Emergency Medical Services Major: What It Includes, Classes and Careers

An Emergency Medical Services major trains you to provide emergency care at the scene and during transport. EMS programs range from short EMT courses to paramedic certificates and associate degrees.

An Emergency Medical Services major includes coursework in patient assessment, airway management, trauma and medical emergencies, cardiology and pharmacology, and emergency vehicle operations and more. You build skills such as emergency patient care, calm decision-making under pressure, CPR and life support, and radio communication. Programs often include clinical rotations. Typical degrees: EMT and paramedic certificates and associate degrees.

Typical courses include patient assessment, airway management, trauma and medical emergencies, cardiology and pharmacology, emergency vehicle operations, and field and hospital clinicals. Exact course names and requirements vary by college, and most degrees also include general education courses.

It depends on the level. Emergency Medical Services is offered as certificate, associate, and bachelor’s awards at U.S. colleges; certificates take from a few months to about two years, an associate degree usually takes about two years of full-time study, and a bachelor’s degree usually takes about four years of full-time study. Part-time study takes longer.

EMT and paramedic certificates and associate degrees. In the latest federal data, 473 colleges reported certificate awards, 441 colleges reported associate awards, and 21 colleges reported bachelor’s awards.

Career paths connected to emergency medical services include emergency medical technician, paramedic, ambulance driver, firefighter, 911 dispatcher, and emergency management director. Some roles need additional training, experience, certification or a license.

Examples include emergency medical technician (typical training: 1–6 months), paramedic (typical training: 12–24 months), ambulance driver (typical training: A few weeks of training), firefighter (typical training: 6–12 months (EMT + academy)), 911 dispatcher (typical training: 3–6 months), and emergency management director (typical training: Bachelor’s plus 5+ years of experience).

Emergency Medical Services majors build skills such as emergency patient care, calm decision-making under pressure, CPR and life support, radio communication, and teamwork.

Good pairings include Emergency Management (adds disaster planning and incident command knowledge), Spanish (helps you communicate with patients in an emergency), and Psychology (helps you manage stress and support people in crisis).

Often, yes. Programs commonly include clinical rotations. Ask each college how its program arranges hands-on work.

It can be a good fit if you are interested in the work it leads to, such as emergency medical technician, paramedic, and ambulance driver, and enjoy subjects like patient assessment and airway management. No major guarantees a job, so compare the coursework, the careers and the education each career requires before deciding.

How hard it feels depends on your strengths. Core coursework includes patient assessment, airway management, and trauma and medical emergencies; if those subjects interest you, the major is likely to feel more manageable. Reviewing a college’s course list and talking to current students helps you judge.

596 U.S. colleges reported awarding degrees or certificates in this field in the latest federal (IPEDS) data. Programs can have different names at different schools.

Texas (52), California (46), North Carolina (42), Illinois (32), and Florida (29), based on the colleges that reported awards in this field.

521 of the colleges that offer emergency medical services also report offering at least one program entirely online, though not necessarily this one. Use the college search with this major and “Offers fully online programs”, then confirm with the school.

Emergency Medical Services trains you to provide emergency care at the scene and during transport. Nursing prepares you to assess, treat and educate patients as part of a healthcare team. Emergency Medical Services leads to careers such as emergency medical technician and paramedic, while Nursing leads to careers such as registered nurse and licensed practical nurse.

Emergency Medical Services trains you to provide emergency care at the scene and during transport. Healthcare Administration teaches you to manage the business side of hospitals, clinics and health systems. Emergency Medical Services leads to careers such as emergency medical technician and paramedic, while Healthcare Administration leads to careers such as medical and health services manager and medical administrative assistant.

Yes. Short online career training can help you understand a specific job and build practical knowledge alongside your classes. It does not replace your degree or any required license.

No. Career Education Institute is not a college and does not award degrees. It offers short, non-credit online trainings about jobs connected to emergency medical services, such as Emergency Medical Technician Training.