Diploma in Practical Nurse is a diploma in Nursing programme taught at NorQuest College in Edmonton, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years. Tuition for international students is CAD 53,199 per total (CAD 17,873 per total for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Nursing
Duration: 2 years
Local tuition: CAD 17,873 / total
International tuition: CAD 53,199 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This diploma program at NorQuest College prepares students for practice as a licensed practical nurse, combining classroom instruction with hands-on training in nursing skills. Learning takes place partly through the Olson Centre for Health Simulation, where students work with standardized patients, high-fidelity mannikins, and virtual reality tools. Coursework progresses through nursing practice courses covering continuing care, acute medical and surgical care, and comprehensive practice. Students complete 680 hours of clinical practicum across four placements plus 195 hours of hands-on lab practice; clinical placements can require travel of up to 100 kilometres and shifts on evenings, weekends, and holidays. The program can be completed in two years through in-person study at the Edmonton or Wetaskiwin campuses, in three years through an online-anytime format with in-person labs in Edmonton, or in two years through a blended format at Edmonton, Wetaskiwin, or a mobile rural lab. A rural pathway with a mobile training lab and local clinical placements is available for students in the Castor and Killam areas. The program suits students able to work variable shifts and manage physically demanding clinical settings.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Direct entry requires English Language Arts 30-1 at 60% or 30-2 at 70% (or ESLG 1860/1898 equivalents), Mathematics from 20-1 (60%), 20-2 (70%), 30-1 (50%), 30-2 (60%) or MATH 1524 (60%), and Biology 30 at 60%, with a free academic assessment available for a missing subject. Non-native English speakers must meet higher, program-specific bands no more than two years old: IELTS Academic with listening 7.5, speaking 7.0, reading 6.5 and writing 7.0; TOEFL iBT 94; or CELBAN with listening 10, speaking 8, reading 8 and writing 7; NorQuest's ESLG 1860 and 1861 at 50% are also accepted. Before practicum, students need a clear Police Information Check, a Vulnerable Sector Check if 18 or older, an up-to-date immunization record, current WHMIS, BLS/CPR and bloodborne-pathogen training, and N95 mask fit testing within two years. A 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to graduate and the diploma must be completed within five years; international students must confirm study-permit eligibility for clinical placements in advance.
Application Details
Start Date:January
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.
