BSc Paramedic Science

Overview

The modern paramedic treats and cares for people locally, or in their homes, to assist in reducing avoidable hospital admissions, as well as for emergency situations. Throughout this challenging and exciting course you will learn alongside other healthcare practitioners reflecting the collaborative nature of working in a modern healthcare system.

The BSc Paramedic Science course has trail blazed the academic route to Paramedic Registration in Scotland. The programme is the first in Scotland to achieve endorsement from the College of Paramedics, therefore students can be assured that the course meets the current industry curriculum standards and delivers developmental education for the paramedic profession.

The spiral curriculum at GCU blends successful traditional vocational strategies, with a focus on critical thinking, inter-professional learning, leadership, and research. The programme is innovative, rapidly evolving and enjoys a depth of dynamic paramedic leadership. The variety of healthcare placements learners may attend is expanding through developing partnerships with a variety of trusts and government agencies. This includes the development of international elective placements for students to experience a global perspective on healthcare practice.

Learners on this course have an excellent chance to become well-rounded clinicians, equipped to face the challenging and rapidly evolving professional role.

Your career

Successfully completing this course will enable you to apply to Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for registration as a paramedic. The majority of paramedics find employment within a UK ambulance service and there are increasing opportunities for graduates to work in a range of health and social care settings.

There is work available in private ambulance companies, offshore companies and other various NHS and private areas. However, the majority of newly qualified paramedics will look to consolidate their learning and experience in an ambulance service trust for one to two years before pursuing promotions or other career avenues.

There is a significant need across the UK for paramedics and we continue to build on our close links with local and national employers to assist our graduates to gain employment following completion of their studies

All UK ambulance service trusts offer a form of Newly Qualified Paramedic programme to assist new paramedics transitioning from education into the fully registered role.

What you
will study

Course
Information

Award	Mode of study	Duration	Start date	Location	UCAS
BSc	Full Time	3 Years	Sep 25	Glasgow	B950	Enquire Apply

All entry requirements listed here should be used as a guide. Applicants who are made a conditional offer of a place may be asked to achieve more than is stated.

International students can get information on entry requirements specific to their country in our International Study section.

Year 1

Standard entry requirement

UCAS Tariff: 102

Scottish Higher: BBBC or equivalent including Higher in Biology/Human Biology plus Nat 5 Maths or Application of Maths

A Level: BCC or equivalent including A Level in Biology plus GCSE Maths

Minimum entry requirement

UCAS Tariff: 84

Scottish Higher: CCCC or equivalent including Higher in Biology/Human Biology plus Nat 5 Maths or Application of Maths

A Level: CCD or equivalent including A Level in Biology plus GCSE Maths

English language

IELTS score of 7.0 with no element below 6.5 (or equivalent).

Age guidance

A student should be 17 years old by the start of their first clinical placement, which takes place in January after the course start date.

Application process

Applicants will be required to attend an interview as part of the admissions process.

Acceptance to this course is subject to a satisfactory occupational health screening and PVG clearance.

You will be required to pass a manual handling course and to undertake the physically demanding duties of a paramedic in the practice environment. You must be physically fit and have the strength to lift and carry patients and equipment.

You will undergo an occupational health assessment at the start of the course and will also need to ensure you have specific vaccinations.

Note: Any military personal wishing to enter the course must have an academic qualification equivalent to the SCQF Level 6 which includes human biology. This applies to those who have a military background as a medic.

Driving requirements

You do not have to have a driving licence or complete a driving assessment to enter the course. The Standards of Proficiency for paramedics do not require driving as an element of regulated practice, so being unable to drive will not prevent you from being accepted onto the course.

However, to have a greater chance of finding a job with an NHS ambulance service trust once you have finished your studies, you should:

Hold a full driving license for a minimum of one year before graduation
- This is currently a requirement of the Newly Qualified Paramedic (NQP) job application for the Scottish Ambulance Service
Gain you C1 endorsement (licence to drive vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes) prior to completing the course
- This is currently required by most UK ambulance services prior to employment.
- This is not the emergency driving course which is usually provided by the employing ambulance service trust.

If you are not able to get a driving licence or the C1 endorsement for health reasons, please discuss this with the course team.

This does not affect your entering the course and becoming a registered paramedic, but there are few NQP posts that do not require these qualifications.

Additional information

English language

If you are from a majority English speaking country, you may not be required to provide further proof of your English language proficiency. Full details of the English language tests we accept are available on this page.

Relevant experience (RPL)

GCU's flexible entry policies exist to allow relevant work experience and prior learning to be considered towards standard entry or advanced entry into a course.

If you do not have the typical academic entry qualifications, but can demonstrate relevant work experience and/or credits from recognised professional bodies, you may be eligible to enter this course via the University's Recognition of Prior Learning scheme.

Minimum entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements are for widening access students only. If you are from a group that is not currently well-represented in higher education you may qualify as a widening access student. This includes living in a target postcode area, attending a target school or college, attending SWAP, are care-experienced or provide care for someone else, have refugee status or are an asylum seeker.

The tuition fees you pay are mostly determined by your fee status. What is my student fee status?

Fees are subject to change and are published here for guidance only. If you have any queries about the fees for 25/26 please contact our Funding and Finance Team.

Annual full-time tuition fees 24/25

Home: £1,820*

RUK: We are currently reviewing the impact of the UK Government decision to raise undergraduate tuition fees and maintenance loans for September 2025 for students from the rest of the UK who have chosen to study in Scotland. We will update information on our fees as soon as possible.

International: £15,200

*Scottish student tuition fees are subject to confirmation by the Scottish Government and may change once confirmed.

Additional costs

As a student at the University, there are additional fees and costs which may or may not apply to you, but that you should be aware of.

View additional costs

Additional costs

Additional costs for Scottish domiciled students

If you are eligible for SAAS student funding, you will not need to pay for uniform, PVG checks and occupational health checks. While on placement, you may have additional accommodation and travel costs. You can apply for allied health profession students practical placement expenses support to help meet these costs.

Additional costs for all other students (rest of UK, EU and International)

During this course, you will be required to cover the cost of:

Occupational health checks and vaccination: set fee of £486
Membership of Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. New applications cost £59. Updates to existing scheme record cost £18
Potential accommodation and additional travel costs during practice education placements

Invoices will be issued by the University for payment of all of the above additional costs in Trimester B (March/April) of the first year of your course.

Scholarships

We provide high-quality education for a fair price; as the University for the Common Good, we are committed to offering accessible higher education for talented students by keeping our tuition fees low and providing a generous scholarship package.

View undergraduate scholarships at GCU.

Assessment methods

We use a wide range of learning and teaching methods to ensure that you have both the necessary knowledge and understanding of business and management and a portfolio of intellectual and personal skills.

Each module on the programme uses its own learning, teaching and assessment strategy to achieve learning objectives. Assessment methods vary between modules and may include unseen examinations, class tests, essays, management reports, case studies, presentations, and group work.

Industry-standard facilities

Our state-of-the-art simulation laboratory, including high- fidelity mannequins and technology will give you an authentic learning experience delivered by excellent lecturers from a variety of clinical backgrounds.

Professional accreditation

This course will enable you to apply to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for registration as a paramedic. The majority of paramedics find employment within an ambulance service and there are increasing opportunities for graduates to work in a range of health and social care settings.

Teaching methods

The learning and teaching methods we use ensure that our programme is both vocationally relevant and academically challenging. Our approach is student-centred, practical, participative and relevant to the needs of employers.

We've moved away from the traditional teacher-centric learning to a more independent learning approach, where you are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills.

Work placements

All practice-based education occurs in the Greater Glasgow, Clyde and Argyll regions. Placements are held in a variety of health and social care settings across the three years. These include: care homes, frontline operational ambulances, NHS inpatient and clinic services, NHS community services, charity and private health settings as well as international opportunities.

Please note

There is continuous recording within the Interprofessional Simulation Centre (ISC) rooms. These recordings may be used for learning and assessment purposes to fulfil programme requirements, so all students registered on health-related programmes may be recorded while in these rooms. Recordings may be viewed by programme staff, students, and external examiners. Recordings are routinely deleted after 28 days; however, in certain circumstances, this period may be extended to accommodate moderation and education quality requirements.

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Your career

What youwill study

Course Information

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What you
will study

Course
Information