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Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

We combine academic theory, simulated patient care and practice-based experience to make sure you’re fully prepared to step into the paramedic role, Working with clinical partners like the South-Central Ambulance Service, NHS Foundation Trust and London Ambulance Service we offer you unique learning experiences that develop your confidence and help you understand the day to day life of a paramedic.

Giving you the opportunity to delve into the practical world of paramedic science and understand how to provide care for a broad range of illnesses and injuries in urgent, emergency and unscheduled care settings is so important to us. We can offer you a highly regarded course, with excellent teaching linked to practice; partnerships with local NHS trusts and a great and friendly student community all within 35 minutes of London.

In addition to providing high quality teaching, BNU is also committed to supporting students in their studies. A training grant of £5000 per year is available for eligible students, you can find out more through the . We also offer you the Big deal, which is an opportunity to get involved in events, societies, trips and extracurricular activities for free.

Our student community is incredibly friendly and supportive, and we are regularly voted in the top 5 in the UK via student surveys for the quality of our union. Making you feel like you have a place here and that this is your community, with great friendships is our goal, especially as paramedic science can be a difficult subject to study. 

What facilities can I use?

We use simulation manikins to act like humans, and ‘moulage’ – the process of applying mock, often gorily realistic injuries for training purposes. We also engage service users in role-play sessions. We also have a mock ambulance, as well as the opportunity for you to experience a range of situations a paramedic may face in environments like a nightclub, busy area, public area or bar.

As a student on our BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science course, you'll have access to our incredible state-of-the-art simulation labs at our High Wycombe campus. You'll also have access to our simulation ambulances. Simulation is an important aspect of our nursing and healthcare courses. You can regularly spend time in these areas to practice technical skills and use new technologies in a safe and supportive environment.

What will I study?

BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science will provide a route to registration as a paramedic with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The role of the paramedic has changed significantly in recent years, Paramedics are now working in a variety of clinical settings, including frontline ambulance, NHS walk-in-centre, GP surgeries and within the hospital environment.

To allow you to function effectively in these different settings, our course will combine academic theory, simulated care and frontline practice placements to provide an environment with which to develop the knowledge, skills and competencies to be an effective paramedic.

You will gain significant operational experience across a variety of settings, including NHS ambulance services, urgent care clinics, GP practices and within Acute Trusts. We will train you in areas like anatomy, physiology and pharmacology, as well as patient assessment, management of medical and trauma emergencies, advanced life support and resuscitation.

We'll also teach you important skills like clinical decision making and how to apply clinical research and evidence-based learning in your real-life environment. As part of the course you undertake placement in a supervised urgent and emergency care setting each year of study. Placements are an excellent way to network, learn from industry professionals and find out first-hand what the job of a paramedic is really like. 

Developed closely in partnership with local NHS trusts we aim to help you graduate ready for the future and proud of your achievements, having worked closely with experts already in the sector.

How will I be taught and assessed?

Teaching and learning will take a blended approach with students having theory-based tasks to complete in advance of practical sessions or tutor-led discussions. This is a challenging course, and the team will make available a wide range of resources to ensure students are successful.  

Your learning will always be applied to clinical practice whether in the form of a simulation or scenario, research activity, student presentation or case study. Practice-based education is a critical component and will allow you to hone your clinical knowledge and practical skills when treating actual patients. 

Assessments are varied and will include written submissions, presentations, examinations and practical assessments. You'll learn and be assessed on important patient-facing skills like communication, professionalism, clinical knowledge and practical skills. We'll assess your decision-making and reasoning abilities too so you can justify what you did or why you want to carry out a patient intervention.

Throughout the course you'll work on a personal e-portfolio which will demonstrate your competencies in clinical practice. In each year of study, we'll look to see that you've been able to evidence the core capabilities required to progress through the course and to identify areas where we can support your learning further.

Your e-portfolio is entirely owned and driven by you and should be something you'd happily share with a prospective employer to better evidence your learning and readiness for practice.

Assessments vary according to modules and are designed to test your understanding of the modules. Some of the ways you will be assessed include:

• reports
• exams
• presentations
• coursework