At NorQuest College in Edmonton, Canada, Diploma in Pharmacy Technician is offered as a diploma in Pharmacy programme. The programme runs for 5 semesters. Tuition for international students is CAD 40,380 per total (CAD 15,183 per total for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Pharmacy
Duration: 5 semesters
Local tuition: CAD 15,183 / total
International tuition: CAD 40,380 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This diploma program at NorQuest College prepares students for work as pharmacy technicians. The curriculum covers anatomy and physiology, medication use, safety and management, pharmaceutical calculations, communication skills, and legal and ethical standards for pharmacy practice. Laboratory coursework includes compounding, sterile product preparation, repackaging, inventory management, and dispensing, using laminar airflow hoods and Kroll pharmacy management software. The program runs over five terms across two years, is delivered in person on a full-time basis, and requires courses to be taken in a preplanned sequence. Students complete 360 hours of work experience across two practicums, with schedules that can include day, evening, or night shifts on any day of the week, including weekends and holidays. The program is based at the Edmonton campus and prepares graduates to write the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada Qualifying Examination and register with the Alberta College of Pharmacy. It suits students able to commit to full-time study and work in physically and mentally demanding clinical settings.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Applicants need a high school diploma or GED, NorQuest's pharmacy technician arithmetic assessment, English Language Arts 30-1 at 60% or 30-2 at 70%, Mathematics 30-1 or 30-2 at 60%, Biology 30 at 60% and Chemistry 30 at 60%, with a free academic assessment available for a missing subject; a 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to graduate. English proficiency, set to national NAPRA standards, is met by graduating from a three-year-plus English-language high school, CEGEP, college or university program in Canada with three consecutive English courses, or by a test no more than two years old: IELTS Academic with reading, listening and speaking at 7.0 and writing at 6.5, or OET with reading, listening and speaking at grade B and writing at C+. Before practicum, applicants need a clear Police Information Check, a Vulnerable Sector Check if 18 or older, a current immunization record, N95 mask fit testing within two years, and a written and practical pre-practicum assessment; the diploma must be completed within four years and practicum may require relocation within Alberta at the applicant's cost. The programme is not currently open to international students.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants (Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or refugees) apply to NorQuest College through ApplyAlberta: applications open October 1 of the prior year for the Fall intake, February 1 for Winter, and June 1 for Spring/Summer, with the domestic deadline set as the first Friday of the term itself and offers made on a first-qualified, first-admitted basis subject to seat availability. International applicants apply through NorQuest's own virtual admissions system and face earlier fixed deadlines: June 9 for Fall, October 15 for Winter, and February 9 for Spring/Summer entry. NorQuest publishes this schedule as a recurring policy rather than year-specific dates, and does not describe admission as fully rolling, since seats are limited by program. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
