Graduate Diploma of Paramedicine
Launch your frontline healthcare career in just one year. Gain the expertise, knowledge and skills to save lives and make a difference in your community.
Course essentials
Entry requirements
Credit
A full-time study load is 120 credits a year (usually four 15-credit units each semester). 120 credits equal one equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL). Each credit point equals about 10 hours of learning, so a 15-credit unit means roughly 150 hours.
Study mode
Study modes tell you how teaching and learning will be delivered for your course and include where and when classes can be scheduled, what you'll do and the tech you'll use.
Duration
Start dates
Locations
Course overview
Become a paramedic in one year with a Graduate Diploma of Paramedicine.
Gain the appropriate knowledge and skills in areas such as diagnostics and community, paramedic culture and practice, to provide high-level patient care in pre-hospital environments.
As a graduate, you will be eligible to apply for graduate entry programs within Ambulance Victoria (AV) and Private Patient Transport Services. You will also meet the requirements for employment with other pre-hospital and ambulance service employers throughout Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
We strongly encourage applicants who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander to apply. For further information on Ambulance Victoria's Aboriginal Cadetship program visit
https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/careers/graduate-ambulance-paramedic-recruitment/
The Disability and Learning Access Unit makes reasonable adjustments to study requirements for students with a disability, medical or mental health condition whether it is temporary or permanent. We can also organise adjustments for people who are caring for someone with a disability. Further information can be found here:
https://federation.edu.au/current-students/assistance-support-and-services/student-support-services/disability-support
The role of a paramedic can be mentally and physically demanding. You are required to have a level of health and fitness in order to undertake the role. This will be confirmed at your pre-placement medical and physical capacity assessment with a medical provider. This is done to ensure your own safety whilst on clinical placement.
IT requirements
To do this course you’ll need a fast and reliable computer and access to high-speed internet. Expect to use about 5GB of data per month for every unit you’re doing. Find out more about the minimum IT requirements for studying with us.
Got questions?
Call us on 1800 333 864, start a live chat or submit an enquiry.
Student support
The support we offer is second to none. Need academic help? No problem. Extra access or financial assistance? Let’s see what we can do. View our student services.
The fine print
The commencement of all courses is subject to available funding and enrolment quotas.
Everything in this course overview is correct at the time of being published. However, the University reserves the right to alter any course, procedure or fee. Please check for changes before you apply or enrol.
Federation University uses Victorian and Commonwealth Government funding (for eligible students) to deliver training.
School department
Paramedicine
Course co-ordinator
David Reznik
Hew Davies
Steven Linane
Mt Helen (on campus) - Maryam Ghasemi
Career paths
Professional recognition
Ambulance Victoria provides information about further education opportunities and career progression.
This program is accredited by the Paramedicine Accreditation Committee and approved by the Paramedicine Board of Australia.
Fees and scholarships
Tuition fee information
Commonwealth Supported Places are subsidised by the Australian Government. The tuition fee is called the student contribution amount. The indicative fee above is based on a typical first-year enrolment for this course and should be used as a guide only. For 0.5 EFTSL (60 credit point) courses the certificate fee is displayed. Your fee will depend on the units you chose, your study load, the time it takes to complete your course and any approved credit you receive.
How it's calculated
The government sets the fee each year. The amount depends on the discipline area and band of each unit. 2026 annual student contribution amounts for 1 EFTSL (equivalent full-time student load) range from $4,738 (Band 1) to $17,399 (Band 4). The sample course structure below link to the EFTSL, Band and fee for each unit or you can use our unit search to find these details.
Other fees
You will also need to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
Other study costs
There are costs associated with the purchase of a uniform for clinical placement, obtaining a police record check, a working with children check and undertaking the medical and physical capacity assessment. These costs are likely to be between $1000-$1500 for the year.
Fee assistance
If you're eligible for a HECS-HELP loan, you can defer the payment of all or part of your student contribution fee. If you’re also eligible for a SA-HELP loan, you can defer your SSAF payment too. You won’t have to start paying either loan back until your income reaches the compulsory repayment threshold.
Scholarships
There’s a range of scholarships and grants available. Find out what you can apply for.
Course details
Start dates
Semester 1, 2027
1 March 2027
Locations
Mt Helen (on campus)
Information
- Our Mt Helen, SMB, Camp St and Gillies St campuses are located in Ballarat. Testing.
Contact hours
Important dates:
Semester 1:
Moodle Open: from 1st February 2027
On campus block: 8th -12th February 2027
On campus block: 15th-19th February 2027
On campus block: 19th April – 23th 2027
Semester 2:
Moodle Open: from 28th June
On campus block: 12th – 16th July 2027
On campus block: 19th – 23rd July 2027
On campus block: 13th – 17th September 2027
Semester 1 exam period: 7th June – 18th June 2027
(Required online/ date TBA)
Semester 2 exam period: 25th October – 5th November 2027
(Required online/ date TBA)
Clinical placement blocks: Ambulance Victoria, you can choose two weeks based on your own choice in this period (Please be mindful that this is estimated dates and can be changed based on the availability of placement and can be affected by public holiday)
Semester 1
Mon 1st Mar-Fri 12th March 2027
Mon 15th Mar-Fri 26th March 2027
Mon 24th May-Fri 5th Jun 2027
Semester 2
Mon 16th Aug – 22nd Aug 2027
Mon 23rd Aug - 29th Aug 2027
Mon 30st Aug – 5th Sep 2027
Mon 6th Sep – 12th Sep 2027
Work integrated learning
This program requires completion of 160 hours of placement with an emergency ambulance provider.
https://federation.edu.au/institutes-and-schools/ihw/student-resources/paramedicine
Sample course structure
Here’s what the course structure could look like. It’s just an example (so don’t use it for enrolment). Interested in the details? You can find current course structure or select a single unit name below to find out what it’s about and how much it costs.
- Clinical Paramedicine 115 credit pointsHCPAR5001
- Paramedic Clinical Diagnostics I15 credit pointsHCPAR5011
- Community, Paramedic Culture and Practice 115 credit pointsHCPAR5021
- Paramedic Work Integrated Learning 115 credit pointsHCPAR6902
- Clinical Paramedicine 215 credit pointsHCPAR6002
- Paramedic Clinical Diagnostics 215 credit pointsHCPAR6012
- Community, Paramedic Culture & Practice 215 credit pointsHCPAR6022
- Paramedic Work Integrated Learning 215 credit pointsHCPAR6912
Meet us at Open Day
Open Day is your chance to explore all that Federation has to offer. Meet current lecturers and students, ask course questions, learn about our support services and explore campus spaces.
We’ve got heaps of activities, tours and presentations planned. Basically, we want you to get a real feel for Federation. The atmosphere. The opportunities. The community.
Oh – and there’s no need to pack a sandwich. Lunch is on us.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements (non year 12)
Completion of a Bachelor of Nursing
A minimum of 12 months clinical experience
Postgraduate/specialist qualifications and/or experience in an emergency department or critical care would be advantageous.
Selection ranking: Entry into this program is competitive with only a limited number of places available at each campus. The volume of applications received exceed the number of places available and therefore meeting the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee an offer. Applicants will be ranked according to past academic performance and relevant work experience.
English language requirements
Overall Academic IELTS band score of 7.0, with no less than 7.0 in listening and speaking and no less than 7.0 in reading and writing.
Extra requirements
You are required to attend a medical and physical capacity assessment with Ambulance Victoria’s health care provider. This assessment will include a full range of medical tests to ensure you will be safe on clinical placement. This also includes various tests to ensure a requisite level of physical fitness (this may include a step test, flexibility and strength tests). These are inherent requirements of the role of a paramedic and need to be completed prior to attending clinical placement. Please contact the Work Integrated Learning Coordinator if you have any questions (n.miller@federation.edu.au).
- Police check
- Working with children check
- Vaccination status (including at least doses of Covid 19 vaccinations as well as Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella and Influenza)
- Proof of AHPRA registration
Note: Students are required to be registered with the Paramedicine Board of Australia (managed through AHPRA) at the commencement of the program. This is arranged by the university. Information is available here:
https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Student-Registrations.aspx
It is a requirement of the program that students undertake clinical placements with Ambulance Victoria, in both rural and metropolitan areas. It is a requirement of AV that all students must be both medically and physically fit for placement on their operational vehicles. Applicants are advised that comprehensive assessments by AV's approved health provider and a police record check must be undertaken prior to commencement of study, details of which will be sent out prior to commencement.
Successful applicants need to be available to attend clinical placements equalling 160 hours, or up to 16 shifts. These shifts will be organised by the Coordinator in consultation with AV, and may be anywhere in the rural/metropolitan region.
Inherent requirements for Paramedicine
If you’re only applying for this course, do it via direct application.
Ready to fill out your application?
You'll need this code:
Direct application
Federation University code
- Direct application
- Yes
- Federation University code
- NN4
Graduates may be eligible to move into the Master of Nursing (by Research) or other forms of postgraduate study.
Hear from our students
So as I love serving people and helping them, I take Bachelor of Nursing and I'm pursuing nursing as my career. That only provides us with so many opportunities. They have contact with such good hospitals and agencies if you want to work for your placements and stuff. And they provide us with so much material and support to improve our skills through our nursing. Even in the uni, in the building, we have rooms are like literally hospital rooms where we have beds and all the equipments with dolls which do make sounds and they have pulse and everything. So it is so creative and so alive that we get to improve our skills so much. Ballarat is like the most happy, friendly little town in all of the Victoria I've been in Melbourne. But people over here are genuinely really sweet and nice to you. They're really friendly and they're just walking in the morning and someone is passing by and they'll just say, they'll smile and they say good morning to you, which is so sweet. Like it never feels that you're somewhere different. You're just you feel homely. I've heard a lot about Federation University. So back when I was applying for multiple universities, I was suggested Fed Uni by my agent and they suggested Fed Uni because it has so many campus. They support, support us so much and it is so multicultural. They're like so many people coming from so many different countries. So last year they hosted the Bollywood night for the Indian students. Being an Indian, I was so happy that they're hosting such an event. They keep on hosting events which are like for every culture and everyone gets to enjoy and feel at home, which is the best part. So the Bollywood night was the one for me. I'll be pursuing nursing as my career and I want to become a registered nurse, work here for the people and serve them and just enjoy life for some time.