Everything you need to know...
-
What is the fee?
Home: See fees section below
International/EU: £18,655 per year -
How long will I study?
4 Years
-
Where will I study?
-
What are the entry requirements?
-
What is the UCAS code?
BB17
-
When do I start?
September 2025
1. Course summary
- Combine theory with practice to meet the challenges of integrated patient care.
- Learn to assess, diagnose, stabilise, treat and manage patients across the lifespan.
- Meet the future healthcare agenda through digital competence.
- Study an integrated curriculum with other healthcare professions.
- Apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
From learning to deliver a baby to resuscitating a patient whose heart has stopped, every day is different as a paramedic. The BSc in Paramedic Science is our pre-registration programme for this rewarding career – innovative and challenging, with a mix of university and practice-based learning. The full honours award entitles you to apply for registration with the HCPC as a paramedic. You’ll develop your knowledge and skills to enter this unique and evolving profession.
The Foundation Year course is designed for anyone who feels they would benefit from extra preparation before undertaking degree-level study or who does not meet the entry requirements for the BSc (Hons) course (due to lower predicted grades or lower performance at a selection event). The academic staff leading selection event processes are well placed to advice on the benefits of additional study or wider preparation in advance of joining a degree course.

Health and social care funding
Home fee-paying students can access a non-repayable maintenance grant of at least £5,000 per year (excluding the foundation year). You may also be eligible for additional financial support based on your circumstances.

Come to an open day
Visit us to learn more about our gold-rated teaching and why we were awarded the highest possible rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
2. How you learn
This course is designed to promote independent learning, supporting you to explore knowledge and develop your skills and attitudes in meaningful ways for your professional development. You’ll learn with, from and about students on other health and social care courses in the faculty – helping you understand how knowledge is applied when health professionals work together.
Our School of Health and Social Care is one of the biggest of its kind in the UK. This means you’ll get significant experience of cross-discipline working practices, preparing you for fast-paced work in multi-professional healthcare teams.
The course has been expertly evolved over the years – alongside clinicians, education specialists, commissioners and service users. You’ll have the support and skills you need to register as a qualified health and social care professional.
You learn through:
- Practicals, seminars and lectures
- Digitally enabled online materials
- Online webinars
- Practice-based learning experiences
- Peer-supported practice and study
- Simulated learning environments
Key Themes
In your first year, you’ll immerse yourself in understanding both your professional identity and the socioeconomic backgrounds of service users. You’ll delve into the intricacies of the body's systems, learning about potential dysfunctions and how to apply foundational assessment techniques, basic skills and treatments. Throughout the year you’ll receive support from practice educators as they gain practical experience during placements.
In your second year you’ll incorporate pharmacological interventions and more complex paramedic skills into your practice. You’ll become adept at assessing and treating trauma patients, as well as learning about major incident response.
In your third year you’ll prepare for your final project in an area of personal interest or importance, while continuing to solidify your learning through practical placements. You’ll study specialised patient groups such as paediatrics, maternity and mental health cases. You’ll refine your paramedic skills and explore treatment pathways in greater detail, consolidating your learning through diverse placement experiences.
You’ll also study leadership styles – enhancing your ability to lead in challenging situations.
Course Support
You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate-level employment through several key areas, including:
- Access to specialist support services to help with your personal, academic and career development.
- Access to our Skills Centre with one to ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments
- Industry-specific employability activities such as live projects, learning in simulated environments and networking opportunities
- The option to join our multi-award-winning Paramedic Society
- Support from a dedicated learning and teaching support librarian
- Support during placements, with an allocated mentor
Course leaders and tutors

Sharyn Edwards
Senior LecturerSharyn is a Lecturer in Paramedic Practice based within the College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences, delivering teaching on the DipHE Paramedic Practice cours … Read more
Applied learning
Live Projects
You’ll apply the theory you study to practice-based learning experiences. Here you’ll develop critical and ethical approaches to your practice – preparing you to become a life-long, competent professional.
These experiences are compulsory to achieve the course’s practice-based learning outcomes. They’ll help you build your skills, confidence, creativity, resilience, integrity and curiosity. They’ll take place in different practice-based learning environments – reflecting the range of ways services are currently delivered. This might include simulated learning and virtual placements, alongside real-world experience of services delivered face to face to service users.
We’ll ensure the practice-based learning element of your course complies with the requirements of the Professional and Statutory Regulatory Body (PSRB) which governs the paramedic profession. So, by the end of your course, you’ll have the opportunity to show that you meet the requirements to register as a paramedic.
Work Placements
Placements are available during each academic year – strategically scheduled to follow teaching blocks so you can consolidate your learning in real-world settings. They provide invaluable hands-on experience across various healthcare settings, including Ambulance NHS Trusts, other NHS Trusts, the private sector, and even opportunities within the Fire Service.
By undertaking these placements, you’ll not only gain practical skills but also develop the critical thinking skills and adaptability you’ll need to effectively respond to emergency scenarios.
Field Trips
There may be opportunities for field trips as part of the course. Previous opportunities have included volunteering to support overseas projects such as refugee camps and working at festivals.
Networking Opportunities
You’re encouraged to subscribe to the College of Paramedics to increase your learning opportunities. You’ll get to meet students from other training providers through the College’s international student conferences, research conferences and other continuing professional development (CPD) events.
You’ll also benefit from an extensive range of guest lecturers from a variety of healthcare backgrounds, as well as employer presentations. We also have an experienced student support officer network.
3. Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in:
- Ambulance Trusts
- Specialist roles in critical care, urgent care or mental health
- Advanced practice
- Primary care
- Research
- The Police
- The prison system
- International settings
- Private practice
- Wilderness and remote medicine
- Cruise ships
- Education
- Leadership
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for:
- Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Northeast Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Northwest Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Yorkshire Air Ambulance
- The Australian Ambulance Service
- British Columbia Emergency Health Services
- Sheffield Hallam University
- The New Zealand Ambulance service
- Yorkshire Hazardous Area Response
- East Midlands Hazardous Area Response
- Yorkshire Ambulance Education Department
- The Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Private healthcare practice in Dubai
4. Where will I study?
You study at Collegiate Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
Collegiate campus
Collegiate Campus can be found just off Ecclesall Road, a bustling student district.
Collegiate Campus map | Campus facilities

Collegiate library
Collegiate Library can be found just off Ecclesall Road. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn more5. Equipment and facilities
On this course you work with:
- Simulated environments
- High fidelity simulation equipment
- Cutting-edge pre-hospital equipment
- Specialist manikins
- A specialist health and wellbeing learning resource centre
Media Gallery
6. Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 64
This must include at least 24 (Grade D) from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example:
- DDE at A Level.
- MPP in BTEC Extended Diploma
- Pass overall from a T level qualification with D or E from core
- A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels and EPQ.
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
GCSE
- Science at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
- Maths at grade D or 4 or equivalents**
- English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents***
*GCSE Science equivalents
- OCR Science level 2
- Science units gained on a level 3 BTEC or OCR National Diploma or Extended Diploma qualification
- Science credits gained on Access to Higher Education Diplomas (at least 12 credits at level 2 or 6 credits gained at level 3)
- Science equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk
**GCSE Maths equivalents
- Level 2 Key Skills/ Application of Number/ Level 2 Maths credits from an Access course
- Maths equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk
***GCSE English equivalents
- Level 2 Literacy
- Level 2 Key Skills
• Access - an Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE course in a science based subject. Normally we require 15 credits at level 2 and 45 at level 3.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 7.0 or above, with a minimum score of 6.5 in each skill.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
Compulsory modules
Module Aim
This module will develop your knowledge and understanding of academic, personal, and professional skills that enable transition into Level 4 study and future employability.
The module will be delivered through a combination of face-to-face and digital lectures and seminars, practical's, Academic advising, and simulations.
Indicative content
Content of the module is agile and flexible to allow for changing professional situations and contemporary perspectives. Typical indicative content includes:
-
Fundamental principles of health care
-
Key organisations, agencies, services, professional bodies.
-
Professionalism, Professional standards, and code of conduct/ethics/practice within relevant work-related roles.
-
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
-
Academic writing conventions
-
Sciences related the 11 health professionals including biology, physics and chemistry.
-
All sciences will cover fundamentals and basic overview also exploring links to professional specific knowledge.
Module Aim
In this module you will develop your knowledge and understanding of a range of contemporary issues that currently influence healthcare. It will focus on developing your ability to find, select and apply appropriate research and evidence.
The module will be delivered through workshops and seminars.
Also, Academic advising session within this module.
Indicative content
Content of the module is agile and flexible to allow for changing professional situations and contemporary perspectives. You should be able to:
-
Search and identify appropriate evidence.
-
Explore issues impacting on Healthcare.
-
Identify policies and actions that lead to sustainable healthcare.
-
Explore the challenges of working with diverse communities.
-
Recognise strategic delivery partners Healthcare.
-
Examine the use of interventions to address challenges in healthcare.
Compulsory modules
This module consolidates the knowledge, learning and skills you’ve gained from clinical modules by applying them in your clinical and simulated practice placement. You’ll be supported in your clinical placement by a named Practice Educator and university Placement lead.
You’ll apply skills and learning such as:
-
Professional HCPC standards of conduct performance and ethics
-
Inter-professional and multi-disciplinary working
-
Patient assessment and management
-
Use of appropriate equipment in the assessment and management of the patient
-
Compliance with the appropriate mandatory training
-
Compliance with any local statutory requirements from the placement providers
-
Demonstration of skills and competency-based assessment
-
Simulated placement activities
This module introduces you to the biopsychosocial, cognitive, political, economic, and medical factors which influence the health and wellbeing of individuals, diverse populations and communities. You’ll work with peers from other professions to consider how collaborative practice impacts on health and wellbeing outcomes, and helps you thrive in your own professional practice.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Models of care, support and empowerment
-
Social capital and cultural humility
-
Social accountability and determinants of health
-
Safeguarding practice
-
Public health agendas, inquiries and evidence-based reports
-
Building effective, trusting relationships
-
Community profiles and place-based care systems
-
Person-centred service delivery
-
Behaviour change and microaggressions
-
Diversity and inclusion
-
The effects of planetary health on wellbeing
This module introduces the fundamentals of paramedic practice using problem-based learning – developing your knowledge of anatomy, physiology and the application of patient assessment skills. We blend both synchronous and asynchronous teaching methods, including mixed group activities in the classroom and online.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
The foundations of anatomy and physiology
-
Principles of physiology across the body systems
-
Patient assessment
-
Obtaining baseline observations
-
Medical model
-
Communication skills
-
Assessing mental capacity
-
Managing your own mental health
-
Applying theory to case-based problems
-
UK and international research
This module uses theory and practical application to develop your patient assessment and treatment skills, providing a dynamic response to changes in the patient condition. We blend both synchronous and asynchronous teaching methods, including mixed group activities in the classroom and online.
You’ll study topics such as:
Assessing and managing an intermediate life support patient
-
Fundamentals in assessing and managing a trauma patient
-
Adapting clinical practice after conducting a dynamic scene assessment
-
Understand fundamental ECG interpretation
-
Further anatomy and physiology and pathophysiology knowledge
-
Applying theory to case-based discussion and practical scenarios
-
Caring for our own mental health following traumatic incidents
This module consolidates your progression to graduate-level study and professional practice, reflecting on your role as a professional who delivers safe and effective person-centred care. You’ll be supported to identify influencing factors on your professional practice – developing strategies which support you to thrive personally, professionally and academically.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Reflective practice and writing skills
-
Personal and professional development and identity
-
Emotional intelligence
-
Self-perception, privilege and introduction intersectionality and allyship
-
Self-management, feedback and leadership
-
Ethics in professional practice
-
Communication methods and techniques
-
Contemporary policy for professional practice
-
Teamwork and collaborating across professional boundaries
-
Personal behaviour and self-assessment techniques
-
The impact of behaviours, values, research and anti-oppressive and inclusive practice
Compulsory modules
This module is your chance to apply your professional knowledge, skills and values in an integrated manner. You’ll work collaboratively with peers from other disciplines to assess, intervene and overcome the challenges of complex health and social care situations – supporting individuals, groups and communities.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Drivers for integrated and person-centred health and social care
-
Inter-professional teamworking across multiple service interfaces
-
Shared ethical decision-making, collaboration and co-production
-
Assessment, treatment planning, evaluation and risk management
-
The realities of living with long-term conditions and multi-morbidities
-
Mental capacity, best interest assessment, equality and reasonable adjustments
-
Resilience, communication, breaking bad news, difficult conversations
-
Interpersonal and systemic discrimination in health and social care
-
Inclusive language and terminology including challenging microaggressions
-
Technology-enabled care and digitalisation within integrated care systems
This module gives you the opportunity to use the knowledge, learning and skills you’ve gained so far and apply them to your practice placement.
You’ll apply learning and skills such as:
-
Professional HCPC standards of conduct performance and ethics
-
Inter-professional and multi-disciplinary working
-
Patient assessment, diagnosis and management
-
Recognition and interpretation of ECGs
-
Use of appropriate equipment in the assessment and management of the patient
-
Compliance with the appropriate mandatory training
-
Compliance with any local statutory requirements from placement providers
-
Competency-based assessment
-
Problem-based and simulated placement activities
This module expands on your level 4 knowledge of patient management, assessment and ECG recognition – paramedic skills, interventions and how to apply them to medical patients, including patients in cardiac arrest. You’ll learn pharmacological interventions with underpinning knowledge of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in relation to paramedic practice, through a blend of group activities in the classroom and online.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Managing a medically unwell patient with appropriate assessment/treatment
-
Perform safe and effective paramedic clinical skills
-
Manage the deteriorating patient safely and competently
-
Lead an adult advanced life support as per UK Resuscitation guidelines
-
Applying the principles of pharmacology theory
-
Therapeutic medications, dosages and drug routes
-
Legal implications of the supply and administration of prescription-only medications
-
Identify contemporary issues relating to patients' own pharmacological regime
This module expands your knowledge in the assessment, management and treatment of adult trauma patients – including scene safety, multi-agency working and leading a team – while making justified, effective and safe clinical decisions. You’ll learn through a blend of teaching methods, with mixed group activities both in the classroom and online.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Trauma-related pathophysiology across the adult lifespan
-
Trauma assessment in line with national/regional trauma guidelines
-
Management of trauma patients underpinned by latest clinical guidelines
-
Application of trauma equipment, including special patient group considerations
-
Utilisation of pharmacological interventions within current trauma care
-
Advanced Life Support (ALS) in trauma patients
-
Minor wound assessment and treatments
-
Multi-agency working, interoperability and joint working principles
-
Initial and ongoing response to incidents
-
Major incident / mass casualty incident response
-
Triage considerations and utilisation
-
Specialist resources relevant to trauma care
This module introduces you to research and enquiry design and methods. You’ll be able to apply them to an area of investigation – considering factors that impact on literature appraisal – preparing you to undertake and manage an investigation as a professional practitioner.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
What makes a good question
-
Research design, types of evidence and suitability of methods
-
Co-production – patient and public involvement
-
Inclusive perspectives of research
-
Data collection methods, strengths and weaknesses
-
Analysis techniques
-
Usefulness/impact and implications for practice
-
Ethics and governance
-
Sample of existing appraisal tools
-
Searching and critically reviewing the literature
Compulsory modules
This module uses the knowledge, learning and skills you’ve gained in clinical modules, applying them to your practice placement.
You’ll apply skills and learning such as:
-
Professional HCPC standards of conduct performance and ethics
-
Inter-professional and multi-disciplinary working
-
Use of a medical model for patient assessment
-
Management of the patient across the age range
-
Use of appropriate equipment in the assessment and management of the patient
-
Compliance with the appropriate mandatory training
-
Compliance with any local statutory requirements from the placement providers
-
Application of skills and competency-based assessment
-
Problem-based and simulated placement activities
This module develops your systematic understanding of leadership and education concepts in practice. You’ll critically reflect on these in the context of collaboration within health and social care practice – considering how you can effectively support people who use services, their carers and families, and communities who have complex health and care needs to thrive.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Differences between management, leadership and the role of the critical follower
-
Leadership theories, models and styles most relevant to health and social care
-
Self-awareness and seeing ourselves as leaders
-
Recognising our own personal impact, rank, power and privilege
-
Professional cultures, traditional hierarchies and becoming an agent of change
-
Leading psychologically safe, anti-racist and inclusive teams
-
Resilience, volatility and acknowledging the wellbeing needs of the workforce
-
Sustainable practice, quality improvement and leadership
-
Tackling inequalities in health and social care through advocacy and education
-
Technology-enabled care and digitalisation within integrated care systems
This module enables you to assess the health-related needs of service users with illness or injury, demonstrating competence in clinical management. You’ll learn through group activities in the classroom and online.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Complex clinical decisions
-
Medical models of assessment
-
Cranial nerve assessment
-
Abdominal assessment
-
Neurological assessment
-
Respiratory assessment
-
MSK assessment
-
Health promotion and make every contact count (MECC)
-
Comorbidities
-
Documentation for complex cases
This module develops existing patient assessment and management skills, adapting application to specialist patient groups within paramedic practice. You’ll explore physiological, clinical considerations and modifications within complex patient presentations, using current UK and international evidence to inform patient-centred intervention and clinical decision-making.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Assessment and management of the paediatric patient
-
Paediatric (PALS) and newborn life support (NLS)
-
Maternity: ‘normal’ birth management
-
Obstetric complications, recognition and management
-
Mental health presentation and management considerations
-
Bariatric presentation, physiological changes and clinical considerations
-
Older patient management complexities
-
End of life care (EoLC) management complexities
-
Pharmacology considerations in specialist populations
-
Safeguarding considerations around referral in complex populations
This module enables you to undertake a sustained, in-depth piece of independent learning, demonstrating a critical understanding and applying appropriate research methods within a piece of work. This work will challenge and contribute to improvements in areas of practice through the dissemination of findings to professional communities.
You’ll apply learning and skills such as:
-
An individual independent project/dissertation
-
Creating and contributing to research and evaluation for practice
-
Application of approaches to research
-
Research, improvement and evaluation methodologies
-
Addressing inclusivity in your research process
-
Dissemination of project outcomes
-
Challenges in applying research outcomes to practice
8. Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students on full-time undergraduate degree courses in 2025/26 is £9,535 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year). These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £18,655, which includes an annual placement supplement of £1,500.

Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Health and Social Care (PDF, 165.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.