The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Paramedicine is designed for individuals interested in providing care to patients in the pre-hospital setting. The purpose of this program is to prepare competent entry-level paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains with or without exit points at the advanced emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician, and/or emergency responder levels.

This program will provide the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for an entry-level paramedic and allow eligibility to sit for national and state testing for emergency medical technician and paramedic. The program meets or exceeds the required skills and knowledge as set forth by the National EMS Education Standards and the Oregon Health Authority DHS-EMS division.

The program is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) and the Oregon Health Authority DHS-EMS.

Entry Requirements

The EMT and paramedic sequence portions of the program are the only limited-entry components. Students are required to submit an application to the College and a separate application to the EMS program. The application to the EMS program is for the EMT and paramedic licensure courses only. Students must complete all prerequisites listed in the EMT and paramedic application prior to submission of the application. EMT151 Emergency Medical Technician Part A and EMT152 Emergency Medical Technician Part B must be completed in sequence in the same academic year.

For more information contact the program director at anthony.gantenbein@socc.edu. Due to continually changing laws and regulations, students may be required to add, modify or delete courses and/or hours for the curriculum to meet current standards. See advisor for current requirements.

Graduation Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 101 credit hours with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better. All courses must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better. Twenty-four (24) credits must be completed at Southwestern before the degree is awarded. The completion of the following certificates will be required in order to qualify for graduation: ACLS, PHTLS, PALS or equivalent (these are taught as part of the coursework for this degree).

Complete the graduation application process one term prior to the term of completion (e.g., spring term graduates must apply during winter term).

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate personal behaviors consistent with professional and employer expectations of an entry-level paramedic.
• Demonstrate technical proficiency in all of the skills necessary to fulfill the role of an entry-level paramedic.
• Comprehend, apply and evaluate information relative to the role of an entry-level paramedic in the cognitive domain.

Math and writing placement are unique to each student and are determined during the admissions and intake advising process.  Additional math or writing courses may be required prior to taking the math or writing program requirements in this degree. 

Pre-Program Courses

Students are required to take the following courses prior to the program courses. 

Program Guide

¹

PSY202,  PSY203, or PSY237 may be substituted for PSY201.

²

MTH65, MTH95 or higher, excluding MTH211, may be substituted for MTH60

³

SP111 or COMM111Z, SP218 or COMM218Z, SP219 or COMM219 will satisfy this requirement.

⁴

PE185 sport/activity courses WILL NOT meet this requirement.