BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science (Pre-registration)

• 120 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
• Your Level 3 subjects must include a science or social science subject; for instance, A-level Psychology or BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Science. Examples of relevant subjects include healthcare, human biology, biology, physics, chemistry, psychology, mathematics and social science. Please note that General Studies and Critical Thinking will not be counted towards the UCAS point requirement.
• You must have at least five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent) these must include English, Mathematics and Science. Please contact us for a list of acceptable GCSE equivalents.
• If you have experience in a relevant field this may also be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• If English isn’t your first language you’ll need an IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
• To train as a student paramedic, you'll need to have a clean, full, manual driving licence by the start date of the course. You’ll also need to acquire your category C1 /D1 licence by the time you complete the course. Please note that consideration will be given due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• You'll need to be 18 years of age by the start date of the course.
• Please note that this course is only available to Home students.
• You don't need prior experience working in healthcare, but you must have a passion for caring for others.
• You’ll need to provide evidence of study in the last five years, professional development or work experience, as well as demonstrate an understanding of healthcare professional standards, paramedic practice and patient care delivery in the pre-hospital setting. Depending on the evidence provided, each aspect will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Qualifications gained outside England and Wales will be assessed on an individual basis according to guidance by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• If your application is successfully shortlisted, then you’ll be required to attend an interview. The interview process will involve face-to-face interviews (this may include virtual versions such as skype) with academic staff, practice staff and service users. You’ll also be assessed on your values, behaviours, communication and problem-solving skills, and undertake a numeracy and literacy assessment. We’re seeking students who can demonstrate a commitment to a health care career, who have excellent communication skills and who are caring, compassionate, resilient and assertive, and can remain calm and reassuring in stressful situations.
• If you’re successful at the interview stage, you’ll be asked to undergo occupational health screening and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. When we confirm that you're eligible for a place on the course, we'll send you information about how to gain both of these. Please note that you'll need to complete both these processes as soon as possible to ensure that you can commence your course placements without any delays.
• You’ll be required to satisfactorily pass occupational health screening.
• You’ll need to demonstrate that you are of good health and good character before enrolment and on an on-going basis throughout your studies and career.
• We work with North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) NHS Trust. Should your application be successful and you choose to take up our offer of a place, then please note that your practice learning will be subject to rotation to ensure you can gain an appropriate range of experience.
• This course involves working unsupervised with children and/or vulnerable young people and adults and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
• The University of Bolton recognises prior learning, whether gained through academic credit and qualifications or through your professional and employment experience. Previous learning may be used towards meeting the entry requirements for this programme or for exemption from part of this programme. It is your responsibility to make a claim for recognition of prior learning, and each claim will be considered in accordance with the University’s policy and regulations for the recognition of prior learning.
• Please note that it's not possible to join this course at Level 3 (HE6). Applications to join the course at Level 2 (HE5) will be considered.
• You'll need to ascertain if you're eligible for a student loan via Student Finance England or will need to be able to self-fund.
• Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

We'd be delighted to chat with you about the course and your future career as a registered paramedic. Please sign up for one of our Paramedic open events where you can meet/virtually meet our staff and find out more about the University and support services for students.

After graduation, and once you have registered as a paramedic with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), you’ll be able to work in a range of emergency and non-emergency situations. You’ll possess the judgement and skills to quickly and accurately assess a patient’s condition and make potentially life-saving decisions. You’ll be able to resuscitate and stabilise patients using sophisticated techniques, equipment and drugs. In an emergency, you may use high-tech equipment such as defibrillators, tourniquets and traction splints, as well as administer oxygen and analgesia, and so much more!

As a graduate, you’ll possess in-depth knowledge in areas such as human anatomy and physiology, psychology, medicine management, legal and ethical issues, as well as skills in diagnostic evaluation, clinical procedures, decision-making, teamwork and interpersonal communication. You’ll be adept at functioning and working effectively on ambulances and rapid response vehicles and have a clear understanding and appreciation of the role of other healthcare professionals and emergency services.

This programme is not a direct route to nursing or medical programmes. It is designed to prepare you for a specialised role working in the ambulance service.

What can I do with this qualification?

Registered paramedics are primarily employed by Ambulance Service NHS Trusts and are usually based at a local ambulance station. As a traditional emergency response paramedic, you’ll be required to work shifts, including evenings and weekends, and to work in all types of weather conditions. In some cases, you’ll be the senior member of a two-person team, with an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or Emergency Care Assistant (ECA) to support you. Alternatively, you may work on your own, for instance, as a motorbike or bicycle response unit. Other working environments include providing advice over the telephone from a control room and specialised units such as a Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), which may need to go into dangerous environments to treat and rescue patients.

Once you’ve qualified, you could become a team leader, supervising other paramedics, EMTs and ECAs, specialise in a specific area such as strokes or even work for the air ambulance. With additional training, you could become a senior, advanced or consultant paramedic, which are senior roles with more responsibilities. Teaching, research and management roles are other options, and the University of Bolton offers postgraduate opportunities that will support you to progress your career in these areas.

Additionally, paramedics are in increasing demand in urgent care, and you may find opportunities in walk-in centres, minor injuries units and GP practices. You might also seek work in the private sector; for instance, in remote environments such as expeditions and oil rigs.

Alternative career options

Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. For some of these roles, relevant experience and/or postgraduate study may be required. Possible areas of employment include:

• Public health
• Management
• Armed forces
• HE teaching
• Clinical research
• Universities

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-2025 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

For 2024-2025 entry, the maximum government approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2024-2025 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

Modern paramedics require a range of skills and values, and our practice partners and tutors will help you gain understanding and experience of paramedic practice. We’ll support you as you develop your skills in a safe and supportive environment. Learning focuses on the workplace environment, so you’ll spend approximately half of your time in practice gaining on-the-job knowledge and experience, and devote the rest of your time to university learning and independent study. As every student is an individual, and we recognise that everyone learns differently, we aim to cater to all needs by using a blended learning approach.

Practice learning experience is a compulsory component of the course that enables you to develop the necessary competencies required for registration and practice as a registered paramedic. You will not be paid for this time, and travel expenses are not refunded as part of the course. For most of your practice learning experience, you'll be working alongside your dedicated mentor who will guide and develop your skills and knowledge. You'll follow your practice educator's compulsory clinical shift patterns, which will include unsociable hours, including days, nights, weekends, and bank holidays. You'll be expected to complete a minimum of 1,800 hours over the three years.

Your practice learning experience will be based at our partner NWAS NHS Trust (please note, travelling may be required). As you progress through the course, we’ll guide and encourage you to draw on your practice learning experience while studying theory and apply the theory learned to your practice so that you can understand how the two complement each other. You'll be able to draw on knowledge and support from experienced paramedics both in the workplace and at the University.

We offer a wide variety of learning opportunities designed to arouse your curiosity and support your personal learning journey. Work-based learning and formal face-to-face timetabled sessions are combined with extensive online resources and our community of students, University tutors and practice educators. Our blended approach includes lectures, presentations, simulations delivered by tutors, seminars, tutorials, problem-based enquiry and work-based learning. The course is highly interactive, requiring you to collaborate with colleagues in the workplace and fellow students. Online and face-to-face learning and discussion will be essential. You’ll also need to undertake a significant amount of guided independent study, such as background reading, preparing for seminar activities and working on assignments. You'll also be given opportunities for independent learning and recapping of work. This is a course designed for the people who will study on it so that they will be able to get the most out of it. No student is expected to go through this course alone, so to help support your learning the University offers additional study skills sessions. These cover areas such as essay writing, library skills and electronic searching, and numeracy. You'll also have a personal tutor and access to various other mechanisms to help you succeed.

You can expect a range of assessment methods, such as coursework assignments, practice competencies, problem-based learning and examination of practice. The assessment of practice and theory both contribute to the final award.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• Introducing Paramedic Professional Capabilities
• Introducing Clinical Knowledge
• Introducing Clinical Procedures
• Introducing Practical Capabilities
• Developing Paramedic Professional Capabilities
• Developing Paramedic Clinical Knowledge
• Developing Paramedic Clinical Procedures
• Developing Paramedic Practical Capabilities
• Dissertation
• Embedding Paramedic Knowledge and Procedures
• Embedding Paramedic Practical Capabilities

Assessment methods

Learning activities

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.