Paramedic Practice Degree 2013
Working as a paramedic, no two days are the same. You will gain experience in different locations and develop rapid decision-making skills in order to respond to diverse challenges.
Degree programme
Entry requirements
Minimum entry requirements
- A-level grades ABB
We do not include General Studies or Critical Thinking in our offers.
Conditional offers from Surrey will be made in grades or marks, and not listed in points from the UCAS tariff.
Required subjects
GCSE English Language, Mathematics and a science at grade C or above (or equivalent).
A relevant science A-level is required.
English language requirements
Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 7.0 or above, with a minimum of 6.5 in each component (or equivalent)
Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.
Other entry requirements
Admission to this programme is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) Section 4 (2) (Exemptions) Order 1975 and DHSS Circular HC (88)9 guidelines regarding police checks and child protection. Offers are conditional upon satisfactory health and fitness for practice screening, references and Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance or equivalent. Candidates must also meet national requirements to work with vulnerable adults and children.
Admission is also subject to NHS eligibility for the programme. For further information on eligibility, applicants should contact the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. Proof of eligibility is normally required prior to interview.
Candidates should have the ability to follow a shift pattern covering 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and be able to meet early morning and late night travel requirements.
Candidates are encouraged to gain practical work experience in a care setting prior to undertaking the programme. All programmes and places are subject to commissioned numbers. All applicants should be able to demonstrate evidence of study within the last five years.
The Department of Health requires all Paramedic Practice students to be tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C during the induction week. Those testing positive would be subject to Department of Health guidelines for entry to the programme.
Candidates will also need a satisfactory level of fitness to pass the South East Coast Ambulance Trust fitness test.
Candidates are required to have a full UK driving licence and also to have passed the C1 driving test by the commencement of the programme.
Selection process
All candidates will be assessed by the South East Coast Ambulance Trust for their fitness to undertake the programme, through a fitness test. Following successful assessment, which will include a literacy and numeracy test, candidates will then have a formal interview conducted jointly by the South East Coast Ambulance Trust and University staff. Successful completion of these tests is required as a condition of entry.
Tuition fees
NHS-related programmes
This programme is NHS funded and therefore not subject to the £9,000 tuition fee.
Applicants must meet NHS funding requirements. No self-funding applicants can be considered.Our Degree
This exciting and challenging programme provides you with the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills required to work as a paramedic. It has been jointly developed by the University of Brighton, the University of Surrey and the South East Coast Ambulance Trust.
The programme aims to develop articulate and confident paramedic practitioners who are able to make professional judgements and deliver best practice to clients. The programme will ensure that you are prepared to practise safely and effectively, meeting the competencies required by relevant professional bodies.
The transferable skills that you will develop will also open the door to a wide variety of future career opportunities both within and beyond the caring professions.
The Paramedic Practice degree programme leads to professional registration with the Health Professions Council. The degree is divided equally between academic study and practical experience in a range of practice areas.
There will be a strong emphasis upon interprofessional learning throughout the programme. Learning will be shared by students in each of the three fields of nursing, together with Midwifery and Operating Department Practitioners. This will enable students to learn about interprofessional teamwork and develop an understanding of how to work together, which can be expanded in the practice environment. This is important in contemporary healthcare where collaborative practice is vital in meeting the complex needs of individuals and their families.
Our degrees are taught by experienced academics from a variety of disciplines. To ensure seamless links between theory and practice, staff work closely with colleagues in Ambulance and other NHS Trusts.
Each student has a personal tutor to support them through the programme and all staff are committed to ensuring that you have the best possible experience, enabling you to emerge as a confident, competent practitioner.
Programme content
Programme overview
The programme runs over three years, comprising 50 per cent theory and 50 per cent practice, with a strong focus on clinical skills.
Year 1 will set the foundation in basic physical and behavioural sciences. It will also consist of a practice-based module which will be assessed through a portfolio of practice assessment.
In year 2 and year 3 you will be taught the principles of assessment, care delivery, evidence and research, and management of self and others. You will have the opportunity to apply theory to practice within various practice settings.
In the University setting, teaching methods include:
- Practical classes and the presentation of clinical skills scenarios
- Lectures and tutorials
- Student and staff-led seminars
- Study packs, reading lists, guided and annotated reading
- Computer-aided learning and web-based teaching
- Discussion groups
- Enquiry-based learning
Within the practice environment, teaching methods include shadowing, role modelling, demonstration, observation, practice under supervision, reflective dialogue and discussion groups.
Professional training
Time spent in the safe environment of our simulation suite will prepare you for professional training. You will only go out to practice areas when you have satisfactorily completed instruction in fundamental clinical skills.
As you progress through the programme and your skills and confidence develop, you will be encouraged to perform increasingly complex activities in practice until you are considered by your mentors and teachers to be competent for registration at the end of year 3.
Career opportunities
Graduate prospects
Paramedic Practice students have excellent prospects of employment after programme completion.
Career opportunities
Exciting changes are taking place in today’s NHS. Healthcare practitioners are learning new skills, working independently and taking on new responsibilities. Qualified paramedics are increasingly found at the heart of multidisciplinary teams. Career paths in the modern NHS Ambulance Trusts include specialist practice, teaching, management and research.
As a practitioner you can also combine a number of roles and remain directly involved in client care as your career progresses.
Additional information
Assessment
We will use a variety of methods to assess you at various points in the programme. As well as written work, there are student presentations, examinations and case study work. In practice you are required to build a portfolio of your experiences, demonstrating how you have met your learning agreement and the particular learning outcomes for the module.
You are also required to show an understanding of, and development towards, the professional behaviour expected of a registered paramedic.
Helping you succeed
This programme is academically demanding and includes practice placements which present new and sometimes challenging experiences. We will provide you with strong personal and academic support to help you to succeed.
You will be allocated a personal tutor to oversee your progress and they will be available for one-to-one appointments. You will also be a member of a personal tutor group brought together for discussions, information sharing and advice.
Our placement localities have practice learning teachers and link tutors who will be able to advise you about their particular practice areas. Once in your placement, you will work under the supervision of a mentor/practice educator and a team of co-mentors. They assess your practice and developing skills, and advise you on the progress of your portfolio of experience and your professional development.
We have nationally recognised teachers and researchers, and all our teaching staff are committed to ensuring that you have the best possible experience, enabling you to emerge as a confident, competent professional. The paramedic teaching team consists of paramedic educators and medical and nursing educators.
NHS partnerships
Your practice placements will be undertaken within the South East Coast Ambulance Trust and other healthcare settings across a wide geographical area, allowing you to gain a range of experiences.
Placements will feature practical supervised experience in, for example, ambulance stations and ambulance vehicles, operating theatres, intensive care units, accident and emergency departments, maternity, mental health and children’s units, and specialist ambulance services.
You will work alongside qualified health, social care and emergency care staff. Your placements will give you the opportunity to put your skills into practice early in the programme. You will have opportunities to participate in inter-professional learning in your practice settings, working alongside fully qualified paramedics and other clinicians.
Registered practitioners
If you are a registered practitioner looking for an undergraduate programme to further your learning, please visit our Continuing Professional Development page.
Why Surrey?
Paramedic Practice degree 2013 at Surrey
- We are a leading UK academic centre for the education of health professionals
- Our state-of-the-art academic building is one of the country’s best-equipped educational centres, simulating home and acute hospital environments
- We have a high-quality simulation suite to develop your practice skills
- Strong scientific and clinical foundations prepare you to practise with confidence
- We offer high-quality practice placements with the South East Coast Ambulance Trust and at local NHS Trusts
- Extensive opportunities exist for continuing professional development
- A mixture of continuous assessment and examinations is used for both theoretical and practical experience
In undertaking this degree, I feel I have opened up endless prospects for career growth and development.
Claire-Louise Moore
BSc Paramedic Practice
My interest in emergency care started from my very first job as a lifeguard. For me, it was a natural progression to pursue a career as a paramedic and I was thrilled to enrol on the Paramedic Practice programme at the University of Surrey.
The course was very intense, with a combination of 50 per cent academic theory and 50 per cent ‘on the job’ placement. This mixed learning approach enabled me to develop vast theoretical knowledge with the support of University tutors, and practical experience working within a crew of the South East Coast Ambulance Service. My mentor provided me with the foundation and confidence I needed to develop into a well-rounded autonomous clinician, ready to face the diversity of life as a paramedic.
I have also been presented with many opportunities to develop in a number of different care settings, learning skills from experts in various fields, including maternity and theatres.
In undertaking this degree, I feel I have opened up endless prospects for career growth and development. I will use everything I have learnt during my time at university to have a positive influence on patient outcomes and future advances in emergency care, as well as furthering myself academically by enrolling on a Masters.
Professional recognition
Successful completion of the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Practice programme will enable you to be eligible to apply for professional registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC).
Recommended next steps
Programme dates and holidays
The programme will run over 40 weeks each year.