Paramedic Science for Emergency Medical Technicians, BSc (Hons)

To apply you must currently work for WAST full-time as an EMT. 

To apply for this course, you must be a fully qualified EMT at the time of application, currently employed within the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST), or equivalent.

To be eligible to apply, you must have achieved:

• IHCD Emergency Medical Technician or Futurequals Associate Ambulance Practitioner qualification
• A minimum of 5 GCSEs at grades A-C (or 4 and above), including English/ Welsh, Maths and physical science or double science

Applicants with alternative qualifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

To be accepted onto the course, you must be able to fulfil the work-based learning elements of the course, being operationally active and with access to a dedicated Practice Educator.

Following application, but prior to starting the programme, the WAST Occupational Health department will send Swansea University its assurance that you are fit to undertake the programme. You must also meet the Department of Health Guidelines (March 2007) ‘Health clearance for, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV: New healthcare workers.

Following application, but prior to starting the programme, you must also provide a current Disclosure and Barring Service (previously CRB) check at your own cost. Applying to the update service is recommended.

** Applications from pre-authorised units within the Military of Defence (MOD) are also considered. MOD students will be self-funding.

We are proud to provide an outstanding educational experience, using the most effective learning and teaching approaches, carefully tailored to suit the specific needs of your course. Apart from a small number of online-only courses, most of our courses consist of in-person, on-campus teaching, enabling full engagement with your lecturers and fellow students.

Practical skills sessions, lab work seminars, and workshops predominantly take place in person, allowing for group work and demonstrations. We also operate virtual labs and Simulated Learning Environments which will facilitate greater access to training opportunities in the future. However, our approach also includes the use of some online learning to support and enhance traditional face-to-face teaching. 

Online learning may take place ‘live’ using software such as Zoom, allowing you to interact with the lecturer and other students and to ask questions. Lecture recordings also allow for more flexibility to revisit the material, revise for assessments and to enhance learning outside of the classroom. Some modules have extra resources in Canvas, such as videos, slides and quizzes enabling further flexible study.  

In-between contact weeks you will return to your full-time positions as EMTs working within WAST. This provides a valuable opportunity to consolidate theory into practice whilst studying and earning.

During the second year of study, whilst on your ambulance weeks, you will have the following additional placements arranged:

• Paediatrics
• Maternity
• Emergency Department
• Coronary Care Unit
• Theatres
• Palliative Care
• Mental Health

Placement learning provides learners with appropriate and relevant clinical opportunities in professional practice situations to support the refinement and further development of the knowledge and skills learned in a pre-registration healthcare program.  

During contact weeks you will have lead lectures, small group work sessions, practical skills teaching, Information Technology (IT), Virtual Learning Environments, simulation, learner-centred presentations and experiential Learning.

Teaching is delivered by the Paramedic Sciences team, but also by specialist lecturers. 

This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh Provision expander below.

Some provision

There are opportunities for Welsh speakers to study some elements of this course through the medium of Welsh but there is not yet enough provision to reach 40 credits in each year.

Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you throughout your time at Swansea University. We can offer you:

• Access to generous Welsh-language study scholarships or bursaries.
• Access to modules taught wholly or partly in Welsh.
• Access to the Arwain mobile app for the latest information about Welsh-medium courses and modules available to download free on the App Store and Google Play.
• An interview through the medium of Welsh when applying for a place.
• The option to receive your personal correspondence in Welsh, English or bilingually.
• The option to write and submit your coursework or exams through the medium of Welsh (even if you have chosen to study in English), and your work will be marked in Welsh.
• A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
• One-to-one support to improve your academic Welsh language skills.
• An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence of your Welsh language ability for future employers.
• Opportunity to be a member of the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

To learn more about the above and all the opportunities available to you through the medium of Welsh, visit Academi Hywel Teifi's undergraduate pages.

Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council.

Nikki Williams - Associate Professor and Team Lead Paramedic Science & Respiratory Physiology

Marc Thomas - Senior lecturer and Programme Director Paramedic Science

Tom Hewes - Senior lecturer Paramedic Science

Marc Lewis - Senior lecturer Paramedic Science (Programme Lead)

Fen Sanders-Lamb Lecturer Paramedic Science

Paul Mayze - Practice Placement Manager Paramedic Science

Paul Haddow - Senior Lecturer

Jason Saddler - Lecturer

Fees for full time Undergraduate UK students may be increased in subsequent years of study by an inflationary amount determined by Welsh Government.

Fees for full time Undergraduate EU/International students will increase by 3% for each subsequent year of study.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

The fees for this programme are currently covered by the Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW). This means you do not have to pay fees.

You will remain in the paid employment of WAST, in accordance with WAST’s Human Resources policies.

Travel and accommodation expenses may be negotiated with your employer.

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

• Travel to and from campus
• Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
• Purchase of books or texts
• Gowns for graduation ceremonies

Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

• Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
• Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
• Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
• Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
• Advice and guidance on postgraduate study and funding
• Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

We also provide help and advice for Swansea University Alumni up to two years after you graduate.

As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your personal tutor, the Centre for Academic Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas such as:

• Academic writing
• Maths and statistics
• Critical thinking
• Time management
• Digital skills
• Presentation skills
• Note taking
• Revision, memory and exam techniques
• English language skills (if English is not your first language).

In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability, mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.

To learn more about study abroad, visit our Go Global webpages. Enrolment on a programme with a semester/year abroad does not guarantee you a semester/year abroad placement. Spaces are limited and subject to a competitive selection process. In the event you do not secure a semester/year abroad placement, you will be transferred to the standard variant of your degree scheme without a semester or year abroad.

International summer programmes are open to students from all schools. Programmes typically range from 2 to 6 weeks, across destinations such as China, Zambia, South Korea, Japan, Canada and across Europe. For more information about programmes and eligibility visit our Summer Abroad webpages.

When places become available, Swansea University notifies the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) that we are accepting applications so that WAST can place an advert internally with information on the number of places being offered per locality. As an EMT, you can then contact our Admissions team to apply by emailing chhsadmissions@swansea.ac.uk.

You will be sent an application pack to complete and return directly to our admissions office. With your applications, you must include a personal statement (maximum 500 words) plus a letter of endorsement by your Locality Manager (LM). You will also need to identify a PEd to support your practice learning.

All applications and personal statements are shortlisted by our Admissions tutors and shortlisted applicants who meet the entry criteria will be invited to interview within locality groups. Your locality is determined by where you work at the time of application.

Interviews are typically conducted in person but alternatively may be conducted via Zoom. The interview is a value-based approach and the interviewing panel will typically consist of an academic staff member from our paramedic science team, a WAST staff member and a volunteer Service User.

Your interview scores will be combined with scores from your application and personal statement and scores are ranked within each locality.

Individualised feedback will be available upon request. Places are offered to the highest-ranking candidates in each locality and all offers are conditional upon the following criteria:

• Completion of the necessary CPD portfolio defined and monitored by WAST
• Receipt of a satisfactory DBS check
• Receipt of satisfactory references
• Receipt of Occupational Health notification that you are fit to undertake the programme

We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.