I am an internationally educated nurse, how can I become a nurse in Alberta?

Individuals with a nursing degree from another country can have your education assessed by the College & Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA) to determine how your education is recognized in the province of Alberta.  CARNA can determine if your current education is acceptable for licensure as a RN in Alberta or if further education at the undergraduate level is required.  For more information, please refer to the International Applicants section of CARNA's website.  Individuals may also wish to have your education assessed by the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA) to determine if your current education is acceptable for licensure as an LPN in Alberta.  For more information, please refer to the Internationally Educated Nurses section of CLPNA's website.

If CARNA determines your education is not sufficient to practice as a Registered Nurse in Alberta, you may be eligible for a shorter program specifically designed for international nurses such as the Bridge to Canadian Nursing program offered through Mount Royal University.    

The University of Alberta does not offer a specific program for internationally educated nurses, so if you would like to be considered for admission to the University of Alberta Faculty of Nursing, you can submit an application either for our 4 year BScN-Collaborative Program or for our 2 year BScN-After Degree Program at www.ualberta.ca/apply.  After you apply and follow through the application steps outlined at www.nursing.ualberta.ca/Undergraduate/ApplicationProcess, our Admissions office would assess your application to see if you would be eligible for either of these programs based on your previous coursework.  

Assessments cannot be done until after you have applied and then submitted all required transcripts and documents.  Faculty of Nursing staff cannot conduct in-person assessments of transcripts or other documents.