More and more opportunities are opening for students who want to stay closer to home in Northern B.C. while they earn their degrees in a variety of health-care disciplines.

This past spring, the provincial government announced new seats for physical therapy, occupational therapy and nursing at UNBC.

UNBC will partner with the University of British Columbia to expand its Master of Physical Therapy program in the North with the anticipated first intake of 20 first-year students in September 2020 in Prince George.

In partnership with UNBC, UBC will also expand its Master of Occupational Therapy program in the North, with 16 first-year students in September 2022.

“This is great news for students and communities in the North,” said UNBC President Dr. Daniel Weeks. “We’re excited about this partnership and launching a joint northern program to support students who want to pursue careers as occupational and physical therapists. As we’ve learned from the success of our academic programming and alumni community, we know that when we train students in the North, they are more likely to stay in the North.”

Post-secondary nursing students in the northeast region of the province can also stay closer to home thanks to a new five semester, two-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to be offered out of Fort St. John.

The first class of 16 students, operating out of Northern Lights College’s campus, is expected to be up and running by September 2020. Students who apply must have a minimum of 60 university transfer credits, with the program set to support 32 students at full capacity.

The nursing program is a partnership between UNBC, Northern Lights College, Northern Health and the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.