International Students are not eligible for this program. Please see here for programs that International students can apply for: International student programs.
Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to provide holistic care to people with diverse health needs with the Certificate in Health Care Assisting. You’ll learn how to assist people with grooming, support them in taking part in social and recreational activities, and help them maintain mobility. The general focus of this program is caring for clients with physical care needs and/or dementia. You'll also get multiple supervised practice experiences in health-care settings.
Become certified in health care
After you receive your credential, you can register with the BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry, which makes you eligible to work at publicly funded health-care settings across the province.
Job opportunities
Surveys show that 96 percent of our Health Care Assisting graduates are working in the field after graduation. (Source: B.C. Student Outcomes).
NOTE: International students are not currently eligible for this program. For more information, contact Douglas College International.
Applicants must meet the admission requirements listed below:
Academic Admission Requirements:
HCA Program Entry English Language Competency Requirements:
| Applicants who provide evidence of three (3) years of full-time instruction in English* must also provide proof of one (1) of the following: | Applicants who cannot provide evidence of three years of full-time instruction in English* are required to provide proof of one (1) of the following standard proficiency tests from an authorized assessment agency: |
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*Defined as three (3) years of full-time secondary and/or post-secondary education at a recognized institution on the list of Approved English-Speaking Countries (see below). Secondary education will be considered starting from grade 8. English as a Second Language (ESL) courses will not be considered.
Countries with English language systems/ intuitions where English is a primary, official language and the language used for education
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American Samoa |
Falkland Islands |
Malta |
South Africa |
Non-Academic Admission Requirements
Prerequisites for Practice Education
Calculate your tuition and see the approximate cost of taking your program at Douglas College with the tuition and fee estimator. See costs broken down into categories including tuition fees, textbooks, student activity fees, U-Pass and more.
For more information, refer to the tuition fee charts.
Curriculum Framework
Course Requirements:
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Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
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Semester 1 |
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Concepts for Practice |
3.00 |
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Lifestyle and Introduction to Practice |
3.00 |
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Interpersonal Communications |
3.00 |
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3.00 |
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Personal Care & Assistance I |
4.50 |
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Applied Practice Experience I |
2.00 |
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Semester 2 |
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Common Health Challenges II |
3.00 |
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Cognitive and Mental Health Challenges |
3.00 |
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Personal Care & Assistance II |
3.00 |
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Applied Practice Experience II |
3.75 |
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Applied Practice Experience III |
3.75 |
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Total Credits |
35.00 |
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Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.
For entry English 10 with a C (or equivalent) to meet the program admission requirements for entry to the HCA program.
Personal traits that help a student succeed in this program include:
Special academic requirements
These requirements apply to all program options. See individual program options for additional program requirements.
Health Region On-line Orientation (Student Practice Education Core Orientation) completion is required prior to first clinical placement. Information will be provided during program orientation.
NOTE: A driver’s license allowing unaccompanied vehicle operation and access to a vehicle are strongly recommended to ensure the required one-week clinical placement in Home Support.
Health care assistants work in homes, care facilities, assisted living facilities and a variety of settings.
Career opportunities include: