Diploma in Primary Care Paramedicine is a diploma in Health Sciences programme taught at College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Tuition for international students is CAD 4,685 per semester (CAD 1,301 per semester for local students).
Primary Care Paramedicine at College of the North Atlantic is a two-year diploma covering pre-hospital emergency medical care in line with national paramedic standards. Coursework includes anatomy and physiology, airway management, pathophysiology, cardiology, medical emergencies, pediatrics, traumatology, and obstetrics and neonatal care, supported by more than 650 hours of hands-on practical training. The program combines classroom and simulation lab instruction with clinical placements arranged across the province in partnership with NL Health Services, including a four-week clinical placement in semester four and seven-week practicum periods in semesters five and six. Delivery is on-campus at the Bay St. George or Prince Philip Drive campuses. The program suits students with strong teamwork and problem-solving skills who can think quickly under pressure, given the emphasis on emergency response scenarios throughout the curriculum. Graduates are prepared to work as paramedics in ambulance services, emergency rooms, and industrial or marine settings, as well as in disaster response, reflecting a stated critical need for paramedics in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:60.00 / %
Admission Requirements: Direct entry requires a Provincial High School Graduation Certificate with a 60% overall average, including English 3201 (60% minimum), Mathematics at Advanced 2200/3200 (50% minimum each) or Academic 2201 (50%)/3201 (60%), Biology 2201 and 3201 (50% minimum each), and Chemistry 3202 or Physics 3204 (50% minimum); College Transition, Adult Basic Education (Level III), and mature-student routes are also accepted. Non-native English speakers must meet the School of Health Sciences' own IELTS Academic requirement: overall band 7.0, with Speaking 7.0, Listening 7.5, Reading 6.5 and Writing 7.0. Accepted students must also complete a criminal record and vulnerable-sector check, immunization and communicable-disease screening, Standard/Intermediate First Aid, annually renewed CPR (BLS), and hold a full Class 05 driver's licence by the second program year.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:College of the North Atlantic accepts domestic applications on a rolling, first-come basis with no fixed opening or closing date published for any intake; the college states applications for a program remain open until it is filled, which for competitive programmes such as Practical Nursing can mean the intake closes before the term starts. International applicants apply directly to CNA; for the Fall 2026 intake the college published a closing date of 30 April 2026 (with late applications from students already holding a study permit still considered), but no equivalent Fall 2027 or Winter 2027 international date has yet been posted. Admission is therefore effectively rolling for domestic applicants and governed by a single seasonal cutoff, not yet republished, for international ones. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
