Diploma in Practical Nursing is a diploma in Nursing programme offered by Nova Scotia Community College in Halifax, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years. Tuition for international students is CAD 13,505 per year (CAD 3,800 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Nursing
Duration: 2 years
Local tuition: CAD 3,800 / year
International tuition: CAD 13,505 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Practical Nursing at Nova Scotia Community College is a two-year diploma covering nursing theory and practice across anatomy and physiology, nursing skills, health assessment, alterations in health of adults, oncology and palliative care, maternal-child nursing, mental health nursing, and community nursing. Mandatory clinical placements give students experience in medical-surgical, geriatric, obstetrics, pediatrics, mental health, public health, community care, and home care settings, with shifts that can fall on weekdays, evenings, nights, weekends, or holidays and range from six to twelve hours. The program is delivered both in-person and through a Blended Flex format that combines online synchronous and asynchronous study, hybrid classes, and mandatory in-person skills labs, and it runs at multiple NSCC campuses across Nova Scotia. It suits students able to work as part of a team, adapt to shift work, and manage the physical and emotional demands of clinical care, including occasional emergency situations, preparing them for practice as licensed practical nurses.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Nova Scotia Community College requires a High School Graduation Diploma or equivalent, including Grade 12 Academic English, Grade 12 Academic Math, and two further Grade 12 Academic Sciences chosen from Biology, Chemistry or Physics; applicants short a credit can complete it through NSCC's Academic and Career Connections program. The programme states that students must have an excellent ability to speak, write, listen and read in English to work with complex clinical terminology, and it points applicants to NSCC's institution-wide English proficiency requirement, met with IELTS Academic at a minimum 6.0 on each band, TOEFL iBT 80 overall (pre-January 2026), Duolingo English Test 115 overall with no subscore below 95, CAEL Band 60, CanTest 4.5 average, or PTE Academic 55, or by exemption (e.g. Canadian Grade 12 English). A current criminal record check and vulnerable sector check are required before clinical placement, and First Aid/CPR certification plus documented immunizations are required for graduation.
Application Details
Start Date:September and January
Application Deadline:Domestic (Canadian and permanent resident) applicants apply directly to NSCC on a first-come, first-served basis with no fixed opening or closing date; because many of the college's 140+ programmes fill quickly, applicants are advised to apply as early as possible. International admissions run on a fixed annual cycle: the 2026/27 academic year's international deadline was 1 April 2026 and that intake is now closed, with the college stating international applications will re-open in late September 2026 for a future intake. NSCC has not yet published a firm international deadline for the next (2027/28) academic year, so domestic admission is rolling while international admission follows an annual deadline once applications reopen. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
