Paramedic Certificate
Pierce College Paramedic Program
Take your career in Emergency Medical Services to the next level with a Paramedic Certificate from Pierce College. This one year program will prepare current EMTs to provide advanced emergency medical care in a fast-paced and rewarding environment.
This cohort program runs annual from January to December. Students will connect with their community while placed in local agencies and hospitals for their clinical and field time.
Applications Open Now
The Pierce College paramedic program application window will be open from July 1 to September 30, 2025.
Paramedic Program Prerequisites
- Apply to Pierce College
- Current and valid EMT certificate. Either NREMT or a State Certification are required.
- One year minimum EMT experience
- Current AHA for the BLS provider CPR card
- One letter of reference, from a Chief or Supervisor, documenting at least one year of pre-hospital EMS experience, practicing within the EMT-B scope of practice. This letter should include a recommendation for participation in the paramedic program, and also a good faith estimate for the number of patient contacts (or an electronic call log report)
- Be fluent in the English language
- Posess the physical abilities and emotional stability to complete the program and perform under various stressful conditions
- Have completed, or have the pre-requisite courses in progress to be completed before the first day of instruction for the cohort.
- Submit a complete and accurate application packet, to include official or unofficial transcripts of any college courses completed. For consideration, all courses must be complete with a 2.0 or higher grade.
- Applicants must successfully navigate our applicant testing, and establish a competitive score.
Prerequisite Education (must be completed with a 2.0 or above)
- EMS 150 - Medical Math and Terminology
- BIOL& 175 - Human Biology with Lab (A&P)
- ENG& 101 - English Composition I
- MATH& 146 - Introduction to Statistics
For the 2026 Cohort only, prerequisite courses may be in progress. Courses must be complete before the start of the 2026 cohort, with the understanding that if a student is accepted to the program and fails to achieve the minimum 2.0 grade, they will be dropped from the cohort. Any student with courses in progress will be asked to sign an agreement verifying that they have been made aware of and understand this caveat.
Student Achievement Data
Student Performance
- 9 enrolled
- 5 completed
- 56% Retention
- 44% Attrition
- No Advanced Placement
Graduate Performance
National average: 75% first time pass rate; State average: 96% first time pass rate
- 5 students completed the Paramedic Certificate
- 100% NREMT-P passing rate, First Attempt
- 100% Terminal Psychomotor Exam passing rate, First Attempt
- 66% Positive Placement within 4 weeks of Certificate Completion
The Pierce College College Paramedic program has been issued a Letter of Review by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). This letter is NOT a CAAHEP accreditation status, it is a status signifying that a program seeking initial accreditation has demonstrated sufficient compliance with the accreditation standards through the Letter of Review Self-Study Report (LSSR) and other documentation. Letter of Review is recognized by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) for eligibility to take the National Registry's Paramedic credentialing examination(s). However, it is NOT a guarantee of eventual accreditation. To contact CoAEMSP: 214-703-8445, www.coaemsp.org