Rural Community Route
Residents of rural communities can earn a baccalaureate degree to become a registered nurse without leaving their home community
- Multiple program sites across Alberta
(Program sites may be subject to change) - Program delivered using a blended model of online and in-person learning
Students must have a laptop computer for some in-person classes and activities - Students must be prepared to travel within the program catchment area for clinical placements
* Applicants must meet residency requirements for the program site they are applying to at the time of application and for the duration of the program.
Locations
Currently the Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Rural Community Route is offered in Drayton Valley, Wainwright, Bonnyville, Drumheller and Claresholm. The University of Calgary also offers a BScN program at our main campus in Calgary, and a collaborative BScN program at Medicine Hat College.
Rural Community Map
Service Regions
Each program site has a geographical service region which students must reside in. The exact details of each service region may vary between sites due to agreements with regional practice partners, however generally students must reside within a certain distance of the program site, be Alberta residents, and not reside within major urban centres.
Students must reside within the service region of their desired program site (outside of a major urban centre) at the time of application and for the duration of the program.
The next admission at the Wainwright site will be for Fall 2026
- 3.25 -3.5 year degree program
- September admission only
- Labs in-person at Wainwright Health Centre
- Clinical placements within the Wainwright area
- Applicants must reside within 130 km of Wainwright and be Alberta residents
Excludes major urban centres
The next admission at the Drayton Valley site will be for Fall 2027
- 3.25 -3.5 year degree program
- September admission only
- Labs in-person in Drayton Valley
- Clinical placements within the Drayton Valley area
- Applicants must reside within 130 km of Drayton Valley and be Alberta residents
Excludes major urban centres
The next admission at the Bonnyville site will be for Fall 2026
The Bonnyville site will offer admission through both the Rural Community Route and Indigenous Community Route.
- 3.25 - 3.5 year degree program
- September admission only
- Labs in-person in Bonnyville
- Clinical placements within the Bonnyville area
- Applicants must reside within 150 km of Bonnyville and be Alberta residents
Excludes major urban centres
The first admission at the Drumheller site will be for Fall 2026
- 3.25 -3.5 year degree program
- September admission only
- Clinical placements within the Drumheller area
- Labs held on the University of Calgary campus
- Applicants must reside within 130 km of Drumheller and be Alberta residents
Excludes major urban centres
The first admission at the Claresholm site will be for Fall 2026
- 3.25 -3.5 year degree program
- September admission only
- Clinical placements within the Claresholm area, including in Claresholm, High River, Diamond Valley and other communities
- Labs held on the University of Calgary campus
- Applicants must reside within the following service region: from Claresholm north to the Calgary metro area, including the communities of Nanton, Vulcan, High River and Diamond Valley and their surrounding areas, not exceeding a distance of 130 Km from Claresholm and excluding major urban centres.
The last admission to the Bachelor of Nursing program at Portage College was Winter 2024. Students previously admitted at the Portage College site will complete their program as planned.
This region of Alberta continues to be served by the Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the Bonnyville site.
Supplemental Application Materials
All qualified applications to the Rural Community Route are considered holistically by a committee in the Faculty of Nursing. Admission to the Rural Community Route is competitive, and application does not guarantee admission. The holistic application review takes into account the personal statement and overall academic history of each applicant.
Applications will be considered by the Faculty of Nursing on a rolling basis. As such, applicants are encouraged to apply early and submit all supporting documents as soon as possible in order to be reviewed.
Learn more about the BScN Rural Community Route in this recent information session recording!
First year of rural community nursing program begins in Drayton Valley
Nine students from the Drayton Valley area are set to commence their studies and gain hands-on training on their way to obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree all without having to leave their home community.
Senior nurses share hard-earned wisdom with student nurses
It’s natural for any new nurse to feel a kind of stage fright. Yet every nurse — no matter how seasoned they may be today — once stood in their shoes at the starting line.
To bridge that gap, Alberta Health Services’ senior nurses recently answered career questions submitted by third-year nursing students from the University of Calgary. With topics from how to choose a specialty to building confidence in practice, nurses shared their honest, hard-won wisdom shaped by their years on the floor and early days in nursing.
Drayton Valley embraces plan to boost rural nursing
AHS, UCalgary team up to bring Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to town
New rural nursing program in Wainwright allows mother of 12 to pursue career while living in home community
Gaeleen Ratté among first cohort in pilot program of UCalgary Nursing's Rural Community Route in Wainwright
Dr. Zahra Shajani speaks to CBC Edmonton AM about the nursing program in Wainwright. Listen now
Have questions or want more information? Contact the Indigenous Student Liaison