Diploma in Practical Nursing is a diploma in Nursing programme offered by Centennial College in Toronto, Canada. The programme runs for 4 semesters, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 18,005 per year (CAD 3,351 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Nursing
Duration: 4 semesters
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 3,351 / year
International tuition: CAD 18,005 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Students enrolled in this program are eligible to register for our Specialized Academic Certificate, Indigenous Knowledges: First Peoples in Canada or Inclusive Leadership Practices, and earn an additional credential. A fee may apply. For more information, click here. You may also be interested in these other options: Practical Nursing (Flexible) Practical Nursing for Internationally Educated Nurses The Practical Nursing program at Centennial College will offer you the in-depth knowledge, skills and judgement required in today's complex health care environment. Curriculum in this Practical Nursing program is based on the: College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) Practice Standards and Guidelines National Entry-to-Practice Competencies for Registered Practical Nurses (updated 2020) Practical Nursing Program Standard for Ontario Practical Nursing Programs (Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development) The offering also meets competencies that will reflect the evolving and expanding role of the practical nurse as provided by the Nursing Act and the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA). These competencies will include learning to provide safe, competent and ethical care using resources and technologies for an increasingly complex client population. The Practical Nursing program will also serve as preparation to practice autonomously in a variety of settings. Program Highlights Practical Nursing program faculty members have extensive clinical and in-classroom teaching expertise. Classroom instruction will be supplemented by independent study, multimedia support and ongoing clinical experience. Some courses in the program will be delivered through a combination of classroom and online instruction (blended courses). Small group instruction in clinical and laboratory settings will utilize the latest technology, such as computerized simulation. The School of Community and Health Studies' nursing lab recreates an actual hospital floor, complete with nursing stations and operating room facilities. You'll gain the edge over the competition by working within the advanced clinical simulation facilities and using highly realistic computerized "patients". The program will allow you to immerse yourself in the nursing field through a variety of acute, rehabilitation and long-term care agencies with industry-leading health care providers. Effective January 4, 2022 all graduates of Practical Nursing programs within Ontario will be required to take the new REx-PN Registration Exam. Upon completion of the program, graduates have reliably demonstrated the ability to: Therapeutically communicate with clients and members of the health care team; Assess clients across the life span in a systematic and holistic manner; Plan safe and competent nursing care based on a thorough analysis of available data and evidence-informed practice guidelines; Select and perform nursing interventions using clinical judgment in collaboration with the client and, where appropriate, the health care team, that promote health and well-being, prevent disease and injury, maintain and/or restore health, promote rehabilitation, and/or provide palliation; Evaluate the outcomes resulting from all interventions in the nurse-client interaction and modify the plan of care as required; Act equitably and justly with clients and members of the health care team; Adapt to a variety of health care settings using different leadership skills and styles as appropriate to each setting; Contribute to creating a healthy and safe work environment in a variety of health care settings; Practice in a self-regulated, professional and ethical manner, complying with relevant legislation and with the standards of both the regulatory body and the practice setting to provide safe and competent client care. Please note: The Practical Nurse Diploma program at Centennial College is currently approved (Category 1) by the College of Nurses of Ontario. Current graduates from this program are eligible to apply for registration as registered practical nurses in Ontario.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission is competitive. Academic base: an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature-student status at 19 or older. Required subjects: Grade 12 English (C or U); Mathematics at Grade 11 or 12 (M/U or C/U); Biology at Grade 11 or 12 (C or U); and one further Grade 11 or 12 science (C or U) from Physics, Chemistry or Exercise Science. Both sciences must have been completed within the last seven years. Centennial asks for at least 75 per cent in each required subject (65 per cent where the course is at the U or A level) and an 80 per cent average across the four. English and mathematics can instead be satisfied by three full years of secondary or post-secondary study in Canada where English was the language of instruction, by Centennial's English Admission Test, and by its Math Admission Test. Before each placement you need a clear police check with vulnerable sector screening issued within six months of the placement start, proof of immunisation, CPR at Healthcare Provider level renewed annually, standard first aid, and mask fit testing; some placements also ask for reference letters. Morningside Campus, 2 years over 4 semesters.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Centennial publishes no application deadline for this program; what follows is the Ontario college cycle that governs it. Domestic applicants apply through ontariocolleges.ca: for a program starting in Fall 2027 the equal-consideration date is 1 February 2027, and applications arriving after it are still assessed, but first-come first-served while places remain. Across the Ontario college system the application opened on 26 September 2026, offers may be issued from 1 November 2026, and an offer must be accepted by 1 May 2027. One $150 fee covers up to five program choices. International applicants apply directly to Centennial through its own international application process and are assessed on a rolling basis across the Fall, Winter and Summer intakes; the college publishes no fixed international closing date. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.