic Studies	CP	11-12	SemesterNEW 2025-26. #63021	pending
Model United Nations: International Relations (Fall) & Comparative Politics/American Govt (Spring)	CP	11-12	Juniors/Seniors + teacher recommendation; year-longOPEN ENROLLMENT (can be 7th/8th class). Spring sem satisfies Government req. #6621/6624	a (Am Govt sem) / g (Intl)
World Religions	CP	11-12	Semester#6212	g
Psychology (semester)	CP	11-12	—Not currently offered; still listed on the course requestor. #6841	g
Sociology	CP	11-12	—Not currently offered	g
Sheltered US History	Other	10-12	Newly enrolled EL scoring ELPAC 1#6313/6314	a
Practical / Functional History courses	Other	9-12	IEP recommendationSpecial education	—

Mathematics 14 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP Precalculus	AP	10-12	B- or higher in Enhanced Math II + teacher appraisal, OR A both semesters of Math II (+ pass summer HS Math Bridge), OR B- both semesters of Math IIIWEIGHTED. One of only 4 APs open to sophomores. ~2.5 hrs HW/wk. #3063/3064	c
AP Statistics	AP	10-12	C or higher in AP Precalculus (or Math III) + teacher recWEIGHTED. #3718/3719	c
AP Computer Science A	AP	11-12	Juniors/Seniors; A in Math III or B in Enhanced Math II (2nd sem) or APCSP teacher recWEIGHTED. Java. ~2.5 hrs HW/wk. #3817/3818	c
Calculus (Chapman University MATH 110 & 111, Single Variable Calculus I & II)	Dual Enrollment	11-12	B- or higher in Math 4 or AP Precalculus + teacher recOffered in lieu of AP Calculus AB/BC; Northwood High School does not offer AP Calculus. 3 Chapman University units per semester, free of charge, recorded on a Chapman transcript. Marked as a weighted course on the 2026-27 School Profile. #3711/3712	c
College Math Prep (IVC MATH 5 Fall / MATH 253 Spring)	Dual Enrollment	11-12	Successful completion of Math I; Juniors/SeniorsIVC CCAP course during school day. #3535/3534	c (Math 5 transferable)
Honors Computer Science B: Data Structures	Honors	11-12	Pass AP CS A or APCSA exam score >=3 or equivalent college CSWEIGHTED. #7089/7090	d (per A-G list)
Enhanced Math II	Enhanced	9-10	From Math I: meet 2 of 3 — A both semesters, teacher appraisal, >=85% on End-of-Course exam. 8th graders in MS Enhanced Math I enter directly.First course of the accelerated track (about 1.5 years of content in one year); not weighted. About 2.5 hours of homework per week. #3051/3052	c
Enhanced Math III	Enhanced	10-11	—On the UC/CSU a-g list as a weighted course, but not on the current course requestor; AP Precalculus is the course now used on the accelerated track.	c
Math I	CP	9	8th-grade teacher recommendationMost freshmen placed here. #3047/3048	c
Math II	CP	9-10	C- or higher in Math I + teacher appraisalGrad requirement (Class of 2027+ must complete Math II). #3049/3050	c
Math III	CP	10-11	C- or higher in Math II + teacher appraisal= Algebra 2 equivalent; required for a-g. #3053/3054	c
Math 4	CP	11-12	Teacher rec + Math III / Enhanced Math III with C or better= Precalculus equivalent (non-AP). #3061/3062	c
Math I AB (2-year Math I)	Other	9-10	Teacher recNot currently offered	—
Practical Math / Functional Math 1-2	Other	9-12	IEP recommendationSpecial education	—

Science 21 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP Biology	AP	11-12	CP A in 2nd semester of IS2 or IS3, or 3.5 in 11th-grade scienceWEIGHTED. ~3.75 hrs HW/wk. #5322/5323	d
AP Chemistry	AP	11-12	CP A in 2nd semester of IS2 or IS3, or 3.5 in 11th-grade scienceWEIGHTED. #5431/5432	d
AP Physics 1	AP	11-12	Grade 11/12; algebra & basic trigWEIGHTED. Only AP Physics offered (no Physics 2 / C). #5548/5549	d
AP Environmental Science	AP	11-12	CP A in 2nd-semester science courseWEIGHTED. #5552/5553	d
AP Computer Science Principles	AP	10-12	—WEIGHTED. One of 4 APs open to sophomores. #7075/7076	d
Biotechnology (IVC BIOT 70 / 70L / 173)	Dual Enrollment	10-12	IVC CCAP enrollmentIVC on Northwood High School campus Tue 4:15-7:05pm; UC/CSU transferable	d (college course)
Honors Integrated Science 1	Honors	9	Embedded honorsNot weighted	d
Honors Integrated Science 2	Honors	10	Embedded honorsNot weighted	d
Honors Integrated Science 3	Honors	11-12	Embedded honorsWEIGHTED (+)	d
Honors Interdisciplinary Climate Explorations (H-ICE)	Honors	11-12	Application requiredWEIGHTED. #50013/50014	d
Honors Forensic Science (FORCE)	Honors	11-12	FORCE application; co-enroll H Forensic Psych + H Crit TheoryWEIGHTED. #5080/5081	d
Integrated Science 1	CP	9	Required of all 9th gradersEmbedded Honors. 3-yr integrated model covers Bio/Chem/Physics/Earth. #5272/52732	d
Integrated Science 2	CP	10	IS1; required of all 10th gradersEmbedded Honors. #5276/5277	d
Integrated Science 3	CP	11-12	IS1 & IS2Strongly recommended for all juniors; completes NGSS. #52543/52544	d
Anatomy and Physiology	CP	11-12	IS1 & IS2#5710/5711	d
Geology / Honors Geology	CP	11-12	IS1 & IS2 with C or betterEmbedded Honors; Honors Geology is weighted. New in 2025-26. #52004/52005	d
Marine Science	CP	11-12	IS1 & IS2#5195/5196	d
Principles of Engineering	CTE	10-12	CP A in 2nd-semester science courseListed under Science electives; #38640/38641 (3862/3863 on requestor)	g (NOT d)
Environmental Horticulture 1 (Fall) / 2 (Spring)	Other	11-12	—Articulated: B+ earns 3 units OCC HORT A100. #5010/5011	none (non-college prep)
Advanced Environmental Horticulture	Other	12	Horticulture 1#5006/5007	—
Functional Physical/Biological Science	Other	9-12	IEPSpecial education	—

Physical Education 10 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
Co-Ed Physical Education	CP	9	Required of all freshmen unless in athletics/dance/marching band-color guard#4013/4014; 2 sem PE also required in 10th for Class of 2028+	—
Basketball	CP	10-12	—PE elective #4251/4252	—
Fitness & Strength – Calisthenics Training	CP	10-12	—PE elective #4469/4470	—
Racquet/Court Sports	CP	10-12	—PE elective #4334/4335	—
Weight Training	CP	10-12	—PE elective #4473/4474	—
Yoga	CP	10-12	—PE elective #4030/4031	—
Athletics (In-Season / Off-Season Team Sport)	CP	9-12	Make team roster; CIF eligibility (2.0 GPA, pass 4 classes)Open enrollment; scheduled periods 7/8. Non-cut: Football, Boys/Girls Water Polo, Cross Country	—
Pep Squad	CP	9-12	Tryout#4035/4036; year-long, PE credit	—
Health	CP	9-12	None (semester)Grad requirement 5 cr; also offered via IUSD summer school (virtual). #8005	—
PE Credit for Private Instruction (IPE)	Other	9-12	Nationally ranked athlete, 10+ hrs/wk private instruction; admin approvalP/F, max 10 units/yr, 20 toward graduation	—

VAPA-Theater 8 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
Creative Drama	CP	9-12	—Open enrollment. #7753/7754	f
Intermediate Drama	CP	10-12	Creative Drama#7755/7756	f
Advanced Drama	CP	11-12	Creative Drama, Intermediate Drama + audition#7771/7772	f
Technical Theater	CP	9-12	—Open enrollment. 620-seat theater. #7765/7766	f
Advanced Technical Theater	CP	10-12	Technical Theater#7777/7778	f
Musical Theater	CP	10-12	1 yr Creative Drama or any choir, or teacher rec (semester)	f
Play Production	CP	9-12	Audition/interview; quarter-long variable credit
Professional Internship, Stage Tech	CTE	11-12	Advanced Technical Theater#77661/77662

VAPA-Music 23 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP Music Theory	AP	10-12	Teacher recommendation; read/write notationWEIGHTED. One of 4 APs open to sophomores. #7541/7542	f
Bass Clef (choir)	CP	9-12	No auditionOpen enrollment. #7637/7638	f
Treble Clef (choir)	CP	9-12	No auditionOpen enrollment. #7644/7645	f
Viva Cantar	CP	9-12	Audition (advanced soprano/alto)#7634/7635	f
Bel Canto	CP	9-12	Audition (intermediate-advanced soprano/alto)#7653/7654	f
Concert Chorale	CP	9-12	Audition (advanced mixed)#7603/7604	f
Chamber Singers	CP	9-12	Audition (advanced mixed)#7628/7629	f
Fundamentals in Voice Training	CP	9-12	Co-enrolled in a choirNEW. #76002/76003	f
Studio Guitar 1	CP	9-12	—Open enrollment. #7585/7586	f
Studio Guitar 2	CP	10-12	Guitar 1#7583/7584	f
Concert Band	CP	9-12	None (entry-level band)Open enrollment. #7508/7509	f
Symphonic Band	CP	9-12	Audition#7510/7511	f
Wind Ensemble	CP	9-12	Audition#7517/7518	f
Wind Symphony	CP	9-12	Audition (top band)#7513/7514	f
String Orchestra	CP	9-12	None (entry-level orchestra)Open enrollment. #7527/7528	f
Symphonic Orchestra	CP	9-12	Audition#7525/7526	f
Concert Orchestra	CP	9-12	Audition + instructor rec#7521/7522	f
Philharmonic Orchestra	CP	9-12	Audition (top orchestra)#7529/7530	f
Jazz Ensemble I-IV	CP	9-12	Audition; concurrent instrumental classQ2/Spring; #7535	f
Timberwolf Marching Band	CP	9-12	Concurrent instrumental class; summer band campZero period Q1; does not count toward class total; 9th graders still need PE/sport. #7550	none (PE credit)
Color Guard / Winter Guard	CP	9-12	—#7563/7564	none (PE credit)
Music Theory	CP	9-12	—#7555/7556	f
Music Technology	CP	9-12	—Not currently offered per POS (NEW on requestor). #9014/9016

VAPA-Dance 4 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
Dance Technique Level 1	CP	9-12	—Meets PE requirement too. Open enrollment. #4441/4442	f
Dance Technique Level 2	CP	9-12	Placement auditionPE credit. #4443/4444	f
Dance Technique Level 3	CP	9-12	Placement auditionPE credit. #4466/4467	f
Dance Theater	CP	10-12	Placement audition (advanced)PE credit. #4435/4436	f

VAPA-Visual 16 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP Studio Art: Drawing	AP	11-12	A in Portfolio Prep or Painting & Drawing + teacher rec/portfolioWEIGHTED. #7049/7050	f
AP Art History	AP	10-12	Approval from a History or English teacherWEIGHTED. One of 4 APs open to sophomores. #7054/7055	f
AP 3D Art and Design	AP	11-12	Beg/Int/Adv Ceramics preferred + teacher approvalWEIGHTED. #7058/7059	f
AP 2D Design (Photography)	AP	11-12	A/B in Advanced Visual Imagery + teacher approvalWEIGHTED. #7056/7057	f
Introduction to Art	CP	9-12	—Open enrollment. #7007/7008	f
Painting and Drawing	CP	10-12	A/B in Intro to Art or portfolio review#7037/7038	f
Art Portfolio Prep	CP	10-12	A in Painting & Drawing, or A/B in AP Drawing + teacher rec#7079/7080	f
Maker's Studio (Jewelry/Metal/Product Design)	CP	9-12	None (semester)#70387
Beginning Ceramics	CP	9-12	—Open enrollment. #7107/7108	f
Intermediate Ceramics	CP	10-12	Beginning Ceramics#7119/7120	f
Advanced Ceramics	CP	11-12	Intermediate Ceramics#7134/7135	f
Beginning Screen Print Design	CP	9-12	—Open enrollment. #7313/7314	f
Intermediate Screen Print & Design	CP	10-12	Beginning Screen Print#7315/7316
Visual Imagery (Photography)	CP	9-12	—Open enrollment. #7214/7215	f
Advanced Visual Imagery	CP	10-12	A/B in Visual Imagery or teacher approval#7222/7223	f
Functional Fundamental Art	Other	9-12	IEPSpecial education	—

CTE 17 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
Foods	CTE	9-12	None (semester)#8820	—
Introduction to Culinary Arts	CTE	10-12	—#7073/7074	g
Baking and Pastry	CTE	10-12	—NEW. #9181/9189
Advanced Culinary Arts	CTE	11-12	Intro Culinary + teacher rec#9371/9372	g
Events and Catering	CTE	10-12	Intro CulinaryNot currently offered. #91021
Careers in Education 1	CTE	10-12	None (semester)NEW. #63024	g
Careers in Education 2 (fieldwork)	CTE	10-12	Careers in Ed 1 with B- + teacher rec#63025	g
Computer Graphics	CTE	9-12	—Open enrollment. Photoshop/InDesign/Illustrator. #7270/7271	f
Intermediate Computer Graphics	CTE	10-12	A/B in Computer Graphics or teacher rec#7288/7289	g
Advanced Computer Graphics	CTE	11-12	A/B in Intermediate CG + teacher rec#7274/7275
3-D Computer Animation and Design	CTE	11-12	A/B in Advanced CG and/or teacher recCapstone. #5556/5557	g
Video Production	CTE	9-12	—Open enrollment. #7098/7099	f
The Art of Film / Art of Television & Film	CTE	10-12	C or better in Video Production or teacher signature#77652/77653 (7784/7785 on requestor)	f
Advanced Video Production / ROP Broadcast News (NTV)	CTE	10-12	Audition onlyNorthwood TV. #7230/7231 (9071/9072 ROP)	f
Sports Management	CTE	9-12	—NEW. #8502/8505
Coastline ROP courses (off-site: Admin of Justice, Auto Tech, Baking & Pastry, BITA construction, Dental Asst, EMR/EMT, Fire Science, Medical Careers, Pharmacy Tech, Sports Medicine, AI Cyberforward, Entrepreneurship, etc.)	CTE	10-12	Register via Coastline ROP; internships age 16+Free; mostly outside bell schedule; 5-10 credits/sem; cannot combine with Athletics	varies (many a-g approved)
Library Tech Staff	Other	9-12	None (semester, P/F)#9709/9710	—

World Languages 17 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP Spanish Language and Culture	AP	11-12	Honors Spanish 4 with C, or strong A in Spanish 3 + competency examWEIGHTED. Only AP language offered. #2384/2385	e
Honors Spanish 4	Honors	10-12	Spanish 3 with C or teacher recWEIGHTED. #2371/2372	e
Honors French 4	Honors	10-12	French 3 with C or teacher recWEIGHTED. #2062/2063	e
Honors Korean 4	Honors	10-12	Korean 3 with C or placement testWEIGHTED. New in 2025-26. #2435/2436	e
Honors American Sign Language 4	Honors	10-12	ASL 3 with C or teacher recWEIGHTED. #26212/26213	e
Spanish 1	CP	9-12	—#2312/2313	e
Spanish 2	CP	9-12	Spanish 1 with C or better and/or teacher rec; native/heritage speakers may place higher via competency/placement exam#2322/2323	e
Spanish 3	CP	9-12	Spanish 2 with C or better and/or teacher rec; native/heritage speakers may place higher via competency/placement exam#2342/2343	e
French 1	CP	9-12	—#2012/2013	e
French 2	CP	9-12	French 1 with C or better and/or teacher rec; native/heritage speakers may place higher via competency/placement exam#2022/2023	e
French 3	CP	9-12	French 2 with C or better and/or teacher rec; native/heritage speakers may place higher via competency/placement exam#2042/2043	e
Korean 1	CP	9-12	—#2410/2412	e
Korean 2	CP	9-12	Korean 1 with C or better and/or teacher rec; native/heritage speakers may place higher via competency/placement exam#20000/20001	e
Korean 3	CP	9-12	Korean 2 with C or better and/or teacher rec; native/heritage speakers may place higher via competency/placement exam#2417/2418	e
American Sign Language 1	CP	9-12	—#2611/2612	e
American Sign Language 2	CP	9-12	American Sign Language 1 with C or better and/or teacher rec; native/heritage speakers may place higher via competency/placement exam#2700/2701	e
American Sign Language 3	CP	9-12	American Sign Language 2 with C or better and/or teacher rec; native/heritage speakers may place higher via competency/placement exam#2705/2706	e

General Electives 10 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
ASB: Leadership	CP	9-12	Elected/appointed to ASB; 2.0 GPAOpen enrollment. #8991/8992	—
Speech and Debate (elective class)	CP	10-12	Club member, strong teacher rec; limited to upperclassmenOpen enrollment; club requires free summer camp for new members	—
Yearbook (The Element)	CP	9-12	ApplicationOpen enrollment. #7251/7252	—
Study Skills	Other	9	Middle-school counselor/admin rec#9696/9697	—
Peer Tutor	Other	11-12	—P/F; Tutor Center	—
Student Assistant	Other	9-12	Attendance requirementsP/F; 10 cr max	—
Teaching Assistant (SpEd)	Other	9-12	Attendance requirementsP/F; 10 cr max. #9746/9747	—
Work Experience	Other	11-12	Employed; junior/senior standingP/F; 1 cr per 40 hrs, 5 cr/sem max, 20 cr max; SA+TA+WE combined max 30 cr	—
Directed Studies	Other	9-12	IEP#9480/9481	—
IUSD San Joaquin Blended Learning (online) courses	Other	9-12	Same prereqs as Northwood High School; counts as 6th class (9-11) or 5th (12)e.g., Health, PE, Gov/Econ, languages, AP options via district	varies

Dual Enrollment (IVC CCAP, on campus) 4 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AJ 4 Criminal Law / Street Law-Personal Law	Dual Enrollment	9-12 (priority 12>11>10>9)	Request during Spring Conferences; IVC application + CCAP formFall MW 2:40-4pm alt weeks; free	UC/CSU transferable
MGT 5 Personal Financial Planning (Fall) / MGT 135 Principles of Marketing (Spring)	Dual Enrollment	9-12	CCAPTuTh 8:30-9:55 every other week during school day	CSU/UC transferable
BIOT 70 + 70L Intro Biotechnology (Fall), BIOT 173 (Spring)	Dual Enrollment	9-12	CCAPTue 4:15-7:05pm on Northwood High School campus	UC/CSU transferable
MATH 5 Math for Liberal Arts (Fall) / MATH 253 Intermediate Algebra (Spring)	Dual Enrollment	11-12	Completion of Math ICollege Math Prep pathway during school day	c

Dual Enrollment (IVC district-wide) 1 course

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
MATH 4A Calculus III (Fall), MATH 24 Differential Equations (Spring)	Dual Enrollment	11-12	IVC placement (post-Calculus)Evening MW 7-9pm at Irvine Virtual Academy/Creekside; for students who finish Calculus I/II early	c

Course Selection Timeline

Grade 8

March8th Grade Family Night; pick up the grade 9 course selection handbook
Late MarchRegistration conference with the Teacher Advisement teacher; core course placement is based on middle school teacher recommendations
AugustFreshman Kick Off Day and New to Northwood Night

Grade 9

Within the first 2 weeks of schoolAdd deadline; drops within 3 weeks leave no transcript record
September to OctoberClub Fest recruitment; fall parent conferences
SpringPSAT 8/9 score review; Freshman Parent Night
MarchRequestor Days for teacher signatures; Spring Conference Week to finalize grade 10 courses

Grade 10

OctoberSophomore Family Morning
November to April30-minute Sophomore Conference with the counselor to build an academic plan for grades 11-12
SpringPreACT; FORCE program application deadline in mid-March
MarchRequestor Days and Spring Conference Week to finalize grade 11 courses

Grade 11

OctoberPSAT/NMSQT (October 5, 2026), the National Merit qualifying test
OctoberAP exam registration; fall parent conferences
JanuaryJunior Family Night
MarchSpring Conference Week to finalize grade 12 courses
April to MaySmall out-of-state college fair; grade 11 application workshop

Grade 12

August 1Common App, University of California, and California State University applications open
September to NovemberSenior Conference appointments, to be completed at least 3 weeks before the earliest deadline
Before ThanksgivingLast point to request a counselor recommendation letter
November 30University of California and California State University application deadline
From October 1Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); Cal Grant deadline March 2
JuneCommencement at the Bren Center, UC Irvine

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum number of courses a Northwood High School student can take in one semester?

Northwood High School requires students in grades 9 through 11 to take 6 courses on campus each semester, and students in grade 12 to take at least 5, with at least 2 on campus each day. The maximum is 8 courses, of which at most 6 may be courses that are not open electives; up to 2 more must be chosen from the open elective list, such as arts courses, varsity athletics, student government, Model United Nations, the school newspaper, yearbook, and Speech and Debate. Students who already have 8 courses may still add Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble, or Color Guard.

At Northwood High School, when can a student who is struggling in an honors or AP course move to a standard section?

At Northwood High School, courses can be added within the first two weeks of each semester. A drop within the first three weeks leaves no record on the transcript; a drop from week 4 through the end of the first or third quarter is recorded as W; and a drop after the start of the second or fourth quarter is recorded as WF. Moving from an honors course to a standard section requires the teacher's approval, and a drop must not leave a gap between periods 3 and 6.

Can courses taken outside the Irvine Unified School District or at a community college be recorded on the Northwood High School transcript?

No. Under Northwood High School policy, credits earned outside the Irvine Unified School District are not posted to the school transcript and cannot be used to satisfy prerequisites or graduation requirements. Outside courses require school administrative approval within two weeks before the course begins. Community college enrollment is limited to 11 units per semester, with priority for grades 11 through 12, and together with on-campus and career education courses may not exceed 8 courses.

How does Embedded Honors work at Northwood High School?

At Northwood High School, the Humanities Core and Integrated Science 1 through 3 in grades 9 through 10 use Embedded Honors: honors and standard students take the course in the same class, and only students who earn an honors A for the semester have the course recorded as honors on the transcript. Students below an honors A receive standard grades from A to F. Each semester is determined separately, so a student may have only one semester recorded as honors, and honors courses in these two grades are not weighted.

How do Northwood High School graduation requirements differ from college admission requirements?

Beginning with the Class of 2027, Northwood High School requires 225 credits to graduate. A grade of D- is passing, mathematics is required only through Math II, and 10 credits in any one of world languages, arts, or career technical education is sufficient. The University of California and California State University UC A-G requirements call for grades of C- or higher, three years of mathematics including Math III, and two years of the same world language. Course selection should follow the UC A-G standard.

Data verified on 2026-09-20. Course catalogs are updated each spring; prerequisites follow the school's current Course of Study.