Dalhousie Nursing admission requirements: 70% minimums, the February 15 deadline and limited seats outside Nova Scotia

For Semester 1 entry, Dalhousie asks for a 70% overall average and at least 70% in Academic English 12, Academic Math 12, Academic Biology 12 and Academic Chemistry 12, plus one more academic subject.

From Ontario, English can be ENG4U, ETS4U, EAE4U or NBEU4U. Academic math can be Data Management (MDM4U), Advanced Functions (MHF4U) or Calculus and Vectors (MCV4U). Add SBI4U and SCH4U. Plan your timetable with our course planner.

Dalhousie says that because of limited enrolment and many applicants, the program primarily serves permanent residents of Nova Scotia. Each year a limited number of Semester 1 and Semester 3 seats go to qualified residents of other Canadian provinces. International students aren't eligible for either entry point.

Dalhousie may use a competitive average, so meeting the 70% minimums doesn't guarantee admission. It doesn't publish that average or a Nursing acceptance rate; our Dalhousie acceptance rate page explains what it does publish. Work out your average with our Top 6 average calculator.

Dalhousie's nursing FAQ lists 96 Semester 1 seats and 106 Semester 3 seats at Halifax, plus 33 seats at Yarmouth (25 Semester 1 and 8 Semester 3). It calls the BScN one of its most competitive programs, and not every qualified applicant gets an offer.

There's no resume, letter of intent or other supplement. Admissions staff calculate your average, and health-related work experience isn't evaluated. Semester 1 admission is rolling once your application and transcripts are complete, and Dalhousie keeps a waitlist without sharing your place on it.

Seats are campus-specific: if you accept a Yarmouth offer, you finish the degree in Yarmouth. Dalhousie defines a Nova Scotia student by criteria such as finishing high school in Nova Scotia or living there for 12 months before classes start. The School also has an affirmative action policy for African Nova Scotian and Indigenous Nova Scotia residents who self-identify.

Apply to Dalhousie by February 15, 2027. That's the program deadline for Nursing, along with Health Sciences, Medical Sciences and Social Work. The entrance award application has the same date, and to be considered you must have applied and paid the $70 application fee.

Accept an offer by paying the admission deposit by May 1, 2027, which is also the deadline to prove English proficiency if you need to. Apply for guaranteed first-year residence by May 15, 2027.

Direct-entry students finish the BScN in three calendar years, or eight semesters, so the program runs year-round. Students with the Semester 3 prerequisites finish in two years. Dalhousie says this lets graduates enter practice a year earlier.

Sample courses include Human Physiology, Basic Human Anatomy, Human Growth and Development and Health Science Microbiology in year 1. Year 2 covers community health, the foundations of nursing practice, nursing research, and pathophysiology and therapeutics. Year 3 covers episodic illness, leadership and exploratory nursing practice.

You can earn the degree at Dalhousie's Halifax campus or its Yarmouth campus. On either campus, you take clinical courses every year, with placements in a range of health care settings.

You can also add a certificate in Perinatal and Pediatric Nursing, Public Health Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Acute/Critical Care Nursing or Oncology Nursing. Some students also work with faculty as research assistants.

Dalhousie's Nursing page describes clinical placements every year rather than a co-op option. Settings include hospitals, homes, schools, businesses, clinics and communities.

All newly admitted BScN students must hold CPR certification at the Health Care Provider (CPR-HCP) level, obtained in the year they enter, and keep it current.

Semester 3 entry is a two-year, six-semester route for students who already have 30 credit hours of university study, including anatomy, physiology, statistics, microbiology, an English writing course, a science elective and 9 credit hours of open electives. Each needs a C or better, and you need at least a 2.5 GPA.

The core prerequisites can't be more than 10 years old by your forecast graduation date, and electives no more than 15. Dalhousie places you in Semester 1 or Semester 3 based on your history, so you can't choose. Semester 3 runs full-time and year-round, and enrolment is limited.

Dalhousie lists careers in hospitals, community health, home health care and forensics, and says its graduates are pursued by national and international recruiters. Many nurses who complete graduate degrees move into advanced practice and specialty roles.

Dalhousie's 2026-27 fee schedule lists Nursing at $368.20 a billing hour, or $5,523.00 in tuition for a 15-hour term. With auxiliary, society and incidental fees, the estimate is $6,973.72 for the fall 2026 term and $6,173.93 for winter 2027. Because the program runs year-round, plan for more than two terms a year.

The 2027-28 General Entrance Award program opens October 1, 2026 and closes February 15, 2027. Dalhousie says applicants typically need an 80% average, and awards range from $1,000 to $80,000.

If you live outside Nova Scotia, treat Dalhousie Nursing as a reach. Dalhousie publishes its total seats but not how many go to students from other provinces, and it calls that number very limited.

The three-year schedule saves a year but means summer study. Check that your child is ready for year-round courses and placements.