Pharmacy AssistantSAIT
Pharmacy Assistant teaches prescription processing, pharmaceutical calculations, pharmacy operations and customer service, with a final-semester practicum. The published international tuition and listed fees total $18,006.50 on an extended delivery schedule.
Plan the study budget ↓
Confirm the international schedule before budgeting your stay
The course description gives two semesters over six months for Fall entrants or eight months for Winter and Spring. The international fee table uses three semesters instead. Ask SAIT which timetable applies to your intake before choosing living-cost months. This certificate prepares pharmacy assistants; it should not be confused with the separate Pharmacy Technician qualification.
Plan the published study costs
International estimates for entry in 2026/27.
Tuition and listed additional fees
| Period | Semesters | Tuition | Additional fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 3 | $16,104.00 | $1,902.50 | $18,006.50 |
| Published program total | $18,006.50 | |||
The additional-fee column is already included in each total. The international row is labelled Year 1 and three semesters: $16,104 tuition plus $1,902.50 in already-included fees. Its extended schedule differs from the general two-semester course description; neither fixes your living-cost months.
Recheck the official cost table ↗Make a study budget
- Selected tuition and listed fees
- $18,006.50
- One international application
- $175.00
- Your living estimate
- $0.00
- Planning subtotal
- $18,181.50
Includes the selected table totals, one application and your entered living budget. It excludes unentered books, equipment, software and separately charged course costs. Use the same dollars as the published table.
Non-refundable · One application with ranked choices
Allow approximately $500 for books and supplies, plus lab scrubs and a portable Windows laptop or tablet. The program software is not Apple-compatible, and a phone is unsuitable. Police checks, the approximately $50–$100 Verified submission and possible placement travel need separate allowances.
Use the separate SAIT international application policy for the $175 payment. This program's own application paragraph quotes $120 for domestic applicants only. Check the 2027/28 alternative and your international timetable before applying.
Read the application payment guide ↗Check the academic route
SAIT assesses the documents and course equivalents for education completed outside Canada. Demonstrating English proficiency does not by itself establish that your academic subjects meet the program requirements.
Check the complete admission requirements ↗-
Current academic route
Math 30-1 or 30-2 AND English Language Arts 30-1 or 30-2, or accepted equivalents, with an overall average of at least 60% across the stated requirements. The 60% is an overall average, rather than a stated minimum in every subject.
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Alternative from 2027/28
The separate admission update allows completion of SAIT Pre-Health Sciences as an alternative to the current academic requirements. English proficiency, foreign-document assessment and applicable practicum conditions still need attention.
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Language and assessment
Demonstrate English proficiency and obtain the required assessment of education completed outside Canada. The Pharmacy Assistant requirements do not establish a PSEA or CASPer test requirement.
English proficiency is a separate requirement
Assessment results must be from within the year before your application. A transfer or deferral can require updated results when that period has passed.
Compare common tests and education routes
| IELTS Academic | 6.0 in each skill; IELTS Indicator accepted |
|---|---|
| PTE Academic | 53 |
| Duolingo | 115 overall and 95 in each Individual Subscore |
| CAEL | 60 overall and, effective Winter 2023, 60 in each skill; CAEL Online accepted |
| TOEFL before 21 January 2026 | 20 in each category; Home Edition accepted, MyBest excluded |
| TOEFL from 21 January 2026 | 4.5 overall and 4.5 in each category; Home Edition accepted, MyBest excluded |
The policy also lists CLBA/CLBPA, MET, Cambridge, Oxford Test of English, LanguageCert and Oxford ELLT. Use the official policy for their individual score requirements and for country or institution exemptions.
- Education in EnglishOfficial transcripts or a completed international assessment must verify at least three years of full-time secondary study in English at 12 or more hours a week, or at least two years of study taught in English at a recognized post-secondary institution, or a recognized English-taught credential from a SAIT-approved institution.
- A post-secondary English courseA credit course in English, comparative literature, communications or an equivalent at SAIT or a recognized post-secondary institution requires at least a C.
- English Language FoundationsThe SAIT route requires both COMN 155 and SPCH 155. Other recognized pathways have their own levels and assessment conditions; check the complete policy before choosing one.
Ten courses including the pharmacy practicum
The required courses total 24 credits, including PRAC 213. Pharmacy Services and Prescription Processing 1 are co-requisites; later processing, pharmacotherapy and practicum courses have connected prerequisites and concurrent requirements. Check that sequence when planning a reduced load. Progression and graduation require the stated 2.0 GPA standards as well as passing the required courses.
Read courses and prerequisites ↗Plan the placement documentation and travel
- The Pharmacy Assistant clinical checklist requires consent and a Police Information Check. Its immunization-document, CPR, Standard First Aid and N95 cells are marked not applicable; general health recommendations do not change those program-specific cells.
- The college recommends the health-service immunization standard and quotes possible immunization costs starting at $85, depending on history and choices. Confirm your own instructions rather than treating that estimate as a universal compulsory charge.
- SAIT considers location preferences but may assign a practicum outside Calgary, requiring travel or relocation. Arrange documents through the college's current readiness process.
Related study guides
Return to the SAIT program finder ↗Sources and planning scope
- Official program requirements and costs ↗
- English proficiency ↗
- International application policy ↗
- Health and Public Safety practicum requirements ↗
Sources checked 29 October 2026. Costs use the published 2026/27 entry estimate. Annual table labels do not determine your months of living costs. Confirm current intake availability and your own admission assessment with the institution.