Australian residents
International students
Intakes: 

2023: February, May

Duration: 
3 years
Location: 
St Albans
Fees: 

2023: A$16,700*
* fee per semester

Application due dates:
We are currently accepting applications for this course.
Apply

Overview

Begin a challenging and rewarding career as a paramedic with a Bachelor of Paramedicine from VU.

Gain the skills, knowledge and techniques to treat patients in out-of-hospital care. You'll graduate from the Bachelor of Paramedicine able to manage all aspects of the needs of paramedic patients (physical, psychological, social).

This course will prepare you to be sensitive to issues in diverse communities and treat patients accordingly.

Our paramedicine degree is held in very high regard in the industry for its hands-on approach. You will learn through practical scenarios and clinical placements, and also gain a solid understanding of theory.

VU graduates are compassionate and highly capable professionals. Studying at VU will prepare you for the real world of emergency health.

A key part of your paramedic course will be spending time in ambulances, observing and assisting as part of your paramedic clinical placements.

You will gain direct practical experience as a real paramedic under a clinical supervisor within Ambulance Victoria. These placements will provide you with confidence and a competitive advantage in the workforce.

Some of your 360 hours clinical-placement experience will be completed in a high-fidelity simulation suite.

In our labs, you can practise your new skills in a safe environment. You'll learn through simulation scenarios through role play, acting out realistic emergency responses.

Our strong partnership with Ambulance Victoria keeps our teaching methods up-to-date and relevant.

Our state-of-the-art facilities include:

  • clinical practice rooms
  • self-directed learning laboratories
  • life-like mannequin technology
  • simulation suites.

Registration

We will provide your details to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) shortly after the census date.

Following this, to attend clinical placement, you need to apply to register with AHPRA and provide your registration number to the VU clinical learning office.

When you enrol, please read the AHPRA registration eligibility requirements and send them any queries.

Immunisation

You need to be immunised in order to attend clinical placement. We encourage you to begin your immunisation schedule with your doctor once you receive your course offer to avoid delays to your studies.

At VU you can spend part of your degree studying overseas all while gaining credits towards your course.

Immerse yourself in a new culture and learn from a new perspective, while building experiences that will help you to stand out in the competitive job market.

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Practical learning - paramedicine - Transcript

Hear from Dilan, Bachelor of Paramedicine student, about VU's Block Model.

Dilan's experience with the VU Block Model® - Transcript

Careers in paramedicine

Working as a paramedic is demanding but rewarding. Paramedicine is a competitive sector. VU graduates have the practical skills, knowledge and personal attributes to gain employment in this field.

Potential employers include:

  • ambulance services worldwide
  • rural and remote paramedic practice
  • non-emergency patient transport.

Check employment growth rates for ambulance officers and paramedics, via Labour Market Insights. You’ll also have work opportunities interstate and overseas. Many of our graduates have secured positions in countries such as the United Kingdom.

Example job titles include:

  • paramedic
  • air ambulance paramedic
  • ambulance community officer
  • clinical instructor
  • MICA paramedic.

Salary for paramedics

Check the average annual salary of an ambulance officer or paramedic in Australia, via Labour Market Insights.

 

The calm among the crisis

The calm among the crisis

Paramedicine student Sarah Maclure’s hands-on training helped prepare her to save lives when she least expected it.

assets/arrow-long Created with Sketch.

Ambulance Authorities Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Council of Ambulance Authorities. A Bachelor of Paramedicine from an accredited university is the only qualification accepted by Ambulance Victoria.

Professional recognition

Graduates are eligible to join Paramedics Australasia, the peak professional association representing paramedic practitioners.

Course structure

For 2022 and 2023:
To attain HBPD Bachelor of Paramedicine, students will be required to complete:

  • 288 credit points of Core units.

From 2024:
To attain HBPD Bachelor of Paramedicine, students will be required to complete:

  • 276 credit points of Core studies;
  • 12 credit points of Electives.

COURSE STRUCTURE FOR 2022

First Year Core units

Year Two

Semester 1

Semester 2

Year Three

Semester 1

Semester 2

COURSE STRUCTURE FOR 2023

First Year Core units

Year Two

Semester 1

Semester 2

Year Three

Semester 1

Semester 2

COURSE STRUCTURE FOR 2024

First Year Core units

Year Two

Semester 1

Semester 2

Year Three

Semester 1

Plus 12 credit points of Electives

Semester 2

We are the first Australian university to use a 'block' model of learning, where you study one unit at a time rather than juggling several at once.

Introduced in 2018, the VU Block Model has improved our student results and achievements, and has won awards for innovation and excellence. Initially for first-year students, it now applies to all students studying at our Melbourne campuses.

You'll study in short bursts, called blocks, of three 2-3 hour face-to-face teaching sessions per week.

Each block focuses on one unit (subject) and is only four weeks long, with up to four days between. Our two semesters have four blocks each, and there are optional blocks over winter and summer where you can catch up on a missed unit.

Some courses have labs and pracs too, and these are generally scheduled on the same days as teaching sessions. There are also workshops where you'll develop your study skills and prepare for your future career.

Find out more about the VU Block Model.

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Exhibit professional, ethical, person-centred and culturally responsive out-of-hospital care across diverse health populations and settings consistent with the Paramedicine Board's (AHPRA) standards of practice;  
  2. Exemplify critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills to safely, effectively and holistically provide person-centred, evidence-based assessment and management of patients across the lifespan;  
  3. Exhibit advanced communication and collaboration skills when working with patients, families, other health professionals and agencies within the healthcare setting;  
  4. Critically reflect on and learn from practice, recognising the need for self-care strategies and life long professional learning and development;  
  5. Exemplify effective leadership and mentoring skills within relevant clinical and professional frameworks;  
  6. Assess and manage risk to the paramedic, patient and others by performing effectively and safely in line with legal and regulatory obligations and requirements; and  
  7. Exemplify culturally safe, capable and responsive practice, value diversity among peoples and engage in inclusive practices that promote the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and culturally diverse communities.  

What's a unit?

A unit or 'subject' is the actual class you'll attend in the process of completing a course.

Most courses have a mixture of compulsory 'core' units that you need to take and optional elective units that you can choose to take based on your area of interest, expertise or experience.

Credits

Each unit is worth a set amount of study credits based on the amount of time you study. Generally, 1 credit is equal to 1 hour of study per week.

Admissions

Victoria University is committed to providing a transparent admissions process. Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency.

Applicants for this course will need to have met the academic requirements and prerequisites for this course outlined below.

Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee entry into this course. Past academic performance may be considered.

Inherent Requirements

'Inherent requirements' are the abilities, attributes, skills and behaviours needed to meet the learning outcomes of a course. These should be met while preserving the academic integrity of the university’s learning, assessment and accreditation processes.

You need to be able to demonstrate that you hold, or can acquire, the inherent requirements for this degree.

We may be able to make reasonable adjustments to help you manage circumstances that impact your studies – provided these don't fundamentally change the academic integrity of the degree.

Read more about inherent requirements.

Entry requirements

Completion of an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate (VCE or equivalent) including Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or 20 in any other English (or equivalent).
OR:
Completion of an Australian Advanced Diploma or Diploma (or equivalent).
PLUS:
IELTS (or equivalent): Overall score or 6.0 (with no band less than 6.0 in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking).
OR:
Completion of a Foundation course (or equivalent).

Find out if you meet the entry requirements, including English language and academic requirements.

Additional information

Students are required to be able to satisfy the safe practice requirements set by the clinical placement provider prior to commencing the second year of study and are required to maintain the currency of the safe practice requirements for the full duration of their course. Note, some requirements need to be renewed prior to the commencement of each of the third year.

Current requirements are:

· Working with Children Check
· Annual National Police check (Fit2Work)
. Infection control - donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE)
· Medical Report (InjuryNET)
· Physical Report (InjuryNET)
· Mask Fit Testing
· Clinical Placement Provider Student Undertaking Form
· VU Declaration of Acceptance of Work Integrated Learning/Clinical Placement Terms and Conditions

Pathways & credits

There are many ways you can start your education journey at VU. Pathways offer an easy transition between courses at different levels, so that you can start with a certificate and progress right through to postgraduate study.

If you have completed any of the following course(s), you will be guaranteed a place in this course. In some cases you may receive credit for your previous study, reducing the time it takes to complete your course.

Diploma of Emergency Health Care HLT51020

You will be credited for up to 96 credit points of study.

International Foundations at VU (Extended) JQAH

You will be guaranteed entry only.

International Foundations at VU JQAG

You will be guaranteed entry only.

Find out more about pathways and credits.

Use our credit calculator to find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

If you have completed study with another university or institution and believe you are eligible to receive credit for skills and past study, you can apply for advanced standing.

Applications for advanced standing can be made after a discussion with your course chair or academic adviser.

Credit Calculator

Find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

CALCULATE YOUR CREDIT

How to apply

We are currently accepting international applications, and we welcome you to apply for this course.

Click 'apply' to begin, and we will guide you through the application process.

Apply

If you have questions, please get in touch:

Information and fees listed above are for non-resident students. Fees are accurate at the time of viewing and will be subject to annual increases. Some courses require students to purchase equipment or clothing that they will need in the course. These equipment or clothing costs are not included in the course fees listed above – check your Letter of Offer for an estimate on non-tuition-fee-related expenses.

VU takes care to ensure the accuracy of this course information, but reserves the right to change or withdraw courses offered at any time. Please check that course information is current with the Student Contact Centre.