Degree and Certificate Programs

Health Care

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (2251)

Associate in Science or Associate in Applied Science

Mission Statement: Creating competent, ethical, confident entry-level health-care practitioners committed to professional development through life-long learning in a positive, non-discriminatory and supportive learning environment.

The Career: An emergency medical services system consists of many different components. Paramedic is the advanced level for work in the EMS field. Paramedics provide advanced life support and transportation for the sick and injured. Attainment of the EMS degree may help the graduate in career advancement opportunities.

The Program: This limited access A.S. or A.A.S. degree program in EMS is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and is a combination of general education and EMS courses. Graduates of the program are prepared to function as entry-level paramedics. Upon completion of the program, graduates are awarded an associate in science degree in EMS and are eligible to apply to sit for the Florida state board exam to qualify for certification as a paramedic in the state of Florida. The EMS field requires specific physical capabilities, please contact any disabled student services office if you have specific questions.

Emergency medical services (EMS) technology courses must be taken in sequence with the designated prerequisite and corequisite courses. A grade point average of 2.0 must be earned in each professional core course, BSC 2010C and BSC 2020C.

Prerequisites: Prior to being admitted to the program an applicant must complete:

EMS 1059 First Responders: Emergency Care Training
EMS 1119 Fundamentals of Emergency Medical Care
EMS 1401 Fundamentals of Emergency Medical
Care Clinical Experience
****BSC 2010C Principals of Biology I
****BSC 2020C Human Biology

Application Procedure: EMS is a selective access program and continuance in the program is limited and based upon academic performance and other criteria. A brochure outlining costs, requirements, deadlines and procedures is available from the EMS department, North Campus.

Minimum requirements that must be met for consideration for acceptance to the EMS program are as follows.

1. All applicants for admission to this program must be at least 18 years of age.
2. Students must have earned a high school diploma or equivalency degree.
3. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. (Contact the EMS office for application deadline.)
4. Applicants must document all eligibility requirements:
   1. FCCJ student number and classification as degree-seeking (NOTE: EMT and paramedic programs require degree-seeking status.)
   2. Notarized character statement
   3. Florida EMT certification or board eligible (Applicants must pass the first exam they are eligible for or they will be dropped from the program.)
   4. Current HCP-BLS card
   5. Satisfactory scores on all portions of admission test or successful completion of required prep courses
   6. Proof of PIP car insurance
   7. Copy of drivers license
   8. Original photograph
   9. Completion of BSC 2010C and BSC 2020C with a grade of C or better
5. CPTS will have to be taken by those students not having a grade for EMT. Applicants will be ranked according to the quality points earned in EMT, and BSC 2010C and BSC 2020C. (Quality points are calculated by multiplying the credit hour value of the class by the grade factor, A=4, B=3, C=2.) Students who do not have grades for EMT will receive quality points based on their CPTS score. These CPTS scores will not replace placement results that were determined by other testing options.
6. Applicants who document recent work experience as EMTs (minimum six months full-time
   at time of application) will receive three points per year up to a maximum of nine points. This will be the applicants responsibility to provide this documentation.
7. The top 24 ranked students will be notified by mail of their acceptance into the program and will be notified of the special registration requirements of the program. Those accepted who fail to register and pay for their classes at the designated time will forfeit acceptance into the class. In case of forfeiture, the next highest ranked student will be notified of acceptance.

Note: Students have two degree alternatives in this program: The associate in science (A.S.) and the associate in applied science (A.A.S.). If you intend to pursue further education at the university level, you should enroll in the A.S. option. If you intend to go directly to work after completing your associate's degree, consider the A.A.S. While the A.A.S. will not provide you with the articulation benefits of the A.S., the A.A.S. will provide you with the skills required to begin working in the field immediately upon graduation. If you are unsure of which option is best for you, please see an advisor for further counseling.

Non-degree seeking students may refer to the paramedic technical certificate program.

Required Courses:

The following is a list of courses required for this program presented in a recommended sequence of completion. The sequence is only a suggested guide, and there is no requirement to follow the sequence precisely. Students in this program may register for any course as long as the student has met any prerequisites for that course. Where a "professional elective" is indicated in the course sequence, students may choose any course from the group of professional electives that follows the full course sequence.

Course Number and Title	Credits
ENC 1101 English Composition I	3
***EMS 1059 First Responders: Emergency Care Training	2
****BSC 2010C Principals of Biology I	4
*Humanities	3
MAC 1105 College Algebra	3
EMS 1119 Fundamentals of Emergency Medical Care	6
EMS 1401 Fundamentals of Emergency Medical Care Clinical Experience	3
****BSC 2020C Human Biology	4
PSY 1012 General Psychology	3
EMS 2611 Paramedic Module I, Preparatory	4
EMS 2611L Paramedic Module 1, Lab	2
EMS 2612L Paramedic Module 2, Airway Lab	1
EMS 2613L Paramedic Module 3, Pt. Assess. Lab	3
EMS 2666 Paramedic Clinical 1	3
EMS 2614 Paramedic Module 4, Trauma	2
EMS 2615 Paramedic Module 5, Medical	6
EMS 2615L Paramedic Module 5, Medical Lab	3
EMS 2667 Paramedic Clinical 2	3
Professional Elective (see list below)	1
EMS 2616 Paramedic Module 6, Special Considerations	3
EMS 2617L Paramedic Module 7, Assessment Based Lab	2
EMS 2618L Paramedic Module 8, Operations Lab	1
EMS 2668 Clinical 3	2
EMS 2659 Paramedic Field Internship	3
Professional Elective (see list below)	3
Total Credit Hours	73

Professional Electives:

(Select one from the following.)
CGS 1564 Introduction to Windows
CGS 1570 Microcomputer Applications
AND
(Select one from the following.)
EMS 2761 Emergency Medical Services Education
EMS 2311 Management of Emergency
Medical Services

*Refer to A.S. degree General Education Requirements.
**Refer to A.S. degree General Electives
***Students who have successfully completed HCP 0001 health care core may substitute the core for EMS 1059.
****BSC 2085C and BSC 2086C may be substituted for BSC 2010C and BSC 2020C.

Note: Prior to contact with patients or patient specimens, students must furnish proof of childhood immunizations. Hepatitis B vaccination is strongly recommended. Health insurance must be maintained throughout clinical training. Contact program chairperson for additional information.

Students earning an A.S. degree must take MAC 1105, MGF 1106 or a higher level mathematics course. Students earning an A.A.S. degree must take MAT 1033 or a higher level mathematics course.