Emergency Medical Services, A.S.

Program Code: 3397

The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Programs at Santa Fe College consist of a First Responder course, the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Certificate Program, the Paramedic Certificate Program, and the Emergency Medical Services Associate in Science degree. These programs prepare EMS professionals to deliver patient care at the scene of an emergency or while working in an ambulance, with a fire rescue agency, in a hospital emergency department, in the military, with a law enforcement agency, and in many other areas of healthcare. 

The Associate in Science degree in EMS is applicable for people who are currently employed in these fields and who want to improve their knowledge, skills, and abilities for career development. It encompasses the EMT Certificate Program (12 credit hours), the Paramedic Certificate Program (43 credit hours), and various general education courses (19 credit hours). Students must demonstrate competency in reading, writing, oral communication, fundamental mathematical and computer skills.

The EMS Program’s goal is to prepare competent entry-level EMTs and paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.

The EMT is a professional who delivers basic life support care. The EMT certificate is a one-semester college credit program consisting of classroom, laboratory, hospital emergency department, and ambulance clinical components. Although this is considered a part-time program, at least 25 hours per week and a flexible schedule are required. Upon successful completion of all components of the EMT program, the student may be eligible to take a certification exam offered by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

The Paramedic Program is a one-year college credit certificate program, which is three semesters, 43-credit hours (minimum of 1,100 clock hours in length). The student will learn advanced life support patient care and procedures. The program consists of classroom, laboratory, hospital clinical and ambulance clinical components. This program, like EMT, requires a strong commitment to the profession. Upon successful completion of all components of the Paramedic Program, the student may be eligible to take a certification exam offered by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. Santa Fe College’s Paramedic Programs is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

Admission Requirements

Emergency Medical Services programs have limited class sizes to enhance learning and practical exercise opportunities for students. An additional application process ensures that students have the best opportunity for success. Please review our website at https://www.sfcollege.edu/kirkpatrick/ to review the eligibility requirements and application deadlines.