At Nicola Valley Institute of Technology in Merritt, Canada, Indigenous Holistic Wellness and Addictions Advanced Diploma is offered as a higher diploma in Indigenous Focus programme. The programme runs for 3 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 98 per credit for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Higher Diploma
Field:Indigenous Focus
Duration: 3 years
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 98 / credit
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Indigenous Holistic Wellness and Addictions Advanced Diploma is open to individuals interested in a career in the field as well as individuals who are currently in Addiction fields such as Alcohol and Drug Counsellors or Addiction Workers will find a benefit in obtaining a credential and/or specialized professional development training to meet job requirements.
The IHWA Program is developed and implemented based on Circle Learning principles, the Medicine Wheel concept, Red Road Philosophy, Experiential Learning, and the Seven Sacred Teachings integrated with local Traditional Knowledge and practices. Courses include a focus on healing through understanding the history of Indigenous colonization, complex trauma theory, genocide, and the reclaiming of self as an Indigenous person in a traditional spiritual way. Students who have completed the IHWA certificate and diploma may apply to the advanced diploma.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: The Indigenous Holistic Wellness and Addictions programme admits applicants through one of three routes, per the programme page: Mature Student status (age 19+) with a letter of intent and a personal suitability interview; Grade 12 graduation with a C+ minimum in English 12, English 12 First Peoples, or ENGL 060 (or equivalent) plus Apprenticeship and Workplace Math 11 or MATH 055 (or equivalent), also with a personal suitability interview; or admission by permission of the Dean or Program Coordinator, again with an interview. All routes require the applicant to be addictions-free for a minimum of one year, and letters of support from communities or employers are encouraged. No IELTS, TOEFL, or other standardized language-proficiency score is published; NVIT sets English-proficiency requirements per program rather than centrally. Diploma-level enrolment additionally requires Foundations of Math 11 or MATH 057 (or equivalent) as the prerequisite for STAT 203. Practicum placement requires a Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Criminal Record Check Clearance for the Vulnerable Sector (RCMP checks are not accepted). The programme runs a Fall Term intake only.
Application Details
Start Date:Fall Term
Application Deadline:NVIT accepts domestic applications on a rolling basis: general Fall-term applications are targeted by 31 July and Spring-term applications by 30 November each year, with offers issued in the order applications are completed and, if seats remain, continued acceptance up to the program start date. NVIT does not currently admit new international students for most programs: its Provincial Attestation Letter allocation was set at zero for 2025-2026, so new international applications are accepted only from Indigenous Peoples (per UNDRIP), Jay Treaty applicants, and permanent residents, who apply through EducationPlannerBC. NVIT publishes no international application deadline for these routes, and whether the zero-allocation restriction still holds for 2026-2027 was not confirmed on a page carrying that year. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
