Securing an Apprenticeship Post with an Employer.

To be eligible for the BSc (Hons) in Paramedicine Apprenticeship Programme, applicants must meet the entry requirements outlined below. Applicants must also successfully apply for and secure an apprenticeship position with an approved employer. Applications are made directly to apprentice employers in the first instance. 

Relevant Experience

All entry routes require applicants to have some relevant work or voluntary experience. Further information on the relevant experience requirements and the application process will be available ahead of applications opening for the 2027 intake.

As relevant experience is a requirement for entry, the Paramedicine Apprenticeship is not typically suited to applicants who have just completed the Leaving Certificate. School leavers interested in studying Paramedicine should consider the CAO entry route instead. 

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Applicants must meet one of the following entry routes:

1. Be in possession of a Leaving Certificate with a minimum of six Leaving Certificate subjects.  Minimum grade H5 in two subjects, one of which must be a lab science and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all unless the applicant is exempt from Irish.

OR 

2. Be in possession of a Leaving Certificate awarded in 2017 or later with a minimum of six passes in the Leaving Certificate Examination Ordinary Level of higher including Mathematics and a Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) EMT Certificate.  

OR

3. Hold a comparable and relevant qualification of at least Level 5 (or above) on the National Qualifications Framework maintained by Qualifications and Quality Ireland, (QQI) 

OR 

4. Have a minimum of two years’ full time ambulance service experience at EMT level and hold a Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council EMT Certificate. 

OR

5. Non-standard entry / Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Consideration under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) may also be given to applicants based on relevant clinical, academic or volunteer experience.

English Language Competency  

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements.  Further details are here.  

Garda Vetting

Each student offered a place on the BSc (Hons) in Paramedicine programme shall be subject to the Employer’s Garda Vetting Policy and its pre-clearance processes which will involve Overseas/International Police Clearance (if applicable), in accordance with UCC’s Student Vetting Policy. 

Application Process 

Applications are made directly to apprentice employers and not to UCC. Please see specific guidelines from each employer. 

Guidance that candidates may find useful in relation to the personal statement is that a word count of 250 should sufficiently allow candidates to fully demonstrate their competence as linked to the specific requirements and seniority of the role – using examples.