BSc(Hons) Paramedic Science
This course is open for applications
Introduction
This course was jointly developed with the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SWAST). It's also approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), so you will be eligible to apply for registration to work as a paramedic once you graduate.
Accreditations and partnerships:
Why study paramedic science?
Paramedics are multi-skilled professionals who work as part of frontline NHS ambulance teams, responding to acute medical or traumatic emergencies.
It's a physically and mentally demanding role, where you'll work under pressure and administer emergency treatment and life-saving procedures in challenging conditions.
Talented paramedics with the skills to provide a wider range of treatments, in emergency and unplanned care settings, are in high demand across the health service.
A £5,000 per year training grant is available for home students. Further information is available on the NHS Business Services website.
Why UWE Bristol?
Developed with the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust, BSc(Hons) Paramedic Science is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), so you will be eligible to apply for registration to work as a paramedic once you've graduated. The course is also endorsed by the College of Paramedics (CoP).
Work-based training in the emergency ambulance service and acute hospital trusts is built-in, and simulation and role-play in specialist onsite facilities help to build your skills and prepare you for working in the field.
Develop the interpersonal skills, problem-solving and decision-making skills you'll need to deliver safe and effective patient care.
Spend approximately half your time on placements in the NHS ambulance service, acute hospitals and with the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). Learn from paramedics and other healthcare professionals as well as training with student nurses and trainee fire-fighters to build your interpersonal skills.
Explore the theory of paramedic practice and the subjects that underpin it, working with highly supportive academics who are all registered paramedics. Half the team have worked as specialist paramedics in urgent and critical care and you'll have a named mentor to guide you through your three years as a student.
As a paramedic student at UWE Bristol, you'll have the exciting opportunity to apply for an international experience with a variety of options. This application process will be competitive and subject to assessment. International experiences can be as short as one week or as long as five weeks. You'll need to self-finance these experiences, but Home students will be able to apply for means-tested bursary funds for support during that time. Home students in receipt of SFE funding can also apply for assistance via the Learning Support Fund (LSF). Having an international experience provides opportunities to be internationally mobile and entrepreneurial, and to make a difference to our local community.
Where can it take me?
Paramedics are in demand across the UK and there are exciting career options in both emergency and urgent care teams.
After gaining experience, you could specialise further, and become a specialist paramedic or critical care paramedic.
Structure
Content
Year one
You'll study:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) Interpretation for Paramedic Practice
- Interpersonal Skills for Paramedic Practice
- Life Sciences for Paramedic Practice
- Medical Conditions Emergency Care
- Paramedic Practice 1
- Principles of Prehospital Emergency Care.
Year two
You'll study:
- Advanced Life Support Skills
- Emergency Care of the Child
- Emergency Care of the Older Adult
- Evidence Based Paramedic Practice
- Paramedic Practice 2
- Psychosocial Aspects of Paramedic Practice
- Trauma and Mass Casualty Management.
Final year
You'll study:
- Applied Paramedic Pharmacology
- Evolving Paramedic Practice
- Law, Ethics and Leadership in Paramedic Practice
- Paramedic Practice 3
- Primary and Urgent Care Within Paramedic Practice.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.
Learning and Teaching
You'll learn through a mix of lectures, scenarios, discussion groups, seminars, workshops, student-led activities and skills teaching with demonstrations. Drawing on the latest evidence, research and best practice in the field, this course is underpinned by the 2017 College of Paramedics Curriculum Guidelines and is endorsed by the College.
Discuss and evaluate real cases, reflecting on your own and others' management of different situations, and analysing different clinical interventions.
Develop your problem-based learning through simulations and role play in prepared medical and trauma scenarios.
Take a look at one of our recent Scenario Days at Glenside campus.
Apply your knowledge and skills on clinical placements with the emergency ambulance service, with support from qualified placement educators. They'll encourage you to reflect on your practice and supervise your work.
Being aware of the latest developments is essential to your professional development. You'll learn what to do and when to do it, as well as understanding the rationale for different treatments.
We'll encourage you to read around the subject, and develop as an independent, reflective learner.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
Study time
The course runs for 34 weeks, 16 of which you'll be on placement.
Assessment
We'll use different assessments to gauge your knowledge and skills, including coursework, case studies, online exams, group work, placement assessment, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) and structured oral and practical examinations (SOPE).
Features
Professional accreditation
This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), so you will be eligible to apply for registration as a paramedic with them when you graduate. It is also endorsed by the College of Paramedics (CoP).
Placements
UWE Bristol's geographical area for placement provision covers the whole of the South, South West and West of England. Placements across this region help support and provide a wealth of clinical experience across many areas within the NHS healthcare service and the Private Voluntary and Independent sector. These placements are vital to meet the professional regulatory body standards in practice for our affiliated health and social care courses.
To access this variety of opportunities within the health and social care courses, there's an expectation that all students at times will have to travel across large areas. In some cases this can be more than 50 miles away and may be outside of normal working hours due to the nature of shift work on some courses. Please note: both ambulance and non-ambulance placements can be located outside of the Bristol area.
When considering your application to these courses, you must ensure you have means to travel to your placement location at unsociable hours, and/or funds available to secure short-term accommodation to participate in your placement, if required. Due to the nature of the shift times, you won't be able to rely on public transport.
You'll spend approximately half the course applying your knowledge and building professional skills in the workplace. Students must achieve a minimum of 1,500 hours across the three years. Placements are usually located within a 60-minute travel time from UWE Bristol (maximum 90 minutes).
The range of placement experiences will help you make informed career choices and put you in a strong position for employment. We have excellent links with the top employers in the South West, and you'll go on placements in both emergency and unplanned care environments.
You could work with the South Western Ambulance Service, in a hospital emergency department, operating theatre, obstetric unit, children's unit, or community mental health or primary care team. You'll also get to work with the hazardous area response team.
Study facilities
Benefit from specialist learning and teaching facilities at Glenside, including one of the best healthcare libraries in the country.
Tap into a huge selection of books, journals, audio-visual materials and specialist health and social care software, to support your studies.
The course has a practical focus, and you'll get to practise and hone your professional skills in our advanced skills and simulation centre.
Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.
Take a personalised virtual tour of the Health Professions facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.
Life
Accommodation
An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.
Bristol
A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.
Sports, societies and activities
There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.
Health and Wellbeing
We provide support in the way you need it.
Campus and facilities
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.
Careers
Careers / Further study
Paramedics are in demand across the UK and there are lots of interesting career paths.
Most graduates go into paramedic roles in the emergency ambulance service. You could work in the NHS or private healthcare sector, in an emergency or urgent care team.
After gaining experience, you could specialise further and become a specialist paramedic or critical care paramedic.
Get inspired
Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.
We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.
Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.
Fees*
Full time course
Indicative Additional Costs
Supplementary fee information
*The UK Government recently proposed that tuition fees for Home students will increase by 3.1% to £9,535 from 1st August 2025. This increase is subject to Parliamentary approval and the vote is expected to take place later this year.
Any tuition fee which is impacted by this change will be updated following approval.
Please see GOV.UK for further information.
Additional costs are for items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.
A £5,000 per year training grant is available for home students. Further information is available on the NHS Business Services website.
If you undertake the international opportunity available on this course, you'll need to self-finance, but Home students can apply for a means-tested bursary fund for support during that time. Home students in receipt of SFE funding can also apply for assistance via the Learning Support Fund (LSF).
Entry
Typical offers
- Tariff points: 128
- Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
- GCSE: Grade C/4 or above in English, Mathematics and Science, or equivalent.
- English Language Requirement:
If your first language isn't English, you need an IELTS score of at least 7 overall. For full details of the language test, contact the British Council. The University's list of alternative English Language qualifications doesn't apply.
- A-level subjects: Grade B in a Science or Social Science subject.
- Relevant subjects: Subjects that meet the Science/Social Science requirement for this course: Biology, Applied Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Health and Social Care, Physical Education, Physics, Psychology, Applied Science, Science (Biology route), Science (Chemistry route), Science (Physics route), Science in Society, Sociology, Sport and Physical Education, Sports Studies.
- EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: You will need a minimum of five units in a Science or Social Science Subject. You may be asked to do more based on the size of your units. Please list the units you are studying in your application. For further advice on acceptable units, please email us.
For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.
- Access: 15 Level 3 credits at Distinction in a Science or Social Science subject.
- Baccalaureate IB: A minimum Grade 6 in a Higher Level Science or Social Science subject.
- Irish Highers: H2 in a Science or Social Science subject.
- Welsh Baccalaureate: We accept tariff points achieved from the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications. This qualification cannot be used to satisfy any subject specific entry requirements.
- Cambridge Technical: You will need a minimum of five units in a Science or Social Science Subject. You may be asked to do more based on the size of your units. Please list the units you are studying in your application. For further advice on acceptable units, please email us.
For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.
- T Levels: Science, Healthcare Science and Health.
If you partially achieve your T Level, you can meet our subject requirements if you have at least a C in your Core Section. For further advice on acceptable subjects please email us.
Selection process
Applicants who meet the academic requirements listed below will be shortlisted on the strength of their personal statement. Shortlisted applicants will be required to attend an interview. For more details on the process, please visit our selection page.
Entry requirements
We are unable to accept applications from international/EU students who require a Student Route visa.
Please note that due to early clinical contact on this course applicants must turn 18 before the start of placement. Applicants who do not turn 18 by the commencement of the placement will be advised to defer or reapply as appropriate. Please see our admissions policy for further information
We require evidence of recent assessed academic study within the last three years.
If you don't meet the entry requirements of this course, you may be eligible for the Health Professions Foundation Year.
Additional requirements
All applicants are required to complete:
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check*
- Health Checks*.
*All information will be treated in confidence and only taken into account when absolutely necessary.
About your Health Checks
UWE Bristol prides itself on being disability friendly and supportive of physical and mental wellbeing, therefore disclosing any needs you might have through the Occupational Health Assessment will enable us to create reasonable adjustments to suit your needs. As part of the assessment you will be required to complete a questionnaire and must be prepared to undergo a medical examination if required. Offers of places are subject to Occupational Health Clearance and students are expected to disclose pre-existing and historical health conditions. You must be in good health and up-to-date with all routine immunisations that are required for working in health and social care settings. You will also be required to confirm your status in respect of a number of infectious diseases (tuberculosis, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, varicella, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV antibodies) and be prepared to have all required vaccinations. Please note that the list of required vaccinations may change, in response to advice from the Department of Health. If your vaccinations are not up-to-date, this will affect your ability to continue on your course. If you have any concerns with regards to vaccinations please raise this at the point of application.
International applicants
For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the country information pages. If you are an international student and do not meet the academic requirements to study this course, you can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.
If you are applying to study at UWE Bristol and require additional support to meet our English language requirements, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Read more about our Pre-Sessional English Programme.
Deferred entry
We don't accept deferred entry applications for this course.
Read more about entry requirements.
How to apply
All applications received on or before the UCAS deadline are considered equally, however, due to the volume of applications received, and to ensure that all applications are given equal consideration, you may attend an interview in December or January but may not receive your decision until May via UCAS or through the UWE applicant portal. The University is unable to enter into individual correspondence regarding decisions made following an interview.
If you have not received a decision on your application within a week of the interview, this means that the University is still considering your application. We appreciate your patience during this time and would like to remind you that if you applied through UCAS and have received offers from any other Universities, you will not lose these offers before your UCAS Reply Deadline.
Read more about undergraduate applications.
Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.
For further information
- Email:
UK applicants
Admissions@uwe.ac.ukInternational/EU applicants
International@uwe.ac.uk - Telephone:
UK applicants
+44 (0)117 32 83333International/EU applicants
+44 (0)117 32 86644