Offered by Selkirk College in Castlegar, Canada, Practical Nursing Diploma is a diploma in Health Sciences programme. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 7,500 per total for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Health Sciences
Duration: 2 years
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 7,500 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Practical Nursing Diploma provides a learning experience that is integrated, professional, collaborative and culturally sensitive with an aim to prepare graduates to care for individuals (and, by extension, families of individuals) at multiple life stages and in a variety of practice settings.
The Provincial Practical Nursing Program (PPNP) is designed to provide learners with the knowledge, skills, judgements and attitudes to perform to the full range of competencies as identified by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM). Consistent with the BCCNM Scope of Practice: Standards, Limits and Conditions, the focus for beginner’s practice is the “promotion, maintenance and restoration of health, with a focus on clients with stable or predictable states of health.” Additionally, upon successful completion of the program, learners will possess the competencies to successfully complete the regulatory exam for practical nurses, the REx-PN.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission to the Provincial Practical Nursing Program requires BC high-school graduation and the following BC Provincial Curriculum courses (or equivalents), each at a minimum of 67%: English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12, Anatomy and Physiology 12 (Biology 12), and Math 11 Foundations. English-language proficiency can instead be met by three years of full-time, face-to-face secondary or post-secondary study where English was the language of instruction; applicants who don't meet that must present IELTS Academic scores of at least Speaking 7.0, Listening 7.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 7.0 and Overall 7.0, or CELBAN scores of at least Speaking 8.0, Listening 10.0, Reading 8.0 and Writing 7.0. A complete file also needs the Selkirk and PNP application forms, a requisite skills and abilities declaration, an English-language declaration, official transcripts, and a BC Ministry of Justice criminal record check. Seats are offered first-qualified, first-served, with priority registration reserved for qualified Indigenous applicants and for students in Selkirk's Academic Upgrading pathway; a non-refundable seat deposit secures an offer, and unfilled seats go to a waitlist.
Application Details
Start Date:Winter
Application Deadline:Selkirk College's general programmes admit on a rolling, first-qualified-first-admitted basis: applications for Fall 2027 open 1 October 2026, Winter 2028 applications open 1 February 2027, and Spring 2028 applications open 1 June 2027, with no fixed closing date. Both domestic and international applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC, or international applicants may instead apply directly to Selkirk with a $100 application package; admission stays rolling until seats fill. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is competitive-entry with its own published timeline for the 2027/28 intake. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
