At Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, Canada, Health Care Assistant Certificate is offered as a certificate in Health Sciences programme. The programme runs for 27 weeks, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 162 per credit for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Certificate
Field:Health Sciences
Duration: 27 weeks
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 162 / credit
Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Health Care Assistant Certificate provides training on hands-on care and support the physical, emotional, environmental and social needs of older adults in acute care, assisted living or home support. You will apply what you learn in care facilities, assisted living facilities and private homes in the community. Through in-class instruction, practical experience in our state-of-the art nursing labs and clinical instruction, you will learn to provide care to those in need of support. You will graduate with an understanding of effective team work and the ethics and communication skills required to care for older adults despite their varying needs.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Requirements: successful completion of Grade 11 as a minimum, with Grade 12 preferred, or equivalent; and a minimum grade of B, or the equivalent, in one of these Grade 11 English courses: Literary Studies 11; Composition 11; New Media 11; Creative Writing 11; Spoken Language 11; or the English First Peoples versions - EFP Literary Studies and Writing 11, EFP Literary Studies and New Media 11, and EFP Literary Studies and Spoken Language 11. Applicants who are not native English speakers must meet the minimum English language competency requirements set province-wide for BC Health Care Assistant Programs — this is a provincial standard for the credential, not TRU's general undergraduate English rule, so check that document rather than assuming the university-wide score. AGE: under British Columbia's Community Care and Assisted Living Act, Residential Care Regulation, you must have turned 19, or turn 19 within the program's first four months. The certificate runs 27 weeks at the Kamloops campus and places students in care facilities, assisted living facilities and private homes.
Application Details
Start Date:Intakes: September (Fall), January (Winter) and May (Summer), as listed on TRU's program page.
Application Deadline:No separate date is published for this program, so TRU's general undergraduate deadlines apply. Domestic applicants (Canadian citizens and permanent residents): 1 May for the September (Fall) intake; 1 September for the January (Winter) intake; 1 January for the May (Summer) intake. International applicants work to a separate published set, which differs for the winter and summer intakes: 1 May for September; 1 October for January; 1 February for May. Applications for most programs open 1 October. A deadline falling on a weekend or statutory holiday moves to the next working day, and TRU keeps accepting applications after the date where space remains, though high-volume programs can close early.
