The overall aim of the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science programme is for you to to develop the knowledge, skills, behaviour and values to practice as a paramedic at the newly qualified level. It will provide attributes and experience which promote and foster the professional characteristics (skills, behaviours and values) to facilitate career long development and practice opportunities.
Graduating from this programme will enable access to employment as paramedics who are prepared to undertaken autonomous roles as a team orientated professional; equipped with the skills to adapt to emerging paramedic roles which meet changing patient healthcare provision needs and practice opportunities in an evolving context.
The course is delivered full-time over three extended academic years with a varied mix of academic and clinical learning. Its structure is linear and modular in nature; all modules are compulsory and credit bearing to achieve the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science degree.
During your studies the curriculum focuses upon development of professional knowledge and skills, alongside personal attributes of insight, resilience and empathy.
BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science curriculum focuses on developing six core skills:
- Knowledge, understanding and skills related to the physiological basis for paramedic intervention and care
- Critical and analytical awareness and understanding of research/evidence-base for paramedic practice
- Critical awareness of psychosocial issues and interprofessional working
- A professional portfolio of baseline and advanced paramedic skills
- Principles of leadership and management applied to trauma and emergency care
- A major project of study in order to demonstrate skills in critical analysis, research and service improvement.
During the programme you will be required to undertake clinical placements spent in a variety of settings across the Thames Valley region. These will follow clinical shift patterns including unsociable hours.
You will need a car to travel to these settings and transport allowances will not be provided.
You will need to purchase a stethoscope suitable for practice and clinical assessment and examination of patients; a copy of the National Clinical Guidelines and associated pocket book.
Study modules
As courses are reviewed regularly, the module list you choose from may vary from that shown here.
The course consists of a series of Paramedic Science specific modules which are all compulsory.
Teaching, learning and assessment will take place in a variety of settings including classroom based activities, group workshops and clinical practice simulations. This variety ensures that you are equipped with the full range of skills and attributes contemporary Paramedic practice demands.
In Year One you will be introduced to the fundamental areas of Paramedic practice, developing underpinning paramedic science understanding, anatomy and physiology knowledge, an introduction to professional judgement, social factors and evidence informed practice. Alongside these modules you will undertake 750 hours of clinical practice learning including periods with SCAS and in specialist clinical placements to appreciate healthcare provision and core service user care skills.
In Year Two you will build upon your foundation module to develop breadth and depth of knowledge in subjects of physiology, urgent and emergency care skills and pharmacology knowledge, whilst acquiring specialist knowledge of mental health presentations and research methodologies. You will have the opportunity to build upon the fundamental skills acquired in Year One, whilst developing new patient management strategies to underpinning Year Three. During this year you will undertake a further 750 hours of clinical practice learning including periods with SCAS and in specialist clinical placements to consolidate and develop practice skills.
In Year Three you will undertake modules which equip you with specialist knowledge that enhances your practice as a contemporary Paramedic. These focus upon effective professional judgement formation, a dissertation, clinical leadership and assessment and management of both minor injury and illness. The dissertation will involve critical investigation of a topic or issue and we encourage you to publish or present your work. In this final year you will undertake a further 750 hours of clinical practice learning including periods with SCAS and in specialist clinical placements to consolidate and develop specialist practice skills.
Work placements
Throughout the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science course you undertake a variety of clinical placements that are carefully planned and organised to integrate theory and practice. These include operational placements with SCAS to learn and gain experience which enables safe practice in this setting. These offer supplemental and development clinical practice learning placements in a variety of settings; these allow you to gain specialised experience in other health, social and care settings, developing specialist skills and patient management experience. This combination will help prepare you to work effectively as a paramedic and provide a broad basis to develop your career and clinical care provided to service users.
To support you in practice learning settings, a range of support mechanisms are provided by both the University (including a link lecturer) and the placement area. While on placement, you will be supported by a named member of staff, known as a clinical mentor. There is a dedicated Practice Education Unit that provides administrative and academic support for placement learning/practice education for all its pre-qualifying courses.
Students are allocated to their SCAS ambulance for clinical placements based upon a fair and equitable model. This means each student will be allocated a return journey (to/from the Marston Road site) which is either short (4-28 miles), medium (40-54) or long (56-76) journey distance. Over the three years of the programme students will undertake one of these journeys which, where possible, will be balanced to provide students with a fair and equitable distribution of distances travelling to clinical placements. Where possible non-SCAS placements will be undertaken in a similar region to provide consistency, although this is dependent upon clinical placement availability.
Study abroad
This option is not currently available to students on the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science programme.
Free language courses for students - the Open Module
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.
Additional costs
Further information on additional costs for healthcare courses can be found
here.
Programme changes
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published
on the website. For more information, please visit our
Changes to programmes
page.