Undergraduate courses/Allied Health Professions courses/Paramedic Science

Key facts

Entry requirements

128 or DMM

Full entry requirements

UCAS code

B780

Institution code

D26

Duration

3 yrs full-time

Three years full-time

Fees

2025/26 UK tuition fees:
£9,535*

Additional costs

See all the key facts

Entry requirements

128 or DMM

Full entry requirements

UCAS code

B780

Institution code

D26

Duration

3 yrs full-time

Three years full-time

Fees

2025/26 UK tuition fees:
£9,535*

Additional costs

See all the key facts

Step into action, save lives, and make a difference. With DMU's BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science, gain the skills, experience, and confidence to thrive in emergency care.

Paramedics are at the heart of emergency and urgent care, responding to everything from minor injuries to critical, life-threatening emergencies. At DMU, we’ll equip you with the skills and confidence to thrive in challenging, fast-paced environments, preparing you for an exciting and rewarding career.

With over 50 years of experience training healthcare professionals, our expert teaching team includes Associate Professors, Specialist Paramedics, and Nurse Practitioners who bring real-world knowledge to every class. You’ll learn in cutting-edge clinical facilities, using the same high-tech equipment and life-like manikins as professional paramedics. Plus, our on-campus crime scene house and car let you practice responding to unique, real-world scenarios.

Our modular curriculum blends academic learning with hands-on experience, so you’ll be ready to apply your skills on the job. You'll work alongside experienced Paramedics and Technicians during placements with local NHS Trusts, gaining insight into A&E, maternity, paediatrics, coronary care, and more.

  • 4,000 work placement opportunities: Our faculty of Health and Life Sciences courses offer more than 4,000 work placements to students, giving you real industry experience with local NHS trusts.
  • Over 50 years of excellence in paramedic teaching: Benefit from more than 50 years of teaching experience from highly qualified healthcare professionals who actively work in pre-hospital and emergency care.
  • Professional training: Our course confers eligibility to apply for HCPC registration upon graduation, opening doors to a wide range of paramedic roles.
  • Authentic facilities: Study in our purpose-built clinical skills suites with immersive simulation environments, part of a £12 million investment in our facilities.
  • Build in-demand skills: A flexible, engaging modular curriculum that balances learning and life, with regular feedback and diverse assessments.
  • Focused learning: A sector-leading inclusive teaching approach, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), ensuring every student can thrive.

A Top 30 University

Our students’ votes placed us as the 27th best university overall in the WhatUni Student Choice Awards

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An ‘Excellent’ Five Star Rated University

Rated by QS Top Universities for our teaching, facilities, employability, global outlook and more

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The Best Careers Support

DMU’s Careers Team won Employability Team of the Year at the TargetJobs National Graduate Recruitment Awards for helping students reach their ambitions

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Our work to improve equality and diversity, challenge racism and build an anti-racist community earned us the Race Equality Charter silver award from Advance HE

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DMU was named 7th in People & Planet’s University League Table for our commitment to environmental sustainability

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The Best University for LGBTQ+ staff

A staff survey by Stonewall saw us ranked the top university, and 2nd across all employers, for our work to create an inclusive environment where everyone has a voice

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The National Association of Disability Practitioners Award identified DMU as the best at supporting autistic students

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What you will study

Foundations of Paramedic Practice 1

This module will enable you to demonstrate a robust knowledge base of applied anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology to develop your understanding of the impact of disease or injury and use this understanding to correctly monitor, assess, treat, and begin to develop appropriate dispositions for the wide range of conditions you are faced with in clinical practice, related to nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, lymphatic and musculoskeletal systems.

Professional Studies in Paramedicine

This module will develop you both academically and professionally, introducing and exploring the academic skills of writing, referencing, literature searching, and academic integrity. The social sciences will be explored in the context of paramedic practice and will include communication, cognitive issues, law, ethics, professional accountability, and the role of the HCPC alongside the role of the College of Paramedics. Human factors, patient and paramedic health and wellbeing, psychological and sociological factors will also be explored in context to aid clinical decision-making.

Foundations of Paramedic Practice 2

This module will enable you to demonstrate knowledge of applied anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology to develop your understanding of the impact of disease or injury, and use this understanding to correctly monitor, assess, treat and begin to develop appropriate dispositions for the wide range of conditions you are faced with in your clinical practice relating to digestive, renal and reproductive presentations.

Problem Based Learning 1

This module will bring together all the content in previous modules and explore selected cases in an integrated and holistic format. It will impart relevance and aid in connecting theory to practice.

Clinical Practice 1

This module forms the first clinical placement module of the course. This module allows you to actively participate in care episodes utilising the knowledge and experience gained through the year one modules Principles of Paramedic Practice and Professional Studies. The module will give you the opportunity to gain competency in elements of your practice assessment documents. You will spend time with Practice Educators (PEd’s) and other healthcare professionals gaining experience of emergency, urgent, and unscheduled care.

Developing Paramedic Practice 1

This module will develop your ability to critically analyse the pathology of disease, analyse the evidence to develop and implement a robust physical assessment, and undertake monitoring utilising best evidence to plan, treat, and develop appropriate dispositions for the wide range of conditions encountered in clinical practice relating to the cardiac, respiratory, endocrine, and nervous systems.

Evidence-Based Practice

The delivery of this module combines traditional lectures with practical workshops. The practical workshops will be followed by a lecture in which you will see the evidence behind your practice as demonstrated in the practical session. This will not only reinforce your practice but highlight the role of evidence and research in your day-to-day experience as a paramedic.

This module will cover quantitative research methods (including observational and experimental study designs), quantitative data-analysis methods, qualitative research methods, qualitative data-analysis methods, literature review, critical appraisal, and ethics.

Developing Paramedic Practice 2

This module will develop your ability to critically analyse the pathology of disease, analyse the evidence to develop and implement a robust physical assessment, and undertake monitoring utilising best evidence to plan, treat, and develop appropriate dispositions for the wide range of conditions you are faced with in your clinical practice relating to GI, renal, and immunological diseases

Problem Based Learning 2

This module will develop you both academically and professionally, developing and enhancing your ability to relate theory to practice by utilising selected cases to explore the case holistically and in detail.

Clinical Practice 2

This module continues to build on clinical practice developed in the first year. This module allows you to actively participate and develop the skills learnt in year one, progressing your competence and confidence in episodes of care, utilising the knowledge and experience gained throughout both years. The module will give you the opportunity to gain further competency in elements of your practice assessment documents. You will continue to spend time with Practice Educators (PEds) and other healthcare professionals gaining experience of emergency, urgent, and unscheduled care. There will be pre and post-placement activities including professional expectations and engagement. Post-placement activity will include a debrief from a health and wellbeing perspective followed by a clinical discourse relating to clinical/academic underpinning issues found in placement.

Dissertation

Urgent and Community Care

Special Circumstances

Clinical practice placement 3

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

The programme will be delivered using a combination of teaching techniques from traditional lectures, tutorials, and practical sessions to more innovative problem-based learning approaches and eLearning.

The teaching strategy includes lectures, workshops, seminars, practical skills labs, simulation, and tutorials to deliver core and advanced theoretical knowledge. Some modules will use a problem-based learning approach to explore case studies through both independent and team working. Theoretical knowledge will be expanded within simulation and practical sessions which will demonstrate good practice and provide opportunities to develop problem-solving, data analysis and presentation skills. 

You will complete blocks of clinical placements 37.5 hours per week (average) and blocks comprised of theory and independent learning hours up to an equivalent of 37.5 hours each week. This means some weeks you may complete more hours than others, typically following the work rota of your mentor on that placement.

Each student is supported by a designated personal tutor from the academic team throughout the programme, and an experienced Practice Educator whilst on placement.

Assessment

A range of assessment strategies are included throughout the programme to demonstrate the students' attainment of learning outcomes, and are designed to be appropriate to the competency and level of skill required.

Practice is assessed through the completion of a practice-based learning portfolio.

Theory is assessed via a combination of examinations and Observed Structured Clinical Exams. Coursework may include written assignments and oral presentations. Less formal on-line quizzes and tests will enable students to monitor their progress and understanding.

Teaching contact hours

Contact hours in a typical week will depend to some extent on the modules you are studying. However, typically you will have up to 30 contact hours of teaching comprising a combination of practical classes, workshops, seminars and traditional lectures.

Personal study

Students are expected to revise and develop their academic skills in extra-curricular time.

Uniform and dress code policy

While on placement, students must adhere to the uniform and dress code policy of the placement provider. This includes acute and community-based placements, which are essential components for the completion of the course. NHS trusts and other placement providers have given careful consideration to cultural and religious needs relating to uniform policies/dress codes. 

These policies and codes have been developed in partnership with cultural and religious bodies to ensure that local and national infection control guidance is adhered to. While we always endeavour to accommodate individual needs, there are some areas where the need to fully comply with infection control guidance has overridden religious requirements.

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Our facilities

Hawthorn Building

Home to students and staff from Health and Life Sciences courses spanning pharmaceutical, healthcare, lab based and social science disciplines.

The facilities and spaces in the Hawthorn Building are designed to replicate current practice in health and life sciences, including contemporary analytical chemistry and formulation laboratories, audiology booths and nursing and midwifery clinical skills suites.

Purpose-built clinical skills areas allow you to practice in a safe environment. You will receive guidance and support from expert academic and technical staff.

Recently renovated, the Undercroft offers dedicated break out spaces and study spaces allowing for collaborative and interprofessional learning beyond the classroom.

Hawthorn Building - Magazine Square Entrance
Hawthorn Building is located in the centre of campus just 5 minutes from the city centre.
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Technical staff are on hand to guide students throughout their course.
Midwifery students have access to specialist facilities and staff
Midwifery students get hands-on experience
Nursing facilities in the building and others on campus, allow our students to learn in clinical settings.
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Bertec Computerised Dynamic Postuography (CPD/IVR) uses the latest technology in graphics and sensors to enable greater depth in our assessment of people who experience dizziness.

Where we could take you

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Placements

As part of this course, you will undertake compulsory work placements mostly in the NHS, working with a range of people to develop your clinical and professional skills. 

You will be placed with a local ambulance NHS trust within the East Midlands area. However, we will not be able to guarantee placement location, this will be dependent on mentorship availability. 

You will be expected to work in both city and rural locations, which means you must be able to get there using your own transport. Placements start early in the morning, with an average shift lasting for 12 hours, for example from 6am to 6pm, or through the night from 7pm to 7am.

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Graduate careers

As an applied subject, our graduates usually progress on to careers within paramedicine, healthcare, education, or research settings. 

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Find out how to apply

Course specifications

Course title

Paramedic Science

Award

BSc (Hons)

UCAS code

B780

Institution code

D26

Study level

Undergraduate

Study mode

Full-time

Start date

September

Duration

Three years full-time

Fees

2025/26 UK tuition fees:
£9,535*

*subject to the government, as is expected, passing legislation to formalise the increase.

Additional costs

Entry requirements

GCSEs

  • Five GCSEs at grade C or above including Maths, English and Science. 

Passes in Functional Skills and Key Skills qualifications at level 2 in maths and English can be accepted as equivalents.

Plus one of the following:

A levels

  • A minimum of 128 UCAS points with one A Level Grade B or above in a natural science (Psychology accepted, but not Sociology). We do not accept General Studies or points achieved through dance or music exams.

T Level

  • Distinction in Healthcare Science (with an optional module in ‘Assisting with healthcare science' (not optical care services)

BTEC

  • Extended Diploma in Applied Science at DDM

Access course

  • Pass QAA Accredited Access to HE Diploma in Science or Access to HE Diploma in Medicine & Healthcare with 45 level 3 credits at Distinction.

GCSE English and Maths at grade C(4) are required as separate qualifications.

We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

International Baccalaureate 28+ points

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 7 overall when you start the course is essential, with a 7.0 in all components except writing which should be at least 6.5.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning (CELL), is available both before and during the course.

Interview: Yes

The recruitment process for this course includes assessing applicants by the content of their personal statement and interview for the core values of the NHS constitution.

There is no fitness test, but you are expected to be able to lift, move and carry patients.

Professional conduct during the event will also contribute to the decision-making regarding an applicant’s application. Interviews are currently being conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams.

Work experience: Yes

Applicants are required to demonstrate relevant work experience. This would normally include experience from formal or informal employment, school or college work placements, voluntary work and other relevant life experiences. Merit is placed on either health based work experience of customer service experience (i.e. working with people).

Non-academic requirements

As well as academic requirements, you will also be required to meet and fulfil non-academic requirements which are stated below:

  • Self-Declaration Form clearance
  • Occupational Health clearance
  • Enhanced DBS disclosure clearance

You submit an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service disclosure application form before starting the course (if you are overseas, you will also need to submit a criminal records certificate from your home country), which needs to be cleared in accordance with DMU’s admissions policy. Contact us for up-to-date information.

We strongly advise that you opt for the DBS update service as it is possible that future placement providers may request a recent DBS and not one from the start of the programme. If you decide not to opt for this service then you will have to pay for the DBS again if requested by your placement provided – the university will not cover this cost. 

You must meet and fulfil all non-academic requirements before 18 July 2025. Failure to meet this deadline may result in your offer being withdrawn.


Availability: This course has a limited number of places so that we can ensure a good quality placement experience. In exceptional circumstances this may result in the course becoming full before you have completed the admissions process. In this situation we will offer you the opportunity to be considered for a place on an alternative course.

Additional costs

You may incur additional costs for this programme, including the cost of travelling to and from project/placement locations.