Six career-ready programs preparing graduates for Alberta's rapidly growing healthcare sector — from clinical support roles to healthcare administration.
| Program | Credential | Duration | Domestic Tuition | Intake | Practicum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Administration | Certificate | 10 months | $4,200 | Fall & Winter | Yes — 120 hrs |
| Mental Health & Addictions Support | Certificate | 1 year | $5,100 | Fall | Yes — 200 hrs |
| Personal Support Worker (PSW) | Certificate | 6 months | $3,400 | Fall, Winter, Spring | Yes — 160 hrs |
| Pharmacy Technician | Diploma | 2 years | $6,800/yr | Fall | Yes — 300 hrs |
| Dental Office Administration | Certificate | 8 months | $3,900 | Fall & Winter | Yes — 80 hrs |
| Health Information Management | Certificate | 1 year | $4,600 | Fall | No |
Healthcare facilities depend on skilled administrators to manage patient records, coordinate appointments, process insurance claims, and ensure regulatory compliance. This 10-month certificate prepares graduates to work in hospitals, medical clinics, long-term care facilities, dental offices, physiotherapy clinics, and other healthcare settings. Students complete a 120-hour practicum placement in a real healthcare environment, giving them hands-on experience before graduation.
Ideal for students who want to work in a healthcare environment but prefer administrative and coordination roles over direct patient care. Strong candidates are detail-oriented, enjoy working with people, and are comfortable with medical software and terminology.
BrightlyEd coordinates placements with over 40 partner facilities across Calgary including Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health, Rockyview General Hospital, and numerous private clinics. Students are matched to facilities aligned with their career goals.
Demand for mental health and addictions support workers in Alberta has increased significantly following the COVID-19 pandemic. This one-year certificate prepares students to work alongside counsellors, social workers, and clinical teams in shelters, recovery houses, outpatient programs, and community agencies. The program covers foundational counselling skills, trauma-informed care, addiction theory, harm reduction approaches, crisis intervention, and a 200-hour supervised practicum.
This certificate prepares graduates for support and paraprofessional roles — not independent clinical practice. Graduates work under the supervision of registered professionals (psychologists, social workers, counsellors). For clinical licensure, a degree-level credential is required.
Alberta's aging population has created extraordinary demand for Personal Support Workers. PSWs assist clients with activities of daily living — bathing, dressing, meal preparation, mobility support, medication reminders — in home care, long-term care facilities, group homes, and assisted living. This six-month accelerated certificate includes First Aid/CPR Level C certification, WHMIS, Safe Patient Handling, and a mandatory 160-hour practicum placement.
PSW graduates typically receive job offers before graduation. Alberta Continuing Care Association reports a persistent shortage of approximately 4,000 support workers across the province. BrightlyEd graduates have been hired by Carewest, AgeCare, Extendicare, and numerous home care agencies.
Pharmacy Technicians are regulated health professionals in Alberta (registered with the Alberta College of Pharmacy). They assist pharmacists with dispensing medications, processing prescriptions, managing drug inventory, and counselling patients on non-prescription products. This two-year diploma meets the educational requirements for the ACP Qualifying Examination. The program includes pharmacology, pharmaceutical calculations, pharmacy law, sterile compounding, and a 300-hour practicum split between community and hospital pharmacy settings.
Graduates are eligible to write the Pharmacy Technician Qualifying Examination (OSPE + OSCE) administered by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) and then register with the Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP). BrightlyEd's curriculum is aligned with PEBC competency requirements.
Dental offices require skilled administrators who understand both office management and dental-specific systems. This eight-month certificate covers dental terminology, charting, treatment planning workflows, dental insurance billing (Alberta Blue Cross, Sun Life, Great-West Life, Manulife), dental software (Dentrix, Abeldent), infection control protocols, and patient communication. An 80-hour practicum at a Calgary dental practice rounds out the program with real-world experience.
Health Information Management (HIM) professionals are responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and security of health records. As Alberta Health Services transitions to digital records and population health analytics, demand for HIM professionals is growing rapidly. This one-year certificate covers ICD-10-CA clinical coding, health data analytics, electronic health record (EHR) systems, data quality, privacy legislation (FOIP, PIPA, HIA), and health statistics. No practicum is required — graduates are ready to work in medical records departments immediately upon graduation.
This certificate provides foundational preparation for students who wish to pursue the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) certification. Graduates may apply credit toward CHIMA's Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) designation via recognized bridging programs.
Applications for Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 intakes are open now. Many health programs fill quickly — apply early.