- Level
- 1-Year Post Secondary Certificate
- CIP code
- 51.2601
- Duration
- 8 Months
- Field
- Nursing and Healthcare Management
- Institution
- Public College
- Offer speed
- Fast Offer Speed5–7 days
Program overview
An eight month certificate preparing graduates for frontline personal care work, covering personal care skills, safety and mobility, communication with clients, dementia care and supervised clinical practice.
Certificate in Health Care Aide is the shortest programme here at eight months, which is right at the minimum length a Canadian programme must reach to support a work permit at all, so timing leaves no margin.
Certificate in Health Care Aide is delivered by Medicine Hat College, a designated learning institution in Alberta. Because Certificate in Health Care Aide is a eight month certificate rather than a degree, the Canadian field of study requirement applies, which means the Post-Graduation Work Permit depends on this programme sitting inside an eligible field at the moment you apply. The source records Certificate in Health Care Aide as PGWP eligible, but that list is revised, so confirm it in writing before you pay a deposit. A Provincial Attestation Letter is also required.
Applicants to Certificate in Health Care Aide need Grade 12 or Class 12 at a minimum of 60 percent. Grade 12 English Language Arts is required at 50 percent or above. The English requirement is IELTS 6.0 with no section below 5.5, and tuition for Certificate in Health Care Aide is recorded at CAD 16,185 a year with a CAD 125 application fee. No scholarship is recorded. The only entry point listed is September 2027. Apply Study Visa manages the Certificate in Health Care Aide application, the deposit, the letter of acceptance and the Canadian study permit as one process.
What it costs per year · indicative
Living cost is an estimate; tuition is the institute's published international fee. We confirm exact, current figures before you pay anything.
Do you qualify?
These are the published minimums. Whether your profile fits — with your marks, gap and budget — is exactly what a free counsellor check confirms.
Admission requirements
Who can apply (guide for international students):
- Education: Grade 12 or Class 12 at 60 percent or above, with a minimum of 50 percent in Grade 12 English Language Arts.
- English (meet any one): IELTS Academic 6.0 with no section below 5.5, or TOEFL iBT 71. The programme page also accepts CELPIP General 7 with no section below 6, Canadian Language Benchmarks at 7 in each strand, and CELBAN at 7 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking. Results must be obtained within two years of the programme start date. PTE and the Duolingo English Test are not listed for this programme.
- Application and deposit: An application fee of CAD 125 applies. The cross check source records an initial deposit of CAD 15,000, which is far larger than the deposit most Canadian colleges ask for and should be confirmed in writing before any money is transferred.
- Scholarship: No scholarship is recorded for this programme. Budget the full tuition.
- Work permit: Certificate in Health Care Aide is a eight month certificate, not a degree, so the field of study test applies and PGWP eligibility must be confirmed in writing for your intake before you commit. A Provincial Attestation Letter is required. No spousal open work permit arises from this programme.
- Study permit: Apply Study Visa handles the provincial attestation letter, the study permit application and the biometrics appointment with you.
English requirements
Documents you'll need typical · we confirm yours
- Valid passport (6+ months validity)
- Class 10 & 12 marksheets and certificates
- Bachelor's degree marksheets & final certificate
- English test scorecard (IELTS / PTE / TOEFL) or MOI certificate
- Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
- Updated CV / resume
- Financial proof — bank statement / loan sanction + GIC
- Passport-size photographs
- Study-gap affidavit or work-experience letter (if applicable)
Getting documents right is the #1 reason applications succeed or get refused — our team checks every file before submission.
Career opportunities
Typical destinations for graduates:
- Health Care Aide: long term care and assisted living
- Personal Care Attendant: home care agencies
- Continuing Care Assistant: provincial care facilities
- Hospital Support Worker: acute care settings
- Community Support Worker: disability services
- Further Study: practical nursing after experience
Reality check: health care aide work in Alberta is physically demanding, shift based and modestly paid, and it is a genuine entry level role rather than a route into nursing without further study.
About Medicine Hat College
- Type
- College
- Ownership
- Public
- Rating
- ★ 4.7
- World rank
- #18392
- Reference No.
- O18795445892
