The EMS Paramedicine Program at Central Washington University is one of the oldest paramedic programs in the country.  It was established in 1973 and became one of the first paramedic programs in the nation to offer a Bachelor’s Degree, beginning in 1987.  Graduates of the program are awarded a Bachelor of Science in Paramedicine.

The program is also one of the earliest paramedic programs to receive CoAEMSP accreditation.  It received its first accreditation status in 1993 and has had a continuous positive accreditation designation since that time.

The EMS Paramedicine Program at Central Washington University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs for more information, please visit (www.caahep.org) 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 25400 US Highway 19 N., Suite 158 Clearwater, FL 33763 727-210-2350 To contact CoAEMSP: 8301 Lakeview Parkway Suite 111-312 Rowlett, TX 75088 214-703-8445 FAX 214-703-8992  or by visiting their website at www.coaemsp.org

In a personal communication with the Executive Director of CoAEMSP, the EMS Paramedicine Program at CWU was referenced as a “model” program.  The performance of the program and its graduates are illustrated below:

These stats are updated annually and reflect data from the 2020 year graduates.  These numbers only reflect this year's students.

Note: The retention rate is the percentage of students that remain in the program until successful graduation.  Attrition is often due to financial reasons, personal reasons, and academic reasons as well.

The job placement rate is the percentage of graduates that seek and receive employment upon graduation.  Some student elect to continue studies at the graduate level in allied health professions instead of seeking employment.

The NREMT pass rates for both written and practical exams are the percentage of students that successfully complete the examination within the allotted number of attempts.  The majority of our students (98%) are successful in their first attempt and the remainder are successful in the second attempt. Over the past 17 years, approximately 96.2% of our graduates passed the NREMT examination on their first attempt.

The EMS Paramedicine Program at CWU prides itself on being one of the most successful paramedic programs in the country, with exceptional student performance in cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domain skills.  The program boasts a 100% success rate in graduate and employer assessments of cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domain performance assessments.

The Bachelor Degree program is a “2 + 2” program, meaning that it requires 2 years of courses in general education followed by 2 years of courses in the EMS Paramedicine major.  Students are eligible to become NREMT registered paramedics at the conclusion of their first year and can complete the second year of the major through online education.  For practicing paramedics seeking a bachelor's degree, an advanced standing option is also available (please see “Advanced Standing” in the left-hand menu).

For more information, please contact the Program office at (509)963-1098.