Paramedic Science - Accelerated Route - BSc (Hons)
Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.
If you are already have experience as an Ambulance Technician, and are looking to take your career further, this course will enable you to further your professional expertise, and prepare you to practise as a paramedic....
- Level Undergraduate
- Study mode Full Time
- Award BSc (Hons)
- Start date September 2025
- Fees View course fees
- Subject
- Location City South
This course is:
Overview
If you are already have experience as an Ambulance Technician, and are looking to take your career further, this course will enable you to further your professional expertise, and prepare you to practise as a paramedic.
This two-year accelerated course builds upon your Ambulance Technician experience and education to prepare you to apply for registration as a paramedic with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
You will undertake years 2 and 3 of the full BSc course, learning alongside students on the three year course, in order to enhance the learning experience of all students.
What's covered in this course?
The BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science degree will prepare you to become an effective and professional paramedic by enhancing your clinical knowledge and skills.
You will develop your theoretical knowledge and practical skills within both the university and clinical practice environment. To be a paramedic, you must be able to overcome challenges, show initiative and demonstrate critical thinking. This course will equip you with the skills and knowledge required to rise to these challenges, while developing your communication skills and knowledge.
The course will develop your medical and healthcare knowledge as well as clinical decision making skills and ability to focus on high quality patient-centred health care. This will prepare you for the many possible career opportunities for the modern paramedic across settings such as clinical practice, education or research settings.
All modules provide a balance between theory and practical application and provide an opportunity for you to reflect and apply context in clinical practice placements. The course is designed to be a catalyst for students to apply for registration with the HCPC and develop a successful career as a paramedic.
Accredited By
This course is accredited by:
Why Choose Us?
- This two-year accelerated course builds on your Ambulance Technician experience and education, preparing you to apply for registration as a paramedic with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Funding - Allied health profession students in receipt of a student loan will receive at least £5,000 a year in additional funding for maintenance and associated study costs. Download the funding FAQs
- Top 5 for Paramedic Science student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2023)
- Clinical experience - you’ll spend a significant period of time gaining experience, building confidence and skills in clinical placements in a variety of environments.
- Get work experience abroad - you can apply for a travel scholarship as part of the Go Abroad scheme to carry out exciting work placements overseas
- You’ll learn though a variety of teaching methods, including simulations in our extensive skills facilities, such as our SPACE learning facility (Skills Practice and Care Enhancement), home environment and mock ward spaces using a range of kit including manikins that can ‘breathe’, talk and display a range of symptoms.
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Open Days
Join us for an Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation. Booking isn't open yet for this event, register your interest and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.
Next Open Day: 22 March 2025
Entry Requirements
These entry requirements apply for entry in 2025/26.
All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.
Essential requirements
120 UCAS Tariff points. Learn more about UCAS Tariff points.
Please note: If you qualify for our BCU Accelerate scheme, you could receive an offer that is two grades below our normal entry requirements. Find out more about BCU Accelerate.
Applicants will also need to complete an interview for this course; see interview arrangements below.
You will also need either the IHCD Technician qualification or AAP qualification, and ongoing employment as an Ambulance Technician/Student Paramedic, with support from your employer. You will need to provide written confirmation from your employer's education and training department to confirm they will be supporting your placement.
If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: BSc (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 2 years
- £9,535 in 2025/26 ✱ Important note for this price
(↩Back to price) * The Government is proposing to increase the cap on full-time regulated tuition fees to £9,535 for 2025/26 and the University is planning on increasing fees to that maximum level once legislation is enacted. Part-time fees are charged pro-rata, where applicable.
International students
Sorry, this course is not available to International students.
Please apply to Year 2 on UCAS
Funding
From August 2020, health professions students will receive at least £5,000 a year in funding support.
Personal statement
Your personal statement is a highly important part of your application. It gives you a crucial opportunity to say why you’re applying and why the institution should accept you.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
Course choice
Why does this course appeal? What areas are of particular interest?
Career plans
If you have a specific career in mind, say how your chosen course will help you pursue this goal.
Work experience
Mention any work that is relevant to your subject, highlighting the skills and experience gained.
School or college experience
Highlight skills gained at school/college, eg summer schools or mentoring activities.
Non-accredited skills or achievement
eg Duke of Edinburgh Award, Young Enterprise scheme.
You should also mention your future plans – if you’re planning to take a year out, don't forget to give your reasons. Talk about any subjects you’re studying that don’t have a formal assessment and any sponsorships or placements you’ve applied for. And don't be scared to add in details about your social, sports or leisure interests.
Get more information on writing personal statements.
Course in Depth
Year One
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
The need to reason independently and critically is paramount to providing a safe and effective service to service users; especially in challenging circumstances. This module aims to allow you to explore, develop and practice the skills necessary to respond effectively and professionally to complex and high pressure situations. The ‘Developing Paramedic Practice’ module links and draws together the knowledge learnt in other level 4 & 5 modules, allowing for subject knowledge to be applied in both simulated and clinical practice; developing you towards an “industry ready” safe and effective practitioner.
Knowledge for effective health care is developing at an unprecedented pace and your professional practice requires sound and reliably constructed evidence in order to maintain effectiveness. Service user safety and ensuring clinical effectiveness are critical issues in health care provision and the importance of evidence-based practice has never been greater. Evidence-based practice is central to the provision of optimum care, ensuring positive service user outcomes. Critical thinking is a core requirement of evidence-based practice and this will be enhanced through the development of evidence-based practice knowledge and skills. The importance and relevance of evidence-based practice has been recognised by the HCPC.
This module will provide you with the knowledge and education required to care for service users across the lifespan. This will include managing obstetric emergencies, paediatrics and the older patient. You will receive knowledge and skills surrounding the key polices for various service user groups as well as the relevant information in terms of physiological development. The module will also allow you to explore the concepts of death, bereavement and end of life care.
Health equality and inclusion are essential within the health and social care environments. The service users you will come into contact with are individuals and may present with differing needs and therefore you should always endeavour to ensure that these are met and ensure that they have equal access to the support available to them in the emergency and urgent care setting.
It is vital for paramedics to understand the human body, its normal functions and deviations from this normality. As a student, you will apply knowledge and understanding of anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology to a range of illnesses/injuries in order to develop the ability to critically analyse approaches to clinical decisions. Building upon knowledge gained from the ‘Essential Biosciences for Healthcare Professionals’ module in year 1 you will explore processes concerned with maintaining the body’s homeostatic balance and how these impact upon the pathophysiological processes of illness, disease and trauma.
Year Two
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
This level 6 module is intended to develop the knowledge and skills learnt at level 5. The module also brings together the knowledge learnt in other level 6 modules allowing for subject knowledge to be applied in practice. Through a work-based learning style approach this module credits the learning of clinical and non-technical skills whilst on the third year of placements, and ultimately will develop you towards becoming “highly employable”, “future proofed” and an “industry ready” safe and effective practitioner.
This module is designed to complete the healthcare professional’s journey through higher education, culminating in a significant independent piece of work. This module will utilise concepts and theoretical knowledge gained throughout the previous modules. The module will allow the discovery and synthesis of new information, allowing the student healthcare professional to independently work with the literature base and undertake a research project, which they may go on to conduct in continuing studies at level 7. Engaging in research at this level is recommended by both the HCPC and professional body, and may provide the student with the required knowledge and understanding to seek employment within the research field in their area of interest, which is requirement of the profession.
This module will focus on you as a developing professional with a specific focus on developing you as a leader. There will be an emphasis on the paramedic as a problem solver, leader, mentor and decision maker. You will also learn the importance of change management within the leadership process and within an organisation. Your study will focus on theories and processes within the NHS in terms of leadership, management and coaching. As a result, completion of this module will ultimately develop you towards becoming ‘highly employable’ and an ‘industry ready’ leader and team member.
This module is designed to allow you to develop the necessary theoretical knowledge and skills to critically examine the evolving approach to health care, in order to manage service users with both minor injuries of illness and complex health care needs across the age continuum. The main focus is to explore the underpinning evidence based knowledge and specific assessment skills that underpin the management of the more commonly encountered problems seen in these settings.
Download course specification
Download nowCourse in depth
This course gives you a balance of both the academic, evidence-based approach to health care but also the hands-on, real-world training you will need to enter this vital and fast-moving part of the health service.
You'll learn via a carefully-designed mix of academic and clinical modules and a rolling series of practical placements, with a mixture of lectures and project work. The course is designed to help you become a capable, competent practitioner steeped in the ‘6 Cs’ values of the NHS Constitution and become employable after you graduate.
You'll also develop your research, leadership and clinical reasoning capabilities, while discovering the legal and ethical framework of today's healthcare culture.
You will spend time on placement as part of this course, we are currently exploring new and exciting opportunities for placements.
Additional support
If you are dyslexic, have a specific learning difference or a disability, we have a Disability Tutor who can help and support you.
More on our disability tutor >>
We offer extra technical and learning support.
Health and Care Professions Council
This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council, and will give you eligibility to apply for registration if you successfully complete the course.
Employability
Enhancing your employability skills
We are committed to developing Paramedic professionals who are capable of independent practice and also being members of interprofessional teams, while responding to the dynamic nature of professional practice.
After graduating from this undergraduate degree in Paramedic Science, you'll be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
The modern paramedic is faced with new challenges of working in a wide variety of situations traditionally staffed by other health professionals and our course reflects this changing picture. That means you'll be able to work in the NHS, as part of an ambulance crew, or in one of the many emerging roles; for example in a minor injuries unit.
The independent sector is also rapidly developing and actively seeks to employ HCPC paramedics; giving opportunities in areas across the UK and abroad. There is also a requirement for off shore installations and ships to have medics on board and UK paramedics are filling these posts and finding themselves working on oil platforms in the Middle East and ships ranging from pirate patrols to cruise ships.
If you want to stay closer to home, the TV and film industry, motorsport event and music festival organisers all have a need for paramedics to ensure that the crew and crowds remain safe and are well cared for in case of an emergency.
Placements
Your current employer must sign an agreement to support you undertaking this course. It is therefore advisable that prior to applying you discuss with your employer's education and training department to ensure the organisation is able and willing to support your attendance on the programme and provide placement and mentorship for you during the two years of your course. It may be beneficial for you to have supernumerary shifts to support your learning. While on placement as part of the course, the University cannot guarantee your employer will pay you for your hours worked. It is advised you seek clarification on this from your employer.
You will be supported by practice placement educators who will guide you through your learning in practice. Your practice educators will maintain strong links with the academic team at the University, which ensures you are supported appropriately in practice at all times. There may be the opportunity to undertake additional non ambulance-based placements during your course. These will be in various locations throughout the Midlands.
Facilities & Staff
We have invested over £400 million in our facilities, including an upgrade to our Skills and Simulation facilities at City South Campus. We boast up-to-date, innovative facilities that simulate the real situations that you may come across in the workplace. These resources are essential in offering you a hands-on introduction to health and social care practice.
Mock Wards
These are set up to look like typical hospital wards, with four to six bays. Depending on the topic in hand, different manikins can be used as patients and relevant equipment is provided to practise clinical skills. Some of the manikins are interactive and can simulate different scenarios e.g. some allow you to cannulate, check pulses, intubate etc, and some can talk to you. One ward is often used as an adult ward, and the other as a child ward.
These rooms also allow for scenarios to be set up for other professions such as dietetics, paramedic science and social work.
The Operating Theatre and Recovery Suites
The operating theatre and recovery suite gives you the sense of what it would be like in a real surgical environment.
These spaces emulate the full surgical journey from anaesthetics, through surgery and into recovery. ODP students can practice a range of skills including gowning, hand washing, preparing instrument trays, and working with a patient. Nurses and midwives may experience a surgical placement and need to go to theatre or be part of the midwifery team involved with caesarean sections. Many other Allied Health Professionals may also see patients in recovery if necessary.
Home Environment Room
This facility replicates a small flat with bedroom, bathroom and kitchen diner space. It is used to simulate non-clinical settings, to give students experience of working in different environments. It also incorporates a range of digital health technology, to help prepare students to work in the NHS of the future.
Simbulance
Our ‘Simbulance’ is a purpose built teaching space that allows students to practise their skills in a highly specialist, high-fidelity simulated environment. The Simbulance is an exact replica of an operational emergency ambulance. Learners are truly immersed in the clinical environment and test their knowledge and skills in a safe and supported space, before entering the clinical environment ‘for real’ on placement.
Assisted Living Space
This space replicates a flat and is used for scenarios such as home visits. The sitting room area provides a different space to practise skills and simulations and work with service users and other students.
Assisted Kitchen
This specially designed kitchen has different areas where you can practice cooking, cleaning, boiling the kettle etc., with someone who has actual or simulated visual impairments. There are adapted devices to help, and simulation glasses for you to wear to experience visual impairments.
Physiotherapy Room
This is a space for physiotherapy students to use, with various equipment to practise client meetings.
Radiotherapy Planning Computer Suite
Our computers allow you to plan hypothetical treatments, in terms of angles and directions, ensuring that radiotherapy reaches where it is needed on a patient’s body.
Radiography Image Interpretation and Reporting Stations Computer Suite
These facilities allow you to view and analyse x-rays.
VERT - Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training
This room contains 3D technology to view virtual patients and look at trajectories for treatment.
Radiotherapy
This room contains the same bed/couch used when patients are given radiotherapy treatment. While students of course do not administer radiotherapy in this room, it does allow them to practise adjusting the equipment to make sure both it and a patient would be in the correct position to receive treatment.
Telehealth Room
This room allows for small group teaching in a central area (large boardroom type table) with five small telehealth booths down either side. These are to allow all our health professions students to practise delivering healthcare and advice remotely, either over the phone or on a video call. This addition to our teaching reflects moves in the sector to offer more flexible access to healthcare services, particularly as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Imaging Academy
This new facility is a larger version of our existing image interpretation computer facilities and forms part of the Midlands Imaging Training Academy, funded by Health Education England. These expanded facilities will mean we can further develop our courses and expertise in radiography and imaging.
Speech and Language Therapy Resource Room
Our Speech and Language Therapy Team have developed a collection of tools, books and resources to help you learn and understand the implications of a speech or swallowing limitation. You can practise one to one client meetings and clinics and use the video recording equipment to review role play scenarios.
Ultrasound simulation suite
Students have access to a wide range of Ultrasound simulation equipment to develop their clinical skills and aid in training. The equipment includes two ultrasound machines with a range of phantoms, scan training stations and eve body works.
Our staff
Sharon Hardwick
Associate Professor Paramedic Science
Sharon has been a paramedic for over 20 years after starting her career with West Midlands Ambulance Service working in Coventry. In 2001 she became a clinical supervisor in what was Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service, where she supported and mentored newly qualified staff through their training period.
More about Sharon