Delivery: Daytime blended online courses.
Start: Fall and Spring.
- Paramedic Fire Science — Associate in Applied Science (68 credits)
- Paramedic — Associate in Applied Science Degree (60 credits)
- Paramedic — Diploma (47 credits)
- Community Paramedic — Certificate (12 credits)
- Emergency Medical Technician — Certificate (9 credits)
About the Program
The goal of the Paramedic Science program is to prepare competent entry-level Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains with or without exit points at the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and/or Emergency Medical Technician, and/or Emergency Medical Responder levels. The 10-month program is rigorous but provides didactic, lab, and clinical education in a succinct manner.
Admission into this program requires a special application and is highly competitive. Once the cohort is full, an applicant’s application will be placed on the waitlist until the next student opening.
Paramedic Program Admission and Program Requirements
Century College’s Emergency Medical Service (EMS) program began in 1972 with Minnesota’s first state-approved EMT program, and the following year, we offered one of the region’s first paramedic programs. To date, more than 2,300 paramedics have graduated from Century College. We prepare our students to deliver high-quality advanced pre-hospital emergency care through a tradition of excellence that meets the high standard of instruction set by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
Paramedics possess the highly skilled techniques of advanced life support and emergency care procedures. Career opportunities are available with hospitals, clinics, ambulance services, police, fire, and rescue departments. The Paramedic program major meets the criteria for the education of paramedics as recommended by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
NOTE: Students will be required to purchase a 9.5” x 7.5” (minimum size) tablet for classroom and clinical/practicum courses. This may be an Apple OS iPad or PC tablet. Smartphones are not sufficient. The tablet will support the use of electronic textbooks, medical applications, and other clinical materials and replace the need for many of the traditional textbooks and educational materials. The use of a tablet and e-textbooks will result in cost savings for students as compared with traditional printed materials.
* Delivery of courses for the didactic portion of the program, which is roughly the first half of the program, is a mix of daytime and blended online classes. Clinical and field internships are held during the second portion of the program and are often the most difficult part to manage as they are potentially on any day of the week, all hours of the day, and may be scheduled or changed on short notice. A flexible schedule is essential.
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Special Application Required
This program requires special admission. You must apply for general admission first before submitting the special application.
Planning for Your Program
Request for Information
Cost & Financial Aid
As a two-year public community and technical college, Century College receives funding from the State of Minnesota, keeping tuition rates significantly lower than private colleges and universities. With affordable tuition rates and financial aid and scholarship opportunities, our students avoid student loan debt.
Financial Aid
Century College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and our programs qualify for financial aid including grants, loans, and college work-study. Eligibility for financial aid is determined annually based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Century College’s Federal School Code is 010546.
Scholarship Opportunities
Each year, the Century College Foundation awards more than $300,000 in scholarships to Century College students involved in several areas of study. Students are encouraged to create an account and apply for scholarships online.
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Accreditation
Since 1987, the Century College Paramedic program has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 - 113th Street North
Suite 7709
Seminole, FL 33775
Phone: 727-210-2350
Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions
8301 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 111-312
Rowlett, TX 75088
214-703-8445
FAX 214-703-8992
Outcome Results
In accordance with CAAHEP requirements, the following outcomes have been achieved by students in our paramedic program. The acceptable threshold for each category is established by CAAHEP as being 70%.
The Annual Report has changed for 2018, which yielded the following outcomes:
| Year(s) | National Registry Written Examination Pass Rate Success | Retention | Positive Job Placement |
| 2018 | 90% | 75% | 100% |
| Year(s) | National Registry Written Examination Pass Rate Success | Retention | Positive Job Placement |
| 2019 | 90.2% | 95.5% | 100% |
| Year(s) | National Registry Written Examination Pass Rate Success | Retention | Positive Job Placement |
| 2020 | 93.8% | 94.4% | 100% |
| Year(s) | National Registry Written Examination Pass Rate Success | Retention | Positive Job Placement |
| 2021 | 91.9% | 100% | 100% |
Licensure
The EMS program at Century is licensed to teach EMR, EMT, Paramedic, and Community Paramedic curriculum by the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board.
Transfer
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Transfer Information
Advanced planning is critical when you transfer. -
Transfer Planning - Articulation Agreements
These agreements help students transfer to four-year institutions.
Potential Job Titles
- Paramedic
Salary Data
Paramedic
Average Metropolitan Wage: $23.98 to 35.18/hour
Information gathered pertains to the seven-county metro area - careerwise.minnstate.edu
Related Programs
Paramedic Fire Science
Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency Medical Services
Certification Disclosures
- Lynda GoerischFaculty/EMS & EMT Program DirectorEmergency Medical Services651-773-1720
- Experience: Kim has been a full-time instructor since 1997, with extensive experience in clinical education, remediation, and assessment. In addition, she has been in EMS since 1987, with volunteer and work experiences in both rural and metro ambulance services, a police department, and a fire department. Kim continues to work as a paramedic for Healtheast Medical Transportation.Education: MA, Organizational Leadership, Bethel UniversityHobbies: photography, travelKim SchmitzerFaculty/Paramedic Program Director/Clinical CoordinatorBioEmergency Medical Services651-779-5798
- Experience: Dr. Caulkins has been teaching at Century for over 26 years and has been a practicing paramedic for that same length of time. With experience in firefighting, leadership, public health, education, research, and public safety, Dr. Caulkins is well-equipped to educate students on a wide variety of topics. Dr. Caulkins meets the MinnState qualification standards to teach in emergency medical services, health, health sciences, education, public safety, and anthropology.Teaching Approach: My personal philosophy of education is fairly eclectic and crosses several teaching philosophies. I believe that it is helpful, if not essential, that the teacher is a master/expert. I believe the teacher’s role is to cultivate knowledge and wisdom. The teacher is also a guide to lead the student through the educational process. Sometimes leading requires the teacher to be flexible in becoming a facilitator by establishing guidelines and boundaries. Sometimes the role is of a mediator. A teacher is also a learner and learning is reciprocal between the student and teacher. Learners are there to listen, observe, and receive knowledge but are also active participants.Education: Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration, St. Cloud State; Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, Metropolitan State University; Master of Public Health, American Military University; Graduate Certificate in Career and Technical Education, University of Minnesota; Bachelor of Arts in Individualized Studies with a Focus on the Anthropology of Disaster, Metropolitan State University; Bachelor of Science in Emergency Medical Services, American College of Prehospital Medicine; Associate of Arts, Inver Hills Community College; Associate of Applied Science in Paramedic Technology, Century College; Diploma, Paramedic Technician, Northeast Metro Technical College; Certificate, Community Paramedic Clinician, Hennepin Technical CollegeNotable: Co-developed an emergency response plan that was used at the 35W bridge collapse and later adopted statewide.Traveled across the U.S. as an accreditation site visitor to review paramedic education programs.Participated in writing questions for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians credentialling test bank.Developed three two-year degree programs and dozens of courses.Internationally recognized suicidologist and researcher.Numerous publications including research papers, articles, books, and book chapters.Owner of a private consulting business, Caulkins Consulting, LLC.One of only six people nationwide accepted into the Emergency Medical Services for Children Scholars Program, which is led by the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.Hobbies: Travel, Reading, LearningChris CaulkinsFacultyBioEmergency Medical Services651-779-5743