- Level
- 2-Year UG Diploma
- CIP code
- 51.3901
- Duration
- 16 month college diploma with clinical placement
- Open intakes
-
Off-shoreJan 2027, May 2027
- Field
- Nursing and Healthcare Management
- Institution
- Public College
- Offer speed
- Superfast Offer Speed2–3 days
- Next deadline
- 2027-01-01
Program overview
A sixteen month Ontario College Diploma covering nursing theory, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, health assessment and clinical placements in hospital and community settings.
Practical nursing runs 16 consecutive months, not two years, so it supports a permit of about sixteen months. Admission is competitive, with an 85 to 88 percent average recommended.
The practical nursing diploma is taught at the Institute for Applied Health Sciences, a Mohawk College site on the McMaster University campus in west Hamilton, part of a public college founded in 1966. Mohawk lists the practical nursing diploma on its PGWP list under CIP 51.3901, but a programme shorter than two years supports a permit only as long as the programme itself. That makes the likely permit after the practical nursing diploma about sixteen months rather than the three years a two year diploma can support. Ontario also requires a provincial attestation letter before the practical nursing diploma can support a study permit.
Entry to the practical nursing diploma needs Grade 12 or equivalent with biology, chemistry or physics, and Mohawk recommends an 85 to 88 percent average to be competitive. The English requirement is IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0, and tuition for the practical nursing diploma is recorded at CAD 26,310. Mohawk charges a CAD 100 application fee and asks for the full first semester of tuition before it issues the acceptance and attestation letters for the practical nursing diploma. The practical nursing diploma lists six entry windows including May starts, the earliest in January 2027. Apply Study Visa handles the application for the practical nursing diploma, the first semester payment, the attestation letter 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 equivalent, at the percentage stated for this programme.
- English (meet any one): IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0; TOEFL iBT 83; PTE Academic 60 with at least 60 in writing and speaking; or the Duolingo English Test at 115 with no band below 105.
- Application and payment: Mohawk charges a non-refundable CAD 100 application fee. Full first semester tuition must be paid before Mohawk issues the letter of acceptance and the provincial attestation letter. If your study permit is refused, Mohawk refunds tuition paid less a CAD 250 administrative fee, provided you apply within 60 days of the programme start date and upload the refusal letter.
- Scholarship: No entrance scholarship is recorded against this programme. Mohawk runs awards and bursaries for enrolled students, but they are competitive and not guaranteed, so budget the full tuition.
- Additional requirement: A police record check with vulnerable sector screening, immunisations and CPR are required before placement, and an unpardoned criminal record can block entry to placement. Grade 12 English and Grade 11 or 12 mathematics are expected, and health and technology streams can require specific sciences. Admission is competitive: Mohawk recommends an average of 85 to 88 percent in the required courses.
- Work rights: Mohawk lists this programme under CIP 51.3901, but at sixteen months it supports a permit of about the same length, not three years. A PGWP also requires a language test at CLB 5 in all four abilities, taken within two years of applying. This is separate from the English test you need for admission. No open work permit for a spouse or partner, since IRCC now limits those to master, doctoral and select professional programmes.
- Study permit: Apply Study Visa prepares the attestation letter request, the financial evidence and the Canadian study permit submission with you.
English requirements
Documents you'll need typical · we confirm yours
- Valid passport (6+ months validity)
- Class 10 & 12 marksheets and certificates
- English test scorecard (IELTS / PTE / TOEFL) or MOI certificate
- Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- 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:
- Registered Practical Nurse: after registration
- Hospital Nurse: acute care
- Long Term Care Nurse: residential care
- Community Nurse: home care
- Clinic Nurse: physician practices
- Registered Nurse: after further study
Reality check: Graduates must pass the REx-PN exam and register with the College of Nurses of Ontario.
About Mohawk College
- Type
- College
- Ownership
- Public
- Rating
- ★ 4.5
- Established
- 1966
- Reference No.
- O19376045902
