Advanced College Diploma - Psychiatric Nursing

The Advanced College Diploma - Psychiatric Nursing at Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Saskatoon campus is a 3 year advanced college diploma preparing registered psychiatric nurses for Saskatchewan's mental-health system.

The advanced diploma combines nursing science with specialised psychiatric theory and extensive clinical placements across mental-health, addictions and community settings. Graduates are eligible to seek registration as Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) — a regulated, well-paid profession in chronic shortage across Western Canada.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic is the province of Saskatchewan’s public polytechnic, founded in 1959, with a graduate employment rate of about 96% — among the strongest in Canadian post-secondary education. Programs are co-designed with industry advisors and taught hands-on in labs, shops and simulation facilities at the Saskatoon campus, in one of Canada’s most affordable student cities. Graduates who stay and work in Saskatchewan can also pursue the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) and the province’s Graduate Retention Program, which rebates up to $20,000 of tuition through tax credits.

This program is registered under CIP code 51.3810 (Psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing) and appears on Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s published list of PGWP-eligible international programs under the post-November-2024 field-of-study rules. Programs of two academic years support a PGWP of up to three years; shorter programs support a PGWP matching program length. Eligibility lists change — verify the current Sask Polytech PGWP list and IRCC policy before applying (final decisions rest with IRCC).