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Studies & Degrees in Paramedicine

Paramedicine is emergency medical care given outside the hospital: at the scene of an accident, in a patient's home and in the ambulance. The US National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians describes the paramedic as an allied health professional whose primary focus is to provide advanced emergency medical care for critical and emergent patients, and as a link from the scene into the health care system.

Students learn to assess a patient quickly, give life support and decide where and how to transport the patient. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), paramedic programmes include courses such as anatomy and physiology, EKG interpretation and maintaining airflow, and they typically include supervised field experience. Much of the training therefore takes place on placement with an ambulance service or in a hospital.

Qualifications and levels

The route into the profession differs a great deal between countries.

  • United States. Training is layered. Emergency medical technician (EMT) programmes are usually nondegree awards that take less than one year at basic level. Paramedic programmes build on EMT certification; most of those at community colleges lead to a nondegree award or an associate's degree, and some four-year universities offer a bachelor's degree. All states require EMTs and paramedics to be licensed, and requirements vary by state.
  • Australia. Paramedicine is a bachelor's degree. The Bachelor of Paramedicine at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) takes 3 years full-time and has up to 15 weeks of clinical placements with the Queensland Ambulance Service. Graduates are eligible to apply to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for registration. Since 1 December 2018, paramedics must be registered with the Paramedicine Board of Australia in order to practise.
  • United Kingdom. Paramedics are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science at the University of Surrey takes 3 years full-time, with half of the course spent in clinical placements, and is approved by the HCPC for eligibility to apply for registration as a paramedic. Surrey lists overseas fees of £19,500 for 2027 entry.
  • Spain. The ambulance profession is trained through vocational training (FP). The Técnico en Emergencias Sanitarias is an intermediate-level (grado medio) diploma of 2,000 hours, open to students who have finished compulsory secondary education. Students learn to move and evacuate patients safely, to apply basic life support and to help with triage in emergencies and disasters. Advanced emergency care is a postgraduate field for health graduates: the Universidad Católica de Valencia, for example, lists a Máster Universitario en Enfermería de Urgencias y Emergencias in its nursing area.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 24 active schools for paramedicine: 9 in the United States, 7 in Spain and 3 in Australia, and one each in the United Kingdom, Canada, Argentina, Ukraine and Russia. The US schools are mostly community colleges, such as Laramie County Community College, American River College, Century College and Chemeketa Community College. In Australia the list includes UniSC, Central Queensland University and Charles Sturt University; in the United Kingdom, the University of Surrey; and in Canada, the University of Toronto.

In Spain the list includes CEU FP Madrid, which presents the Técnico en Emergencias Sanitarias among its vocational programmes, the Universidad Católica de Valencia "San Vicente Mártir", Campus Training and Aranda Formación in Madrid, Edisur Multimedia in Granada and Formas Almeria. Private training centres also run short courses, so ask each school what official recognition its qualification has.

Programmes are taught in the language of the country, because students work with local patients and ambulance services. International applicants should check access early: the UniSC degree, for example, is only available to domestic students.

Careers

Most graduates work for ambulance services. In Spain, the Ministry of Education lists patient transport, emergency care, telecare and emergency coordination centres as the fields of work for the diploma. In the United States, the BLS counted 284,100 jobs for EMTs and paramedics in 2025 and projects employment to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 18,200 openings a year. It also warns that the work is physically strenuous and can be stressful, and that schedules include nights, weekends and holidays.

With further study, paramedics can move into other health professions. The BLS mentions paramedic-to-RN programmes as an accelerated route into nursing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an EMT and a paramedic?

In the United States an EMT gives basic emergency care after a short programme, while a paramedic gives advanced care after a longer programme that builds on EMT certification. Other countries use different titles and levels.

How long does it take to become a paramedic?

It depends on the country. Bachelor's degrees in Australia and the United Kingdom take 3 years full-time at the universities cited here. The Spanish Técnico en Emergencias Sanitarias has 2,000 hours of training.

Do paramedics need a licence or registration?

Yes, in the countries covered here. All US states require a licence, Australia requires registration with the Paramedicine Board of Australia, and UK graduates register with the HCPC.

Can international students study paramedicine abroad?

Sometimes. Places are tied to clinical placements, and some programmes are closed to international students; the UniSC Bachelor of Paramedicine is only available to domestic students. The University of Surrey publishes overseas fees for its degree.