Paramedic Certificate
The Paramedic is an allied health professional whose primary focus is to provide advanced emergency medical care for critical and emergent patients who access the emergency medical system.  This individual possesses the complex knowledge and skills necessary to provide patient care and transportation.  Paramedics function as part of a comprehensive EMS response, under medical oversight.  Paramedics perform interventions with the basic and advanced equipment typically found on an ambulance. The Paramedic is a link from the scene into the health care system.

The Paramedic certificate track is designed for those individuals who already have an advanced level degree or who do not desire to obtain an AAS degree.

Program Goal
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 and/or Emergency Medical Technician, and/or Emergency Medical Responder levels.

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates are eligible to take the National Registry of EMT exam, the final step towards certification as a Paramedic.

Upon successful completion, the student is awarded a certificate.

Prerequisites

• Applicant must be at least 18 years of age
• Applicant must possess a high school diploma or equivalent
• Applicant must possess a current American Heart Association Healthcare Provider card, or equivalent, prior to the first day of class. Equivalency will be determined by the Program Director or Dean
• Oregon EMT license prior to the first day of class
• Applicant must possess health insurance
• Applicant must complete a background check to include a drug screen
• Applicant must provide proof of required immunizations and/or titer including: 
  • Hepatitis B - 3 shot series, booster, or positive titer within the last 20 years
  • MMR - 2 shot series or positive titer
  • Varicella - 2 shot series or positive titer
  • Tdap - within the past 10 years
  • Meningitis - as teen or adult, not Hib for infants
  • TB - no more than 3 months prior to paramedic start date
  • Influenza - depending on the flu season and start date
• COVID full vaccination is required (number of doses depending on the vaccine brand). Exemptions are not permitted.
• Specific prerequisites may apply depending on the program selected
• Applicant must complete required TB testing prior to attending clinical or field internship rotations
• NOTE: all prerequisites are required to be completed prior to the first day of the program.

Course Structure
The program consists of the following courses:
BIO 135, Introduction to Anatomy & Physiology, 3 credit hours, 48 hours, 3 weeks
HS 171, Patient Care Management: Medical, 10, credit hours, 210 clock hours, 14 weeks
HS 172, Patient Care Management: Trauma, 10, credit hours, 210 clock hours, 14 weeks
HS 273, Clinical Rotations 5.5 credit hours, 248 clock hours, 13 weeks
HS 274, Capstone Field Internship, 12 credit hours, 540 clock hours, 15 weeks

For course dates refer to the Academic Calendar.  Contact the Program Director for additional information: 971-236-9228 or visit www.CollegeofEMS.com.

The total length of the Paramedic program is a maximum of 59 weeks in length.  In no case will the student have longer than 150% of that time to complete all phases of the Program.  The Paramedic program is structured as five courses and each course must be completed in no longer than 150% of the specified term length (see above).  Courses are sequential and must be completed in the order above.  Students who do not complete the Program in the maximum allowed time will have the option to withdraw or be dismissed from the Program.

Course Fees

Tuition Payment Policy
Tuition is due in full on the first day of class.  The student Enrollment Agreement indicates the payment schedule for tuition and fees for those requesting a payment plan.  Fees must be paid as identified in the Agreement.  The Withdrawal and Refund policy for each course is detailed with the description of each applicable course.

Refund, Drop, and Withdrawal Policy
An enrolled student may cancel enrollment until the end of the first class session or the seventh day after enrollment, whichever is later, and receive a full refund of all monies paid, less the non-refundable enrollment fee.  Equipment, supplies, and materials provided by the College of Emergency Services must be returned.  Refunds are calculated on a prorated basis as specified in the Enrollment Agreement.  The Withdrawal and Refund policy for each course is detailed with the description of each applicable course.

Financial Aid
The College of Emergency Services does not provide any form of student financial aid and does not participate in federal Title IV or state financial aid programs.

Veteran Educational Assistance
The College of Emergency Services Paramedic program is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, a nationally recognized accrediting organization, and is approved by the Oregon State Approving Agency for Veterans’ education and training.  Recertification courses are not approved for educational benefits. 

Student Resources and Services
Texts and materials
Textbooks are available and ordered online through JB Learning for the Paramedic textbook.  Anatomy and Physiology and additional professional resources are available through various online booksellers.  Students are provided with a list of required and optional materials upon enrollment, including edition numbers and ISBN numbers. Required materials also include access fees to online performance tracking and evaluation using the web-based program Fisdap.

Entrance Exam Registration
Please click here to go to the entrance exam registration page. Follow the instructions to register for the exam.

Click here for the College of Emergency Services Course Catalog.

(The catalog will appear in a new browser tab, please check browser settings if they do not automatically open.) 

The College of Emergency Services Paramedic Program is a consortium sponsored by the College of Emergency Services and Columbia Southern University.