SHSM Arts and Culture: Courses, Certs, and Careers
Ontario’s arts and culture SHSM is one of the broadest sectors in the Specialist High Skills Major program, connecting students to a creative economy that contributed $28 billion to the province’s GDP in 2023 and supports over 267,000 jobs. Whether a student is drawn to visual arts, media production, dramatic performance, or technical staging, this sector provides a structured pathway through real-world skills, industry certifications, and experiential learning.
This guide covers the credit bundle, representative examples from the 36 elective certification categories, Ontario creative career data, and SPE partner examples. If you need a refresher on the general SHSM framework, start with our overview of what SHSM is.
What Is the Arts and Culture SHSM?
The SHSM Arts and Culture sector is a Ministry of Education program for Ontario high school students focused on creative and cultural industries. It runs through a structured combination of major courses, certifications, co-op placements, and sector-partnered experiences, and requires a bundle of 8 credits:
- 4 major credits (any combination of Grade 11 and 12)
- 1 English
- 1 Business Studies or Canadian and World Studies
- 2 co-op credits
Students must also complete 6 certifications (3 compulsory and 3 elective), at least one sector-partnered experience (SPE), and reach-ahead activities. The 8-credit requirement makes this one of the smaller SHSM bundles, compared to 9 credits for both Health and Wellness and Business. Arts and Culture has no mathematics requirement, which is unique among all 19 SHSM sectors offered in Ontario. The sector is also the broadest in scope, grouping visual arts, performing arts, media arts, literary arts, technical production, and arts management under one program umbrella.
A December 2024 policy update (revised November 2025) removed the previous requirement for at least one Grade 11 and one Grade 12 credit, now allowing any combination. Up to 3 additional arts co-op credits may count as major credits beyond the required 2.
What makes this sector especially broad is its scope. The Ministry groups visual arts, performing arts, media arts, literary arts, technical production, and arts management under one umbrella. To manage this breadth, many boards design their programs with a particular focus:
- HWDSB offers five variants: Arts Management, Digital and Media Arts, Performance Arts, Technical Production, and Visual Art
- OCDSB runs six school-level variants, including Communication and Design at Merivale, Musical Theatre at Sir Robert Borden, and Live TV Production at Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Source: HWDSB variants from hwdsb.on.ca/secondary/programs/shsm/arts-culture-shsm/ (verified Spring 2026). OCDSB variants from ocdsb.ca/programs-learning/secondary/specialist-high-skills-major/arts-and-culture (verified Spring 2026).
For the full breakdown of credit requirements and how they apply across all sectors, see our SHSM requirements guide.
Major credits in this sector span five curriculum families: Arts, Technological Education, Social Sciences and Humanities, English, and Computer Science. This gives coordinators significant flexibility. Students with very different creative interests can pursue the same SHSM through different course combinations. The Ministry does not publish the approved course list publicly; schools should contact their board SHSM lead for the current list, which shifts year to year by board.
For how credits, certifications, and co-op fit together across all sectors, see our requirements article.
What Certifications Do Arts and Culture SHSM Students Need?
Every Arts and Culture SHSM student must complete six certifications: three compulsory and three elective, all provided free through SHSM program funding. The three compulsory certifications are Standard First Aid, CPR Level C with AED training, and WHMIS. These three are the same across all 19 SHSM sectors. For the three elective certifications, students choose from 36 Ministry-approved categories specific to the arts sector, the highest elective count of any SHSM sector. Unlike Health and Wellness or ICT, arts certifications are broad categories rather than standardized industry credentials.
Source: Ontario Ministry of Education, “Specialist High Skills Major Policy and Implementation Guide – Arts and Culture” (ontario.ca/document/specialist-high-skills-major-shsm-policy-and-implementation-guide/arts-and-culture).
For a deeper explanation of how compulsory certifications work across all sectors, visit our ICE training and certifications guide.
The Ministry publishes 36 elective certification categories for this sector in the SHSM Policy and Implementation Guide. Representative examples span the full breadth of creative disciplines:
- Advanced training in techniques (figure drawing, conducting)
- Advanced training in technologies (3D printing, laser cutting, Serato)
- Advanced training in art forms (mime, tap dance, improvisation)
- Audition preparation
- Curatorial techniques
- Event coordination
- Game design
- Lighting and sound maintenance
- Makeup and cosmetology
- Portfolio development
- Project management
- Proposal and grant writing
- Sector-specific software
- Stage combat
- Technical staging
- Working at heights
This is where Arts and Culture diverges sharply from sectors like Health and Wellness or ICT, which rely on standardized industry certifications (CPR, CompTIA, Microsoft). Arts certifications are broad categories, not standardized credentials, and delivering them requires engaging external providers. This is the core challenge for coordinators.
A patchwork of external workshop providers across Ontario delivers these certifications, usually in-school at board-level cohort events to avoid bussing costs. Typical half-day and full-day offerings cover podcasting, photography, graphic design, stage combat, audition preparation, portfolio development, and technical staging. No centralized directory of Arts and Culture SHSM certification providers exists online, so coordinators build their provider networks through board-level contacts and word of mouth.
What Creative Career Pathways Does Arts and Culture Lead To?
Ontario’s culture sector contributed $28.0 billion to GDP in 2023, representing 44.2% of Canada’s total cultural GDP, with 5.2% growth year over year according to Statistics Canada’s Provincial and Territorial Culture Indicators 2023 (released June 2025). The province supports 267,378 direct culture jobs, which is 39.9% of all culture jobs nationally. Average weekly earnings in Ontario’s information and cultural industries reach $1,899 per week ($98,748 per year), 47% higher than the provincial average according to Job Bank Canada.
The Ministry maps Arts and Culture SHSM graduates to four destination pathways:
- Apprenticeship — roles in motion pictures, broadcasting, and performing arts
- College — graphic design, broadcast technology, and film production
- University — directing, curating, and advertising
- Workplace — desktop publishing and graphic arts
Ontario’s film and TV sector hit a record $3.15 billion in production spending in 2022, making it one of the largest film and television production hubs in Canada.
Source: $28.0B GDP, 267,378 jobs, 44.2% national share, and 5.2% YoY growth from Statistics Canada / Canada Council for the Arts, “Provincial and Territorial Culture Indicators, 2023” (canadacouncil.ca/research/research-library/2025/06/provincial-and-territorial-cultural-indicators-2023). Ontario film and TV production spending ($3.15B record, 2022) from Ontario Creates, film and television industry profile (ontariocreates.ca/research/industry-profile/ip-filmtv). Average weekly earnings for Information and Cultural Industries from Job Bank Canada, Ontario sectoral profile for Information and Culture (jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/job-market-reports/ontario/sectoral-profile-information-and-culture).
| Creative Career | Ontario Salary Range | Pathway |
|---|---|---|
| UX/UI Designer | $92,000 to $103,000 | College / University |
| Video Game Developer | Approximately $78,600 | College / University |
| Graphic Designer | $45,500 to $87,750 | College / University |
| Information and Cultural Industries (average) | $98,748 per year | All pathways |
| Professional Artist (median) | $29,600 | Self-employed |
In gaming, 310 companies operate in Ontario, and Canada’s total video game revenue grew from $2 billion to $7 billion between 2013 and 2022. Every $1 the Ontario Arts Council invests generates $25 in revenue.
Source: Canada’s national video game revenue growth ($2B → $7B, 2013–2022) from Statistics Canada, “Canadian video game industry: Game indeed” (statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/8468-canadian-video-game-industry-game-indeed). Ontario-studio count (310) from Entertainment Software Association of Canada’s annual industry site (canadasvideogameindustry.ca). Ontario Arts Council “$1 → $25” ROI figure from Nordicity / OAC, “Arts Across Ontario” (nordicity.com/news/arts-across-ontario, July 2025).
Honest context matters, though. Professional artists in Ontario reported a median personal income of $29,600 versus $50,400 for all Ontario workers in the 2021 census (pandemic-year data). Between 65% and 68% of artists are self-employed. Job Bank rates graphic designer prospects as “Limited.” The key distinction is between technical creative roles (UX design, game development, animation) and fine arts or performing arts. Coordinators should discuss this openly with students.
For students exploring whether the SHSM credential itself adds value to post-secondary applications, our SHSM scholarships guide lists sector-specific entrance awards at Ontario universities and colleges.
Experiential Learning and SPE Partners
Every SHSM Arts and Culture student must complete at least one Sector-Partnered Experience (SPE). That is a minimum 6-hour activity co-designed with a sector partner and focused on ICE (Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship), coding, or mathematical literacy. The SPE is where classroom learning connects to industry realities. For arts students, Ontario offers an unusually rich ecosystem of potential partners.
Several major cultural institutions have confirmed SHSM partnerships:
- Stratford Festival delivers SHSM certification workshops, the Teaching Stratford Program, and student workshops ($14 per person, as of 2025)
- Shaw Festival offers SHSM certification workshops for nine specializations and maintains an internship partnership with Brock University’s Dramatic Arts program since 2011
- The National Ballet of Canada provides workshops for SHSM students led by professional artists
- Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra runs three SPE/ICE workshops: Arts Marketing Challenge, Music Enrichment Challenge, and Development Challenge
School boards have cultivated local networks as well. HWDSB partners with:
- Hamilton Conservatory
- Burlington Performing Arts Centre
- Art Gallery of Hamilton
- Theatre Aquarius
TDSB schools connect with:
- Metalworks Institute
- INTERACCESS
- Hand Eye Society
- CBC
- AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario)
- Toronto Animated Image Society
Other organizations run education programs suited for SPE activity:
- TIFF operates a Youth Volunteer Programme for ages 14 to 18
- The ROM serves over 150,000 children annually
- Soulpepper Theatre runs the City Youth Academy, a free 6-week summer intensive for ages 16 to 19
- Ubisoft Toronto partners with Youth Fusion to engage approximately 300 Ontario students per year (Youth Fusion 2024 annual report)
- Hot Docs delivers free Docs For Schools programming
At LearnIt, we have seen firsthand how immersive experiences shape student engagement. In early 2026, LearnIt partnered with Wilfrid Laurier University Brantford and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board to deliver a UX Design Challenge. WCDSB students worked through design thinking processes alongside university faculty and UX Design Student Association mentors. Events like these demonstrate how hands-on learning bridges the gap between creative interest and career clarity.
Students are automatically eligible for dual credit programs at all 24 Ontario colleges. Key aligned programs include:
- OCAD University — portfolio-based admission, 8 to 10 pieces
- Sheridan College — number one animation program in Canada
- Humber Polytechnic — Faculty of Media, Creative Arts, and Design, one of Ontario’s largest media and creative arts program portfolios
SHSM-specific scholarships include awards from University of Guelph ($1,000 times 3), University of Windsor ($1,000), Algoma ($500), and St. Clair College.
The strongest post-secondary value for Arts and Culture SHSM students is not the credential itself, but the portfolio, skills, and experiences they accumulate, especially for portfolio-based admissions. For more on the SPE framework, see our ICE training guide.
How LearnIt Helps With Arts and Culture SHSM
LearnIt delivers ICE-format SPE workshops and certification training for SHSM programs across 20+ Ontario school boards. For Arts and Culture coordinators, the central challenge is sourcing external providers for certifications and experiential learning. LearnIt’s workshops are led by facilitators in their 20s and 30s, relatable mentors with recent industry experience. In-school delivery eliminates bussing costs, a persistent concern for arts coordinators with limited budgets.
LearnIt’s student-centered, co-designed approach to immersive experiences applies directly to the creative industries, developing practical wisdom that strengthens both portfolios and career clarity.
Contact LearnIt to explore how we can support your Arts and Culture SHSM program with certification workshops and SPE activities.
Key Takeaways
The SHSM Arts and Culture sector is the broadest sector in Ontario’s Specialist High Skills Major program, spanning visual, performing, media, and technical arts within an 8-credit bundle that has no math requirement.
Thirty-six elective certification options give coordinators flexibility. They also demand proactive provider sourcing since standardized industry certifications do not exist for the arts the way they do in ICT or health sectors.
Ontario’s creative economy was a $28 billion industry supporting over 267,000 direct jobs (2023 data). Average earnings in the information and cultural industries are 47% above the provincial average. The “starving artist” narrative does not reflect the reality of technical creative careers in UX design, animation, game development, or film production.
Confirmed SPE partners include Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, TIFF, and the ROM. Post-secondary value is strongest for portfolio-based programs at OCAD, Sheridan, and Humber.
For the full SHSM program structure, return to our SHSM guide. To explore the Red Seal credential, or to compare with Business, ICT, or Health and Wellness, those guides are available as well.