Dawson College nursing (DEC 180.A0): guide for Montréal students
Dawson College is an English-language college in Montréal, and one of the few places in Québec to study the nursing DEC in English. This page gathers what Dawson publishes and what comes after graduation.
What the school offers (nursing)
Dawson offers the DEC in Nursing (180.A0), taught in English at its Montréal campus. The college describes it as a three-year program that can be completed in three or four years.
- Clinical placements begin in the first semester.
- Teaching uses Dawson's labs and simulation rooms, including high-fidelity mannequins that, in the college's words, breathe and react to interventions.
- The sixth semester ends with a clinical internship of 32 hours per week with a preceptor in hospital settings.
- Prerequisites listed by the college include a Secondary IV science course, Secondary V Chemistry and placement in college-level English; check the page for the exact course codes and what counts as equivalent.
Becoming licensed after graduating
The college states that graduates must pass the licensing exam of the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) to practise as registered nurses. It also notes that people who completed their post-secondary education outside Québec may have to pass a French test for the Québec licence. Because you study in English, plan for working and registering in a French-language professional system, and confirm current requirements with the OIIQ.
How to apply
Dawson says you submit an online application through its own Dawson College Application System (not SRAM). Its admissions FAQ gives a fall deadline of March 1 and a winter deadline of November 1, with applications received by the deadline given first priority. Confirm current dates and whether nursing is open for a given intake.
How Fiabita's Study Lab can help students here
English-language training followed by a French-language licensing environment makes bilingual vocabulary useful. Study Lab can help you practise clinical terms and cases in both English and French from your own notes. Pharmacology, assessment and documentation are common pressure points when placements start in semester one. Study Lab is independent from Dawson College, and AI-generated content can contain errors, so validate it against your course material.
Sources
Last checked October 2026. Programs, requirements and dates change: always confirm on the official pages above.