Bachelor of Paramedicine
at Australian Catholic University, New South Wales.
A three-year AHPRA-accredited paramedicine degree leading to registration as a paramedic. Includes 1000+ hours of placement with NSW Ambulance, Ambulance Victoria and other state services on the Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne campuses.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the Australian Catholic University Bachelor of Paramedicine. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official UAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
ACU runs the Bachelor of Paramedicine as a three-year Council of Ambulance Authorities (CAA) accredited program leading to AHPRA Paramedicine Board of Australia registration. Year one covers anatomy and physiology, paramedic foundations, pre-hospital care principles, basic life support, indigenous health, professional and ethical practice and the first observation placement on road. Year two layers advanced patient assessment, pharmacology for paramedics, cardiac and respiratory emergencies, mental health emergencies, trauma management and the first major clinical placement (typically combining ambulance, hospital ED and aged care). Year three carries advanced clinical practice, complex case management, paediatric emergency, leadership and the final road placement. CAA requires a substantial clinical placement load (typically 200 to 400 hours) integrated with simulation training.
Example first-year subjects
- Anatomy and Physiology for Paramedicine
- Foundations of Paramedic Practice
- Basic Life Support and CPR Certification
- Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety
- Introduction to Patient Assessment
- Professional Practice and Ethics in Paramedicine
How you will be assessed
- Clinical placement evaluation and supervisor reports
- OSCE practical exams in simulation labs every semester
- Written case studies and clinical handover scenarios
- Mid-semester tests and final exams in pharmacology, anatomy and physiology
- Group simulation-based major incidents
- Reflective practice journals after each placement
Placement and industry experience
CAA accreditation requires extensive on-road clinical placement, typically 200 to 400 hours across the degree (NSW Ambulance and other partner services). ACU places students with NSW Ambulance across metropolitan and rural stations, plus ED rotations at Catholic health network (St Vincents, Mater, Calvary) plus public LHDs and aged-care settings. Required pre-placement: NSW Working with Children Check, drivers licence, immunisations, first aid, AHPRA student registration and a criminal record check. Many students complete additional volunteer paid work (paid event medics, surf life saving) to build hours and CV.
Career outcomes
- Graduates work as registered paramedics with NSW Ambulance, Ambulance Victoria, St John Ambulance and private medical services after AHPRA registration.
- First-year jobs typically include the NSW Ambulance graduate paramedic program, Ambulance Victoria graduate intake and remote area paramedicine roles.
- Many alumni progress to intensive-care paramedic credentialing, retrieval medicine, emergency department extended care or community paramedicine.
Professional accreditation
- Paramedicine Board of Australia AHPRA accredited
- Council of Ambulance Authorities accredited
Typical first jobs
- NSW Ambulance graduate paramedic (highly competitive)
- Interstate ambulance service graduate (VIC, QLD)
- Industrial paramedic at mining, oil and gas sites
- Event medical paramedic at major events and sports
- Aeromedical retrieval paramedic with CareFlight or Royal Flying Doctor Service
- Patient transport officer and intermediate care officer
Graduate starting salary
$75,000 - $90,000 per year
Source: https://www.ambulance.nsw.gov.au/about-us/working-with-us. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
Graduates apply for AHPRA registration and typically apply to NSW Ambulance graduate paramedic recruitment (highly competitive). Other state services (Ambulance Victoria, Queensland Ambulance Service) and ACT Ambulance recruit interstate. After two years post-registration, paramedics can move into Intensive Care Paramedic (ICP) and Extended Care Paramedic (ECP) pathways via postgraduate study and clinical experience. Other career routes include retrieval medicine, aeromedical retrieval (CareFlight, RFDS), event medical, mining medic and clinical educator roles.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students comfortable with high-stakes clinical scenarios under time pressure
- Those with strong physical fitness and ability to lift patients
- People willing to work 12-hour shifts and night-shift rosters from graduate year
- Students with calm decision-making under pressure
- Those committed to the AHPRA-regulated paramedicine profession
It is probably not for you if
- Students uncomfortable with blood, distressed patients and graphic trauma
- Those unable to commit to shift work and irregular hours
- Anyone seeking a metropolitan-only career (most graduate jobs are regional or shift-based)
Careers this leads to
Australian career pathways that name this Bachelor of Paramedicine as an entry route. Each page shows uni, TAFE and apprenticeship alternatives.
Related courses at ACU
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Australian Catholic University handbook and on UAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/acu/bachelor-of-paramedicine.