Diploma in Practical Nursing is a diploma in Nursing programme offered by Durham College in Oshawa, Canada. The programme runs for 5 semesters, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 16,777 per year (CAD 4,064 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Nursing
Duration: 5 semesters
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 4,064 / year
International tuition: CAD 16,777 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Practicum allows students to apply their learning with a variety of clinically supervised practicum experiences that are designed to prepare you to function as a graduate in diverse settings. Placements are located at various local hospitals and agencies throughout Durham Region and at times, in the immediate surrounding areas. Placements may take place on weekdays or weekends with the exception of Semester 5, Professional Practice V (consolidation), where students are expected to be available to follow their preceptor’s schedule. Students are responsible for their own transportation to attend practicum.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Domestic: Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status, plus four senior credits - English at Grade 12 (C or U) with at least 60 per cent; mathematics at Grade 12 (C, M or U) with at least 65 per cent; biology at Grade 11 or 12 (C, M or U); and chemistry at Grade 11 or 12 (C, M or U). Keyboarding and basic computer skills are recommended. Durham lists this among the programs it expects to be highly competitive, so applicants who are complete by the equal-consideration date get ranked on an average of four senior-level prerequisite subjects (Grade 11 or 12 at the C, M or U level), and the marks needed in practice sit above these published minimums. International: the same four subjects are required, but Durham says the marks demanded are higher and advises applying only with 85 per cent or above in every one of them, publishing previous cut-offs of 86.5 per cent (May 2024 intake) and 88.25 per cent (January 2024 intake). English is evidenced by Grade 12 English (C or U) taken in an English-speaking country, by IELTS Academic 7.0 with no band under 6.5, or by TOEFL iBT 94 with no section under 23 (5 overall and per section once tests are taken on or after 21 January 2026); PTE Academic, CAEL and Duolingo are not accepted here. Anyone short of the minimums, or missing a subject, is pointed to Durham's Pre-Health Sciences programs, which carry no guarantee of later admission.
Application Details
Start Date:Three intakes a year - September, January and May. Current cycle class starts: 8 September 2026, 11 January 2027 and 3 May 2027.
Application Deadline:Domestic (apply at ontariocolleges.ca): equal-consideration date 1 February 2026 for September 2026 entry, 1 October 2026 for January 2027 entry and 1 February 2027 for May 2027 entry - Durham's standing rule is 1 February for a September start, 1 October for a January start and 1 February for a May start. Applications completed after the equal-consideration date are still accepted and assessed while seats remain. This program is on Durham's list of programs anticipated to be highly competitive: qualified applicants complete by the equal-consideration date are ranked on the average of four senior-level (Grade 11 or 12, C, M or U) prerequisite subjects. International applicants face a separate and much earlier program-specific deadline - do not use the domestic dates. Durham publishes its own dated equal-consideration table for Practical Nursing (PNII), set roughly eight months ahead of each intake: September 2026 entry closed 15 January 2026 with offers released 1-15 February 2026; January 2027 entry closed 15 April 2026 with offers 1-15 May 2026; May 2027 entry closed 15 September 2026 with offers 1-15 October 2026; and September 2027 entry closes 15 January 2027 with offers 1-15 February 2027. A complete application including every required educational and supporting document must reach Durham by that date; Durham then ranks all qualified applicants and releases offers according to seat availability. International applicants apply through Durham College's own international application, not ontariocolleges.ca.
