Canada’s three territories cover more than a third of the country’s land but have only a handful of nursing programmes. Each one is designed to train nurses from the North, for the North, often in partnership with a southern university. This guide explains every route to a nursing career in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and what to expect.
Imagine growing up in a community reached only by plane, where the nurse at the health centre is the person everyone turns to. You want to be that nurse. Leaving for a big southern city for four years feels like a huge step. Programmes in Yellowknife, Iqaluit and Whitehorse exist so you can train closer to home and return to serve your own region.
How nursing education works in the territories
None of the territories has a large university with its own nursing faculty, so northern colleges partner with established universities in the south. Students usually study in the North, with some clinical placements in larger southern hospitals, and graduate with a degree awarded by the partner university. Because there are no big rankings or federal datasets for these programmes, this guide describes each option rather than ranking them. All lead to eligibility to write the NCLEX-RN (for registered nurses) or the practical nurse exam, and to apply for registration.
| Territory | Programme | Delivered by | Degree or credential | Main location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Territories | Bachelor of Science in Nursing | Aurora College with the University of Victoria | BSN (University of Victoria) | Yellowknife |
| Nunavut | Arctic Nursing BScN | Nunavut Arctic College with Dalhousie University | BScN (Dalhousie University) | Iqaluit |
| Yukon | Practical Nurse diploma | Yukon University | Diploma (licensed practical nurse) | Whitehorse |
| Yukon | Learn Where You Live virtual Bachelor of Nursing for LPNs | University of New Brunswick with the Government of Yukon | BN (University of New Brunswick) | Online from Yukon |
Northwest Territories: Aurora College BSN
Aurora College offers a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing in person at its North Slave campus in Yellowknife, through a degree-granting partnership with the University of Victoria in British Columbia. Graduates receive a University of Victoria degree. The college is in the process of transforming into a polytechnic university, which is expected to strengthen degree programmes in the territory.
- Length: four years, starting in September
- Admission: high school English, Math and Biology plus one other science (Alberta or BC curriculum), with at least 65% in each; Aurora College’s University and College Access Program (UCAP) nursing pathway is also accepted
- Priority: Indigenous applicants, long-term NWT residents and UCAP graduates are given priority when their applications are complete
- LPN bridge: registered licensed practical nurses who complete the Aurora College LPN Bridge-In programme can enter year two
- Placements: clinical places in the NWT are limited, so some students relocate for consolidated clinical semesters
- Best for: NWT residents who want a full nursing degree in the North, with a route from practical nursing to RN
The Arctic Nursing programme was developed jointly by Nunavut Arctic College and Dalhousie University’s School of Nursing in Halifax. It is delivered in Iqaluit, with much of the coursework remote, and graduates receive a Dalhousie degree. It aims to increase the number of Inuit and Nunavut-trained nurses working in the territory’s health centres.
- Length: four years
- Admission: at least 18 years old, a Grade 12 diploma with a 70% overall average including Math, Science and English (70% minimum in each), and at least one year of Nunavut residency
- Application: through Nunavut Arctic College, with a letter of interest, three references, transcripts and a criminal record and vulnerable sector check; an interview may be used
- Priority: Nunavut Land Claims Agreement beneficiaries and graduates of Nunavut secondary schools
- Placements: third-year clinical placements in Halifax and a fourth-year placement in a smaller Nunavut community
- Best for: Nunavummiut who want to train as registered nurses and serve their own communities
Yukon: practical nursing and a virtual degree pathway
Yukon does not yet have an in-territory four-year bachelor’s degree for new nursing students. Instead, there are two main routes.
Yukon University Practical Nurse diploma
Yukon University in Whitehorse offers a Practical Nurse diploma, preparing students to write the national practical nurse exam and work as licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in hospitals, continuing care and community settings. It is the main entry point to nursing within the territory.
Learn Where You Live: virtual BN for Yukon LPNs
Since 2024, the Government of Yukon and the University of New Brunswick have run a virtual Bachelor of Nursing pathway for licensed practical nurses working in Yukon. LPNs apply through their employer, such as Yukon Hospital Corporation, the Department of Health and Social Services or Kwanlin Dün First Nation, and study online while continuing to live and work in the territory. Tuition is shared: the Yukon government covers one third, employers are encouraged to cover one third, and students pay the remainder. The first cohort had 13 nurses and the second 14; a third cohort begins in fall 2026, with graduation expected in 2029. Graduates can write the NCLEX-RN and are expected to work as registered nurses in Yukon’s public sector.
Many Yukon students who want to go straight into a four-year degree study in British Columbia or Alberta, where several universities offer programmes. See our guides to the best nursing schools in British Columbia and Alberta.
What nursing is like in the North
Nursing in the territories is unlike nursing almost anywhere else in Canada. In many small communities there is no hospital, and nurses at community health centres provide primary care, emergency care, maternal and child health, mental health support and public health, often with a physician available only by phone or on periodic visits. Medical evacuations by air are part of daily life. Nurses work with a high degree of independence and need strong assessment skills.
- Culturally safe care: working respectfully with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, understanding the legacy of colonialism and residential schools, and supporting Indigenous languages and traditional knowledge
- Health challenges: higher rates of tuberculosis in some regions, respiratory infections, diabetes, mental health and addiction challenges, and food insecurity
- Isolation and climate: long, dark winters, extreme cold and high living costs, especially for fresh food
- Rewards: deep relationships with communities, varied clinical work and often generous northern allowances and benefits
Becoming registered in the territories
Registered nurses in Canada outside Quebec write the NCLEX-RN, and practical nurses write the national practical nurse exam (REx-PN in most jurisdictions). In the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, registered nurses are regulated by the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Yukon has its own nursing regulation. Check the current regulator for your territory before applying, as rules and fees change.
Funding and support for northern students
- Territorial student financial assistance: each territory offers grants and loans for residents studying in the territory or elsewhere in Canada
- Indigenous funding: First Nations, Inuit organisations and land claim beneficiary organisations often provide education funding and scholarships
- Return-of-service bursaries: some governments and employers fund studies in return for a commitment to work in the territory after graduating
- Access and bridging programmes: such as Aurora College’s UCAP, which help students meet entry requirements
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a nursing degree without leaving the territories?
In the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, yes, though some clinical placements may be in the south. In Yukon, LPNs can complete a virtual degree; new students usually start with the practical nurse diploma or study in another province.
Can students from outside the territories apply?
Northern programmes give priority to residents, Indigenous applicants and land claim beneficiaries, and some require territorial residency, so places for outside applicants are limited.
Can nurses from other provinces work in the North?
Yes. Territories regularly recruit registered nurses and nurse practitioners from across Canada, including on short-term contracts, often with travel and housing support.
But is a northern programme as good as a big southern university?
Northern programmes award degrees from established universities, meet national nursing standards and prepare you for the same licensing exams. What they offer that southern schools cannot is training rooted in northern communities, cultures and health needs. For students who want to nurse in the North, that can be the strongest preparation of all.
Your next step: Contact the nursing programme in your territory to ask about the next intake, deadlines and funding, and check whether you meet the high school course requirements.
Related: Moving to Canada as a nurse · Nurse salaries in Canada by province · Tuberculosis guide
Sources: Aurora College (Bachelor of Science in Nursing), Dalhousie University (Arctic Nursing BScN), Yukon University (Practical Nurse), Government of Yukon (Learn Where You Live nursing program, 2026), Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Programmes and fees change; always confirm with the school.
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