Key information
UCAS code:
B900
Accreditation:
This course is Accredited
Typical offer:
120-128 UCAS points to include 32 UCAS points from an A level in a single Science subject, or equivalent
Showing content for section Overview
Overview
Paramedics are vital to the health, safety and wellbeing of the nation.
If you’re ready to work at the frontline of the NHS, this BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science degree will prepare you for life as a registered paramedic.
Course highlights
- Practise your skills on medical manikins and simulated patients safely and under expert supervision in our Centre for Simulation in Health and Care, one of the country’s leading healthcare teaching environments
- Gain more than 1,500 hours of practical experience on placement with real paramedic teams and in clinical settings, including community medicine, emergency departments, minor injuries units, maternity and critical care
- Get expert support from a personal mentor within the Ambulance Service
- Receive an induction, full uniform and PPE (personal protective equipment) from the NHS Trust you're assigned to
-
Become eligible to register as a paramedic with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) when you graduate
NHS Learning Support Fund
At least £5,000 a year
On this course, you may be eligible for additional funding through the NHS Learning Support Fund bursary of at least £5,000 a year.
94%
of graduates in work or further study 15 months after this course
(HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021/22)
5th
for Anatomy and Physiology in the UK
(Guardian University Guide, 2024)
Top 30
for student satisfaction
(Times Higher Education, 2024)
Approved by:
This course is approved by the Health & Care Professions Council.
It is also 2nd for Paramedic Science in the Complete University Guide League Tables 2022.
Explore BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science at Portsmouth
Discover how our BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science degree course will equip you with the skills and experience you need to become a Paramedic and work on the front lines of the NHS.
Rob Isherwood: Paramedic Sciences is a three-year undergraduate programme that takes people from civilian life, as it were, to become paramedics of the future. We are regulated by the Healthcare and Professions Council. When you come onto the course, we do quite an intensive early study block, learning those important theoretical building blocks that you need, preparing you for some of the important things in placement.
We've got a really good working relationship with our local ambulance trust. They provide our students with their placement time. While they're out on placement, they're working as part of a team. They are given mentors, existing paramedics with lots of experience.
What sets us apart is we have a really nice culture here, a welcoming culture, and we're supportive of our students throughout their whole time with us.
We've got some fantastic facilities here at the University of Portsmouth. We really believe in using high quality simulation equipment in order for them to get the feedback that they need to improve what they do. We have simulated spaces, so we've got a simulated flat, used to have a simulated ward area and we have a GP area. We make sure the simulated spaces that we've got reflect the modern world of paramedic practice.
Once you've completed your degree here at the University of Portsmouth, the world is your oyster now. There is no other job like it in the world, and I genuinely mean that. UK paramedics are well respected across the world. You could go and work internationally like I've done. In the UK, the predominant employer of paramedics is going to be ambulance services, but we also have the opportunity to work in hazardous area response teams on HEMS, so Helicopter Emergency Medical Services, the opportunity to work within a Minor Injuries Unit or Emergency Department or you go work in a GP surgery. We now work in so many different environments and we have got some really interesting transferable skills. So there are lots more opportunities even outside of healthcare.
It's been fantastic to see the development of our students from day one, year one. It's great to see people's confidence grow and see the impact that this course is having on their lives. It's got a family atmosphere here at the University of Portsmouth. It's one of the most supportive universities, and I think it's a really good place to come and study.
Contact information
Contact AdmissionsClearing is open
This course is available through Clearing.
How to apply for accommodation
We have a variety of accommodation options, including studios, en-suites, catered, self-catered and private rental options. See how our housing team can help you find a place to call home.
Clearing FAQs
To work out your UCAS points, use our UCAS Calculator to work out how many UCAS points you have.
The tariff calculator will allow you to see what grades you need to get into your preferred course at Portsmouth.
You can apply through Clearing if:
- You don't meet the conditions of your offer for your firm (first) or insurance (second) choice courses
- Your exam results are better than you expected and you want to change your course or university
- You don't hold any offers
- You've accepted an offer but changed your mind about the course you want to do
- You're applying for the first time after 30 June 2024
After we make you an offer we'll send you a confirmation email. This email will let you know what you need to do next and it will tell you what you need to provide us. In some instances we may ask you to send us copies of certificates or you may need to send us a portfolio.
If you've previously applied through UCAS you'll need to use your UCAS Hub to accept our offer by adding us as your Clearing choice.
If you're having issues, please contact us on +44 (0)23 9284 8090 or admissions@port.ac.uk
Once you've accepted your Clearing course offer, we'll be in touch with details of available accommodation in the area. This will include our latest hall availability and support to find local rented accommodation via portsmouthstudentpad.co.uk
See our accommodation page for more information.
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Find out more in our Student finance for Clearing guide.
If you're an EU or international student and you need a visa to study here, you need to start the process quickly as visas can take some time to come through. Get in touch with our visa support team if you have a question or problem.
See more on visa advice.
If you would like further information or guidance, please contact our international office or call our International Clearing Hotline on +44(0)23 9284 8785.
Entry requirements
BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science
Typical offers
- A levels - ABB-BBB
- UCAS points - 120-128 points to include 32 points from an A level in a single Science subject, or equivalent (calculate your UCAS points)
- T-levels - Merit. Acceptable T Level Subjects:
T Level in Health (Acceptable Occupational Specialisms: Supporting the mental health team, Supporting the adult nursing team, Supporting the care of children and young people), T Level in Healthcare Science (Acceptable Occupational Specialisms: Assisting with healthcare science), T Level in Science (Acceptable Occupational Specialisms: Laboratory sciences, Metrology sciences) - BTECs (Extended Diplomas) - DDM
- International Baccalaureate - 25
Selection process
- Applicants must be 18 or over when the course starts.
- Applicants with a full, category B (car) driving license should have no more than three penalty points.
- Applicants will be required to undertake a shortlisting process that considers their values in relation to the professional values expected of a Paramedic.
- All shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview in support of their application.
- Applicants must pass Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Occupational Health checks before starting the course.
- If successful, applicants will be required to declare if they have been subject to any disciplinary procedures of fitness to practice by any other regulator, professional body, employer or educational establishment.
- The Department of Health requires all new Exposure Prone Procedures (EPP) workers, including students, are tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. The consent, test and managed process of results will be carried out by our Occupational Health Department.
You may need to have studied specific subjects – find full entry requirements and other qualifications we accept.
English language requirements
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 7.0 with no component score below 6.5.
See alternative English language qualifications.
We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course.
If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
We look at more than just your grades
While we consider your grades when making an offer, we also carefully look at your circumstances and other factors to assess your potential. These include whether you live and work in the region and your personal and family circumstances which we assess using established data.
Values and the NHS Constitution
We embed the principles and values of the NHS Constitution in all our health and social care courses. When you apply for this course, we’ll expect you to demonstrate how your values align with the values of the Constitution.
Your facilities
Before you join real paramedics on placement, you'll practise life-saving skills on manikins in our safe and supportive Simulation Centre.
You'll work through scenarios you'll experience as a paramedic, including simulated examinations and treatments in our realistic bedded ward and high-fidelity patient simulator.
The Paramedic Science course at University of Portsmouth was my first choice as they have a great reputation for health care courses. Being a city campus, you get a strong sense of not just being part of the University, but of Portsmouth itself.
Mass casualty simulated experiences | University of Portsmouth
Discover how the School of Health and Care Professions at the University of Portsmouth uses mass casualty simulated experiences to support its teaching. These events enhance the learning of students and conduct research into the processes of healthcare providers as well as using simulated patient experience to teach empathy to nursing students
Hazel
The simulation centre is as close as you can get to an actual ward. It's just a safe place to practice your skills that enable you to become the best you can be at what you want to do.
Laura Knight
SimEx is a simulated mass casualty event. It takes place all over the greater Portsmouth area, with multiple exercises going on with multiple students involved and multiple agencies as well and it just allows not only hospital environments, but also disaster response environments to be able to test their mass casualty processes and protocols to make sure that we deal with it in the best way that we possibly can.
Sarah Herbert
The event today was based on a traffic accident. We've got actors playing the parts of patients, various injuries, some relatively minor, up to some pretty serious stuff and unfortunately, a few people that didn't make it.
Laura Knight
Last year we did one day full of adult casualties. This year, we've doubled the days up and we've added a paediatric element in which allows QA and our students to be able to prepare themselves if the worst ever happened and we did have a lot of children needing attention medically at any one time.
Melanie Tanner
It's a really rare opportunity to be involved in something that's in such big scale, as in SimEx. The students, of course, do have placements. They have to do 2300 hours, be put on the register to be a nurse. But to get this experience with this mass casualty situation would be very, very rare for them.
Laura Knight
A lot of the time, students have to take a bit of a backseat role when stuff like this comes in during clinical placements. Being able to do it in a controlled environment allows the students to be able to practice their skills that they're going to have to be doing when they qualify and when they come across a major incident in real life.
Melanie Tanner
By seeing this and working together with the QA team here now, they are getting such valuable learning experience and if they ever have to deal with this in the future, it will allow them to be more confident and competent practitioners.
Makaylia
I believe that getting this experience as a student opens my eyes to what actually happens in the real world. I feel like I've had the experience where I can implement those skills into anything that I come across.
Hazel
There are so many different aspects of the multidisciplinary team within the hospital setting and being able to understand each other's roles and communicate with each other and work together is what optimises patient outcomes.
Makaylia
This will help me in my future career because of all the experience that I've gained and an insight of what it's like to work with different types of teams, for example, doctors, consultants and other nurses. It's good for communication and teamwork.
Melanie Tanner
20 of my student nurses I've directed up to Tipner. They're going to be involved in a humanitarian exercise and they will be working with the crisis and management team. The idea is by putting student nurses in those roles is they get to see what it's like to be on the other side, to feel vulnerable, to feel empathy for that person in that situation.
Debbi Atkinson
It's about recognising the roles of others, seeing the impacts that they can have and I think its just about taking those transferable skills that our students have and putting it into a different situation.
Steve Searby
Nursing isn't a traditional, ward based approach. Some of the students here could go on and work for international aid agencies. It is really important that they have an awareness of the kind of pressures that they could be involved in.
Phil Crook
There's negotiations that have to be undertaken with local important people. There's interviews with the media to show off their organisation and develop relationships. They face a series of other challenges, such as passing checkpoints and to access and assess a particular location as to its suitability to develop into a refugee camp or camp for internally displaced people. The better we can make that experience now, the better equipped they'll be when they go into that world in the future.
SimEx allows us to offer an exercise environment to other organisations, external to the university such as voluntary organisations, sometimes local authority, emergency responders, United Nations organisations, civil protection organisations from around the world and then sat behind all of that, because we're a university, there's a huge amount of research that goes on.
Melanie Tanner
This experience will really help the students in their future careers. It will really make them feel safe, confident and competent going forward. If it becomes a reality, which we do have major casualty incidents, then they will feel more confident as a team all together to work together and hopefully get a better outcome for everyone in our community.
Careers and opportunities
As the first healthcare providers on the scene in an emergency, paramedics have to take rapid action to save lives, often working alongside other first response teams like the police and the fire service.
A career as a paramedic is fast-paced and demanding, but also incredibly rewarding. As ambulance call-outs continue to rise, paramedics are needed in ambulance trusts nationwide – there were 783,050 incidents in June 2021, 80,000 more than in the same month two years ago.
Delivering frontline care when it's needed most
On this Paramedic Science degree, you’ll master the complexities of acute pre-hospital care, and learn to assess patients and treat patients using life-saving equipment safely and effectively – in line with HCPC Standards of Proficiency.
At the end of the course, you'll be eligible to apply to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for professional registration as a qualified paramedic in the public or private sector.
As a paramedic in the NHS in 2021, you'd begin your career on a Band 5 salary of £25,655 to £31,534, before moving up to Band 6 after two years in your role, which ranges from £32,306 to £39,027.
With more experience you could progress to become a consultant paramedic, making up to £75,874 (Band 8c).
Once you graduate, you’ll also be prepared for jobs in clinical settings like telephone triage services, helicopter emergency medical services, with ambulance trusts, or in special operations response.
Where could you work as a paramedic?
Many graduates work in ambulance trusts – recent graduates have gone on to work for organisations including:
- South Central Ambulance Service
- London Ambulance Service
- South Western Ambulance Service Trust
- East of England Ambulance Service
- Welsh Ambulance Service
- North East Ambulance Service
What else can I do with a Paramedic Science degree?
You could also work in clinical settings such as:
- GP surgeries
- Primary and secondary healthcare
- Telephone triage services (such as NHS 111)
- Helicopter emergency services
- Special operations response
You can also continue your study at postgraduate level or take on a career in teaching, research or clinical management.
Ongoing careers support
After you graduate, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability Service as you advance in your career.
Ambulance and clinical placements
To prepare you for your career as a paramedic, you'll get at least 1,500 hours of experience on work placements in paramedic teams and other clinical settings.
Being on placement is a fantastic experience and my favourite aspect of the course. I was made to feel part of the ambulance crew and have been encouraged to be actively involved in patient care from the start.
Ambulance placements
Each year, you'll complete an ambulance placement, working 37.5 hours a week (which includes 7.5 hours a week study time).
You'll be allocated a clinical mentor from the Ambulance Service and you'll work with a clinical team that consists of a team leader, paramedics, specialist paramedics, ambulance technicians, associate ambulance practitioners, emergency care assistants and other student paramedics.
You'll work alongside and be supervised by a paramedic on every shift and work in different ambulance stations across Hampshire or the Isle of Wight (depending on where you live during your studies). Your shift patterns will mirror what you'll experience as a paramedic and will include weekend and bank holiday shifts, night shifts, early shifts and late shifts.
Clinical placements
You'll also undertake the following clinical placements:
- Year 1 – a 1-week community placement in a setting such as a drugs and alcohol rehabilitation team, with a learning disabilities team, or with the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)
- Year 2 – a 2-3 week in-hospital placement, which allows you to experience various clinical departments such as maternity, emergency departments and coronary care units
- Year 3 – a 1 week placement in both a Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) and a GP Practice
Modules
Each module on this course is worth a certain number of credits.
In each year, you need to study modules worth a total of 120 credits. For example, four modules worth 20 credits and one module worth 40 credits.
What you'll study
Core modules
All modules in this year are core.
As you gain academic awareness and an understanding of different perspectives, you'll be able to identify your own personal learning needs, formulate a development plan and identify, retrieve and summarise evidence relevant to a specific aspect of practice, using appropriate resources.
By summarising evidence about a specific area of practice, you'll learn to critique health inequalities, understand public health, and the delivery of health and social care.
When you finish, you'll confidently apply your study skills to key public health issues.
Through self-reflection and a practice assessment document, you'll demonstrate communication and teamworking skills. You'll take part in dynamic practical sessions that will develop your knowledge on topics like resilience, ethics, law, and continuing development.
You'll start to take ownership of building your paramedic skills and professional conduct to provide safe, quality patient care.
Through simulated scenarios, you'll integrate airway management, basic and immediate life support, and contemporary medical treatments into skilled, patient centred care.
By examining relevant theories, you'll be equipped to confidently handle diverse healthcare situations.
Build your knowledge on physical health, disease, disorder and dysfunction relevant to paramedic practice and evaluate the efficacy of treatments through observation and assessments.
Gain knowledge in disease and trauma processes, human anatomy and physiology, human growth and development and learn how to interpret abnormalities, factors that influence variations in human ability and health function.
Discover the principles and theories of physics, biomechanics, electronics and ergonomics and how they can be applied to paramedic practice. Learn to apply the scientific principles used to analyse information and determine diagnoses, the pathophysiological changes to normal homeostatic function and how to administer techniques based on biomechanics, electrophysiology and pharmacology.
Core modules
All modules in this year are core.
Using theory and practice, you'll learn to treat adult, paediatric and range of other patients in prehospital settings. You'll demonstrate the skills and knowledge to recognise, manage and treat patients with acute needs. You'll use clinical leadership qualities and evidence to undertake clinical decision making, respond effectively to changing patient needs and problem solve – both individually and in teams.
Through self-reflection and a practice assessment document, you'll demonstrate your communication and teamworking skills. You'll take part in dynamic practical sessions that will develop your knowledge on topics like resilience, ethics, law, and continuing development.
By enhancing your practical skills, you'll take ownership of building your paramedic skills and professional conduct to provide safe, quality patient care.
By evaluating the challenges faced by interprofessional teams in delivering safe, person-centred care, you'll be prepared to reduce and manage errors and near misses. Reflecting on human factors and behaviors that enable safety, you'll analyse the role of organisations and professional bodies, and how they deliver effective and quality improved care.
When you finish, you'll confidently understand the individual and professional responsibilities in delivering safe and effective care as a healthcare professional.
By exploring ethical considerations and selecting appropriate approaches, you'll explore the stages involved in the design and planning of a project in health or social care. You'll discuss the strengths and weaknesses of published evidence that inform practice and consider the barriers, enablers, and contextual factors surrounding evidence based decision-making.
You'll work as part of an interprofessional team to deliver person-centred care in simulated environments.
Through face-to-face teaching, you'll discover how to conduct thorough and detailed physical examinations and inerpret your findings to formulate treatment plans. You'll learn to select appropriate techniques by reviewing the evidence base and utilise equipment as part of these assessments, develoing your clinical decision making and reasoning.
Core modules
All modules in this year are core.
Building on existing patient assessment knowledge, you'll explore specialist issues relating to this demographic and assess the effects of altered pharmacokinetics and polypharmacy in older people.
You'll work in groups, researching and delivering presentations that analyse the clinical practice experience of older adults while considering local and national demographics, and evaluate the normal and abnormal physiological and clinical changes of ageing.
Through self-reflection and a practice assessment document, you'll continue to demonstrate communication and teamworking skills. You'll take part in dynamic practical sessions that will develop your knowledge on topics like resilience, ethics, law, and continuing development.
By mastering your practical skills, you'll take ownership of building your paramedic skills and professional conduct to provide safe, quality patient care.
You'll evaluate evidence to distinguish between disease presentation and underlying conditions while interpreting the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of common drug classes and recommend appropriate treatments for key illnesses, injuries and disorders.
You'll collect and analyse evidence from a variety of sources and explore an area of best practice. From this research, you'll then develop a plan that communicates and critically discusses your findings.
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Teaching
Teaching methods on this course include:
- lectures
- seminars
- practical work
- clinical placements
There's an emphasis on applying theoretical and practical components to clinical placements, so you're well prepared for your future career.
Your study weeks and placements won't overlap, so you'll get the best of both academic work and placement experiences.
How you're assessed
You’ll be assessed through:
- tests (academic or practical/skills based)
- assignments
- projects
- academic written work/portfolios
- objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs)
- presentations
- dissertation/project
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
How you'll spend your time
One of the main differences between school or college and university is how much control you have over your learning.
We use a blended learning approach to teaching, which means you’ll take part in both face-to-face and online activities during your studies. As well as attending your timetabled classes you'll study independently in your free time, supported by staff and our virtual learning environment, Moodle.
A typical week
You'll be in timetabled teaching activities such as simulated activities, lectures, seminars and group activities for about 18 hours a week, this includes time for self directed study. Alternatively, you'll be on placement, which are about 37.5 hours a week and you'll usually be allocated around 30 hours of shifts within your placement area. The rest of the time, you'll do independent activities such as updating your practice assessment documents or evaluating what you've learned on placement.
You'll spend more of your time on placement and have less scheduled teaching as you progress through each year.
Supporting you
The amount of timetabled teaching you'll get on your degree might be less than what you're used to at school or college, but you'll also get support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:
Types of support
Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to independent study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your time at university.
As well as regular scheduled meetings with your personal tutor, they're also available at set times during the week if you want to chat with them about anything that can't wait until your next meeting.
You'll have help from a team of faculty learning support tutors. They can help you improve and develop your academic skills and support you in any area of your study.
They can help with:
- improving your academic writing (for example, essays, reports, dissertations)
- understanding and using assignment feedback
- managing your time and workload
- revision and exam techniques
During term time, Faculty Academic Skills Tutors (AST) are available for bookable 1-to-1 sessions, small group sessions and online sessions. These sessions are tailored to your needs.
Support is available for skills including:
- University study
- Getting into the right study mindset
- Note-taking and note-making skills
- Referencing
- Presentation skills
- Time management, planning, and goal setting
- Critical thinking
- Avoiding plagiarism
If you have a disability or need extra support, the Additional Support and Disability Centre (ASDAC) will give you help, support and advice.
Our online Learning Well mini-course will help you plan for managing the challenges of learning and student life, so you can fulfil your potential and have a great student experience.
You can get personal, emotional and mental health support from our Student Wellbeing Service, in person and online. This includes 1–2–1 support as well as courses and workshops that help you better manage stress, anxiety or depression.
If you require extra support because of a disability or additional learning need our specialist team can help you.
They'll help you to
- discuss and agree on reasonable adjustments
- liaise with other University services and facilities, such as the library
- access specialist study skills and strategies tutors, and assistive technology tutors, on a 1-to-1 basis or in groups
- liaise with external services
Library staff are available in person or by email, phone, or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from a librarian who specialises in your subject area.
The library is open 24 hours a day, every day, in term time.
If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.
Course costs and funding
Tuition fees
- UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £9,535 per year (may be subject to annual increase)
This course isn't currently open to International and EU students.
Funding your studies
Find out how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students.
Additional funding – at least £5,000 a year
Students on this course may be eligible for additional funding through the NHS Learning Support Fund of at least £5,000 a year. The bursary is non-repayable and is in addition to any other support you are eligible for, including Government student loans.
For more information, including eligibility criteria, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
Additional course costs
These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.
Additional costs
Our accommodation section show your accommodation options and highlight how much it costs to live in Portsmouth.
You’ll study up to 6 modules a year. You may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for each module.
You can borrow most of these from the Library. If you buy these, they may cost up to £60 each.
We recommend that you budget £75 a year for photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.
If your final year includes a major project, there could be cost for transport or accommodation related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.
Apply
Ready to apply?
To start this course in 2025, apply through UCAS. You'll need:
- the UCAS course code – B900
- our institution code – P80
If you'd prefer to apply directly, use our online application form.
You can also sign up to an Open Day to:
- Tour our campus, facilities and halls of residence
- Speak with lecturers and chat with our students
- Get information about where to live, how to fund your studies and which clubs and societies to join
If you're new to the application process, read our guide on applying for an undergraduate course.
EU and international students
Sorry, this course isn't currently open to international or EU students.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.