Entry requirements
We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.
Our admissions policy uses a range of flexible options to support you to study with us. This may include a reduced offer of up to 16 UCAS tariff points, (or equivalent). Find out if you are eligible.
Your completed application form will be reviewed by our Admissions Team to ensure that you have the required entry qualifications. If you meet these requirements, then your application will be individually assessed by the Admissions Tutor and if successful you will be shortlisted for interview.
Care experience
You must have some experience of delivering care in a professional or voluntary capacity. This can also include caring for family members, volunteering with youth groups, being part of the army/navy/air cadets or St John’s Ambulance. Evidence of the experience gained, understanding of the profession and a genuine, reasoned commitment to studying a professional course must be explicit in your personal statement to be selected for interview.
Personal statement
Your personal statement provides a unique opportunity to express your personal qualities and attributes related to a rewarding career as a paramedic. The statement should include a clear articulation of:
- Rationale for your choice of career
- How your personality lends itself to a career as a paramedic
- Evidence of investigation into the career of a paramedic that demonstrates insight of the role
- What attracts you to the profession
- Personal qualities and transferable skills that may contribute to success in the course and profession
- What sports/activities do you enjoy and what skills have you developed
Interview
All applicants must attend an interview as part of the selection process, which includes a group activity and an individual interview. Your values, problem solving and communication skills will be assessed.
Personal qualities
We select students based on their knowledge, motivation, experience, values and behaviours, not just academic ability.
You need to demonstrate an ability to:
- study academic subjects at the level of the course
- debate topics and issues
- draw on conclusions from written material
- study independently and as part of a group
- use computers and technology associated with teaching, learning and assessment
- interact with patients and colleagues in a caring and compassionate manner
- demonstrate an understanding of, and commitment to, the course
Fitness to practise
Medical assessments of your mental and physical health and disclosure of criminal convictions apply to all paramedic courses and are based on current HCPC requirements. Paramedics are registered health care professionals and the ability to practise safely, effectively and professionally is essential, so all applicants are required to follow our fitness to practise procedures. This means you are required to complete the following:
- A health declaration form. Here you must demonstrate that you are of good health, good character and can satisfactorily pass occupational health screening. In addition, you will be required to attend an Occupational Health Assessment with an NHS Trust. The University will, taking into account current HCPC regulations, make any reasonable adjustments if required. Please refer to the HEOPS paramedic student fitness standards.
- A self-declaration form about your conduct.
- Obtain an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The cost of the DBS check is covered by the University.
Instructions on how you complete these checks will be sent to you once you hold a conditional firm offer with us. These forms are then reviewed alongside your application, and you must meet both the academic and fitness to practise requirements before you will be given an unconditional offer. If you are successful, you will also need to complete an annual declaration form to confirm you are fit and there are no changes to your DBS.
Health declarations
You must demonstrate that you are of good health, good character and can satisfactorily pass occupational health screening. The University will, taking into account current HCPC regulations, do all it can to accommodate the needs of candidates who declare a specific learning difficulty, long-term health condition or disability. Please refer to the HEOPS paramedic student standards.
Driving
A driving licence is not a mandatory requirement, however you will be expected to travel to placements and shift patterns may not always fit with the availability of public transport. Where possible we do try to arrange placements near to term-time addresses but this isn’t always possible. We strongly encourage you to try to gain a full driving licence by the end of the course to enhance your job opportunities and employability. A C1 driving classification is not an entry requirement for the course.
If English is not your first language, you need an overall IELTS score of 7, with at least 6.5 in each band.
Fees and finance
The annual, full-time fee for this course is:
- £9,535 if you are from the UK*/Europe
*Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. The fee for your first year of study for 2025/26 will be £9,535. You will pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.
Please note, we are unable to accept international applicants.
A non-repayable grant of £5,000 and extra payments worth up to £3,000 is available to eligible home students for each year of study. Read more about the Training Grant on The NHS Business Services Authority website.
If you currently serve (or have recently served) within the Armed Forces, then the Ministry of Defence's ELCAS scheme may be able to help cover your funding for this course.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.