Aurora College nursing programs in the Northwest Territories: a student guide
Aurora College is the public college of the Northwest Territories, with campuses in Fort Smith (Thebacha), Inuvik (Aurora) and Yellowknife (North Slave). This page summarizes the nursing-related programs shown on its official site, focusing on the Yellowknife campus.
What the school offers (nursing)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN): a four-year degree delivered at the Yellowknife North Slave Campus through a degree-granting partnership with the University of Victoria (the credential is titled “University of Victoria at Aurora College Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree”).
- Practical Nurse: a two-year diploma, listed at the Yellowknife North Slave Campus and by distance delivery. Aurora says graduates become eligible to write the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam.
- Licensed Practical Nurse Bridge-In Program, plus Personal Support Worker and Community Health Representative programs in the same School of Health and Human Services.
- Aurora states that it sits on the traditional territories and homeland of the Dene, Inuvialuit, Métis and Cree peoples, which shapes its northern focus.
Becoming licensed after graduating
Nursing registration in the NWT and Nunavut is handled by the College of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (CNNN). Its new-graduate page says registered nurse applicants write the NCLEX-RN and practical nurse applicants write the CPNRE, and that new graduates may be eligible for a temporary license while waiting for results. It also asks you to confirm that your program is CNNN-approved. Exams, fees and timelines change, so read the CNNN page before you plan.
How to apply
Aurora has its own online application page (link below) and lists a phone line and email for questions. For the Practical Nurse diploma, its program page describes an Academic Pathway and a Previous Nursing Education pathway, and asks for official transcripts, a reference letter, a criminal records check and immunization records. We did not find a territorial central application service for these programs, so apply directly and confirm current steps with Aurora.
How Fiabita’s Study Lab can help students here
If you study practical nursing or the BScN here, Study Lab can turn your own course notes into quizzes and flashcards for pharmacology, assessment and charting, and explain the rationale behind answers. It is built around your material, so it suits students who study remotely or between clinical blocks.
Fiabita is not affiliated with Aurora College, and Study Lab does not replace your program or your instructors. AI-generated content can contain errors, so check it against your course material.
Sources
- Aurora College: School of Health and Human Services
- Aurora College: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Aurora College: Practical Nurse
- Aurora College: how to apply
- CNNN: new student graduate registration
Last checked October 2026. Programs, dates and rules change, so always confirm with the school and the regulator.
Related: nursing programs guide · all healthcare schools