Great Plains College

Great Plains College provides certificates, diplomas, undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as safety training, adult basic education and English-language education, in six locations in western Saskatchewan. The programs include business, early childhood education, practical nursing, welding and power engineering. For safety education, Great Plains College offers the only indoor fall protection and rig rescue tower in the province. Its six-week heavy equipment operator program allows students to learn through field projects and training on state-of-the-art Cat simulators.

Campuses are located in Swift Current, Kindersley, Warman, Biggar, Maple Creek and Martensville. At the Swift Current campus, students can take the first year of almost any University of Regina or University of Saskatchewan degree, and are also able to complete a full social work degree. A new residence is open this year at the Swift Current campus, made up of 12 bedrooms plus shared kitchen and living spaces. Great Plains is one of seven regional colleges in Saskatchewan that broker courses created by other schools in the province and across Canada.

Quick facts

School size:
Small

Tuition:
Diploma $5,500-$7,600
Certificate $5,500-$6,200

Residence offerings:
Yes

Popular programs

Continuing Care Assistant Certificate
Early Childhood Education
Practical Nursing Diploma
Business Certificate
Heavy Equipment Operator

Cool options

Master of Business Administration in Community Economic Development: This hybrid online/in-person program allows students to earn an MBA through Cape Breton University while studying at the college’s Warman campus, and specializes in strategic leadership, First Nations economic development and public policy.

Welding: Students learn to perform welding operations. The program also hosts an annual fundraiser called Carhartts and Caviar, where students research, design and build pieces of metal art to be auctioned off.

Heavy Equipment Operator: Students learn in a state-of-the-art simulator lab and then use the machines on real work sites.