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Paramedic Practice (Top-up) (Distance Learning) BSc(Hons)

2025-26

Start date

22 September 2025

Duration

2 years part-time

Places available (subject to change)

25

About the course

This course provides the opportunity for qualified paramedics to undertake a top-up degree through distance learning. It allows you to use your professional qualification and registration to APEL the first year of a degree programme. You will be required to undertake exercises where you will engage with the online materials in order to develop an understanding of advanced paramedic theories, as well as explore how these can impact on patient care.

  • The course was developed in consultation with local employers and provides the opportunity for paramedics to gain a post-registration degree related to their own professional area.
  • As this course is distance learning you are not required to attend the University and can study at a time that meets your own personal and professional commitments.
  • You will be taught by experts in this field who have experience in supporting online learning.
  • The modules on this course provide you with an opportunity to develop critical thinking skills in order to enhance your understanding of paramedic practice and be able to link this to evidence-based practice. They have been designed to assist the career enhancement, as they provide the opportunity to develop an understanding of and implement advanced paramedic theories.
  • The analytical skills developed on the course are ideal for practitioners who what to undertake extended clinical roles, management positions and for those interested in further academic work or research.

The University has delivered top up degrees for several health professions for over 10 years. Practitioners who have completed the degree have employed the skills they developed on the course to enhance their careers. This course aims to prepare you for the next stage in your career and provides an opportunity for you to develop the academic skills required to develop your practice as well as implement changes.

Course detail

Developing an Understanding of Research Processes and Methods (Distance Learning)

This module provides you with the opportunity to evaluate and critically appraise published healthcare research, as well as develop an understanding of different designs, methods and approaches to research. Emphasis will be placed on utilising a structured systematic process of reviewing research that provides the necessary evidence to support and develop clinical practice. You'll evaluate and have the opportunity to develop a critical understanding of published research within the context of ethical, national and local healthcare provision.

Advancing Paramedic Practice (Distance Learning)

This module provides the opportunity to advance your existing knowledge of patient care by exploring and analysing evidence based practice and current research, through detailed reviews of scenario based exercises. You will examine professional principles that impact on contemporary paramedic practice. You will develop an online learning log analysing strategies that enable enhanced performance within the care team. Integral to this process is the examination of your professional role and responsibilities in managing patient care.

Entry requirements

You must be a registered Paramedic, hold current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and be currently working within a critical care environment.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 7.0 overall with no element lower than 6.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

You must also have access to a computer with a reliable internet connection and the ability to access and use online study guidance and support as this course is delivered through distance learning.

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Important information

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment. We may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

Changes to option modules:

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. We will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes:

We will only make major changes to non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes the outcomes, or a significant part of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum. For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment, or pandemics.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed in accordance with the student protection plan.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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