EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PARAMEDIC COMPLETE YOUR EMS DEGREE!

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1 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PARAMEDIC COMPLETE YOUR EMS DEGREE! INTRODUCTION The purpose of this document is to help currently certified paramedics, who do not possess an academic credential from an institute of higher learning, obtain a formal academic award from Century College. In our roles as EMS faculty at Century College, it is relatively common to have alumni of Century College or other institutions approach us about obtaining an academic award. There are many reasons for this including eligibility for promotions, progression towards a baccalaureate degree, or simply to satisfy a personal goal. It is important to note what this is not. This is not a tutorial on how to circumvent the system and be given an award without any additional work or to just get credit for life experience and move on. While there are degree mills who will hand you a piece of paper stating you have a degree in exchange for little more than a financial transaction, a recognized degree from an accredited institution of higher learning has actual value. It is recognized as valid by the academic community and employers. Furthermore, the credits earned may be used as electives or general education for transfer purposes. Century College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission/North Central Association. Century s paramedic program is both licensed by the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board and accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs (CAAHEP). There are high academic standards and a level of academic rigor that must be present in our institution and program in order to earn and maintain these licenses and accreditations. The program at Century College has been accredited by CAAHEP since 1987, long before it was a state requirement. Because of our own institutional and program integrity, along with licensing and accreditation mandates, we will not allow those who have started a paramedic program at another institution to simply pick up where they left off and finish the process to obtain initial paramedic credentialing at Century College. We will consider, on a case-by-case basis, students who have completed the paramedic course of study at another institution and who are a currently certified paramedic. This is subject to thorough review and not a guarantee the applicant will receive an academic award from Century College.

2 HISTORY The Century College (Formerly 916 AVTI, Northeast Metro Technical College, and Lakewood Community College) Emergency Medical Services (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. Today, we continue to be a leader in EMS and public safety education in our geographic area. In 1996 Northeast Metro Technical College and Lakewood Community College merged to form one educational institution, Century College. Century College is part of the Minnesota Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system, which is comprised of 32 colleges and universities throughout Minnesota. It is important to note that the University of Minnesota is separate from MnSCU. CREDIT CONVERSION Until August 24, 1998 MnSCU was on the quarter rather than the semester system. For reference, one quarter credit is equivalent to 0.6 semester credits. To convert quarter to semester credits, divide the number of quarter credits by 1.5. There may be slight variation due to rounding issues. AWARDS OFFERED A community college has three academic awards it may confer upon graduates. From lowest to highest level, these are the certificate, diploma, and associate degree. In 1986 the Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree was first offered. Prior to 1986 the paramedic program was a certificate program only. Unfortunately, applying for graduation was not emphasized until around As a result many alumni obtained state certification and became nationally registered, but never received a formal academic award from the institution itself. Currently, Century College offers both a diploma and AAS in Emergency Medical Services Paramedic (traditional program) and both a diploma and AAS in Paramedic for the Experienced Emergency Medical Technician (PEEMT). We offer an Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Medical Technician Certificate, but do not offer a certificate for paramedic course offerings currently. Please refer to for current diploma and degree. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS (DIPLOMA AND AAS) The following criteria must be met to earn an award from Century College. Diploma: At least 1/3 of credits must be earned at Century Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 overall and a GPA of 2.0 in all core courses Must earn a C or higher in ENGL 1021 or equivalent from other institutions

3 Degree 20 credits must be earned at Century. This is reduced to 12 if you have credits from another MnSCU institution or the U of M Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 overall and a GPA of 2.0 in all core courses Must earn a C or higher in ENGL 1021 or equivalent from other institutions CORE COURSES The traditional paramedic program consists of 56 credits of core curriculum and the PEEMT program consists of 44 core credits. A core credit is a course that is directly related to the occupation of paramedic. Students who have completed the paramedic program at Century College in the 1990 s or earlier typically do not have enough core credits to satisfy the current degree. Those who finished in the 1990 s generally have the equivalent of semester credits in the core area. Century College is unable to retroactively grant an academic award that is no longer being offered. For this reason it is often necessary for those returning for an award after-the-fact to need to satisfy the current core. For this reason, it is usually a better choice to pursue the PEEMT award as the core are less. The PEEMT option is only for those with significant on the job experience as an emergency medical services provider. All others must follow the traditional route. There are a few options available to satisfy the core if needed. The following are potential options for Century College alumni and those from other institutions. Century College Alumni Situation Has enough core credits to satisfy current Not enough core credits to satisfy current core None needed Possible Option Transfer in and petition credit courses, which may include things such as firefighter, rescue, incident command, certain biology credits, specialty EMS courses, etc. Use caution with general education courses like biology because you may still need to fulfill general education and need to use those courses elsewhere. Take courses through Century College that would be accepted towards the core and petition them in. Pre-approved courses include EMS 2003 (PEPP), EMS 2007 (AMLS), EMS 2011 (ACLS Instructor), EMS 2012 (PALS Instructor), EMS 2014 (ITLS Instructor), HSCI 2020 (Intro to Epidemiology), FRTA 1091 (Firefighter I), FRTA 1092 (Firefighter II), FRTA 1095 (Haz-Mat Ops), PSAF 1100 (Technological Disasters), PSAF 2040 (ICS). Credit by exam the above pre-approved courses or any of the paramedic core courses and file a petition to accept those courses towards the core. The fee at the time of this writing is $35 per credit. Check with the Business Office for current fees. This process requires the student to connect with a willing faculty member to complete an

4 Students from Outside Institutions exam to determine whether credit will be given or not. Payment for this service does not guarantee credit will be granted. The exam is at the discretion of the faculty and may require one or more elements including, but not limited to; practical exams, written exams, submission of certifications, letters of reference, creation of a portfolio, simulations, interviews, demonstrations, case studies, etc. Situation Has enough core credits to satisfy current Not enough core credits to satisfy current core Possible Option Transfer formal credit-based coursework and provide documentation that the coursework was from an institute of higher learning that has both regional and program (CAAHEP) accreditation. CAAHEP accreditation will assure adherence to the National Standard Curriculum and an acceptable degree of academic rigor. Transfer in and petition credit courses, which may include things such as firefighter, rescue, incident command, certain biology credits, specialty EMS courses, etc. Use caution with general education courses like biology because you may still need to fulfill general education and need to use those courses elsewhere. Take courses through Century College that would be accepted towards the core and petition them in. Pre-approved courses include EMS 2003 (PEPP), EMS 2007 (AMLS), EMS 2011 (ACLS Instructor), EMS 2012 (PALS Instructor), EMS 2014 (ITLS Instructor), HSCI 2020 (Intro to Epidemiology), FRTA 1091 (Firefighter I), FRTA 1092 (Firefighter II), FRTA 1095 (Haz-Mat Ops), PSAF 1100 (Technological Disasters), PSAF 2040 (ICS). Credit by exam the above pre-approved courses or any of the paramedic core courses and file a petition to accept those courses towards the core. The fee at the time of this writing is $35 per credit. Check with the Business Office for current fees. This process requires the student to connect with a willing faculty member to complete an exam to determine whether credit will be given or not. Payment for this service does not guarantee credit will be granted. The exam is at the discretion of the faculty and may require one or more elements including, but not limited to; practical exams, written exams, submission of certifications, letters of reference, creation of a portfolio, simulations, interviews, demonstrations, case studies, etc. GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS For both the traditional and PEEMT programs, general education courses are required. At the diploma level the requirement is ENGL 1021 or equivalent; or a COMM course. At the AAS level the traditional program requires 20 credits of general education courses disbursed in the required areas. The PEEMT AAS requires 16 credits of general education

5 . See for the list of general education and which areas you need them from. Many times a student has several general education courses, but they are not all in the areas required for the degree. As a result they have to take additional courses. TRANSFER CREDITS Transfer coursework from other institutions in early so transcripts can be evaluated to determine what matches MnSCU goals for general education requirement purposes. Not all coursework may transfer so it is best to determine what transfers as soon as possible. There is a multi-state online tool for students for determining course equivalencies, program, and applicability of coursework when transferring between schools available at ADMISSIONS APPLICATION If you have never been a Century College student you will need to complete an admissions application and pay a one-time fee ($20 at the time of this writing). If it has been over five years since you were last a student, you need to file an admissions application again, but you will not have to pay the fee. The current version of the admissions application can be found at MAJOR DECLARATION When you determine which award you are interested in earning, you must file a Student Change of Information Form to officially begin earning the desired award. This form is found at RECENCY REQUIREMENT To earn any of the awards at Century College there is a requirement that the student must have completed the core curriculum within the last five years. If you have been continuously employed since becoming a paramedic and can provide documentation, such as a current state paramedic certification, resume, and references; the requirement may be waived by filing a petition. PETITIONS We ve referred to petitions frequently in this document. A petition is a formal way you can request substitutions for courses, acceptance of credit by exam, waiving of in place, etc. Filing a petition is not a guarantee of acceptance so it is best to consult with EMS faculty or one of our college counselors for assistance with wording and to get a feel for what will likely be granted or denied. We have not included a petition or a link in this document as it is a carbon copy form that cannot be completed electronically at this time. Petitions are available in the Academic Affairs

6 Offices on both campuses, in the EMS Program Offices, and at the Counseling Center on the West Campus. ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS After completing your academic award at Century College you may decide to pursue a baccalaureate degree. While you can certainly do that wherever you like, we want you to know that we have a formal agreement with Metropolitan State University to accept our AAS degree into their institution towards either the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Organizational Administration or the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Individualized Studies. An articulation agreement cuts through some of the red tape of transferring your work into a higher degree program. The EMS program has already brokered a deal with Metropolitan State University and has an official written understanding as to what will transfer and how. The BA in Individualized Studies by far makes the best use of credits earned at Century. As an example, the entire 76 credit AAS degree will be accepted with the student being required to complete only 44 more credits to earn their BA. CONTACTS We hope you have found this information useful and that you will complete your academic award with Century College. This not only helps you, but also the EMS profession as a whole. Well educated EMS providers have more credibility and are perceived as more professional. It is through people like you that EMS can advance to the next level. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can help you complete your goal. EMS Program: Admissions: Counseling: