RWJBarnabas Health and Hudson County Community College Paramedic Program
Welcome to the RWJBarnabas Health/Hudson County Community College Paramedic
Science Program. With a view toward the future of emergency medical services
(EMS), we offer state-of-the-art classroom technology, inventive teaching
paradigms and hands-on, assessment-focused clinical experiences in one
of the busiest and most diverse settings in the country. We take an exciting,
dynamic and innovative approach to pre-hospital education.
The Paramedic Science Program is a joint effort between RWJBarnabas Health and Hudson County Community College. This Associates of Applied Sciences program (AAS) degree program consists of credits in general education and basic sciences at HCCC, and credits in the professional component of Paramedic Science through RWJBH.
Dedicated to educating students in the service of humanity, the Program for Pre-Hospital Medicine strives to produce competent, confident and compassionate paramedics who recognize the dignity of all persons, and work always to be patient advocates. The Program stresses that students demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, sound moral and ethical character, critical thinking abilities and the capacity for making quick and appropriate decisions regarding patient care.
As professional health care providers, RWJBH/HCCC Paramedic graduates are taught how to interact effectively and thoughtfully with other emergency services personnel, to be dynamic leaders, to value life-long learning and personal development, and above all to respect and sustain human life.
Program Overview
The Paramedic Science AAS degree takes on average 18 months to complete. General education and basic sciences credits are taken at Hudson County Community College, and courses in Paramedic Sciences, including clinical and field rotations, are taken through RWJBarnabas Health. Our unique program strives to bridge the gap between classroom education and clinical experience by allowing students to complete their required clinical rotations concurrently with their didactic education.
The program is a “high flex” setup, using a combination of methods including:
- In-person
- Live virtual
- Interactive online self-paced delivery
Students will learn with our state of the art, high fidelity manikins, much of the same equipment in use in the field, including cardiac monitor/defibrillators, video laryngoscopes, transport ventilators, and IV pumps. This allows our students to be fully prepared to enter the field as competent, confident and clinically sound paramedics upon graduation.
Through the performance of patient assessments and the provision of medical care, the paramedic’s goal is to prevent and reduce mortality and morbidity due to illness and injury. Paramedics primarily provide care to patients in an out-of-hospital, emergency setting.
The program operates two campuses, with students being admitted each fall semester in Jersey City, New Jersey and spring semester in East Brunswick, New Jersey.
View the result of the outcomes for National Registry Written, Practical success as well as Retention and Positive Placement.
College Credit
Successful students will graduate with an Associate’s of Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Paramedic Science.
The professional curriculum consists of lecture and laboratory courses held at either the Jersey City campus or the East Brunswick campus of RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH).
Practical and hands-on experiences are held at the Program’s clinical sites, RWJBH hospitals and paramedic units located throughout New Jersey. The clinical experiences allow the graduate a smooth transition into the fast-paced, patient centered environment of a modern emergency medical services (EMS) system.
Prerequisites
Prior to beginning the Pre-Hospital Medicine: Paramedic Science Program courses with RWJBarnabas Health, candidates must have at minimum the following:
- Valid BLS CPR from the American Heart Association; must be maintained throughout duration in the program.
-
Valid NJ EMT Certification; must be maintained throughout your duration
in the program.
If EMT certification is held from another state or NREMT, NJ Certification must be obtained prior to completion of the first semester. - A high school diploma or GED
- A 100-level English/writing course (ENG-101 College Composition I)
- Anatomy & Physiology I (with lab, 4 credits) (BIO-111)
Recommended qualifications:
- At least 2 years of clinical experience as an EMT in a 911 setting.
- Anatomy & Physiology II (with lab, 4 credits)
Transfer Credit for Students with College Credits/Degrees from Accredited US Institutions
- HCCC will accept up to 30 credits of general education and prerequisite courses, provided that the course work at the previous institution was comparable to course work at HCCC, and the student achieved a grade of “C” or better at the former institution.
- Sciences (such as Anatomy & Physiology) must have been completed within the last 5 years.
- For the associate degree, the student must fulfill the HCCC residency requirement of 30 credits, of which at least 12 credits must be in major-required courses.
Curriculum
The Paramedic Science Program requirements involve a rigorous curriculum designed to produce highly qualified graduates.
How to Apply
Complete the initial application. Upon receipt and review of your initial application, you will receive further instructions on the next steps of the application process:
- Submit your EMT and CPR certifications, driver’s license, diplomas and transcripts
- Submit your application essay
- Submit 3 references
- Interview with program faculty
Applications close on the following dates:
| Campus | Starting Term | Application Completion Date |
| Jersey City | Fall | June 18 |
| East Brunswick | Spring | November 19 |
Tuition and Fees
Tuition is established on an annual basis according to the fee schedule of Hudson County Community College. More information can be found at the Hudson County Community College website.
In addition to the HCCC tuition schedule, the program assesses a lab fee of $300/credit for the following courses: EMT-101, EMT-110, EMT-120, EMT-220, EMT-230, EMT-240, EMT-245, and EMT-250.
Included with the above tuition and fees, the student is provided with textbooks, uniform shirts, access to online learning/testing/skill tracking/scheduling platforms, and BLS, ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, and The Difficult Airway: EMS CourseTM certifications.
The only additional out of pocket cost to the student is for testing fees assessed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, which is taken after successful program completion.
|
2026 Approximate Fees
|
|||
| Semester | Credits | In-County Resident Cost | Out-of-County Resident Cost* |
|
First (EMT-101, 110, 120, 124) |
13 | $6,187.04 | $8,280.04 |
|
Second (EMT-220, 230, 235) |
12 |
$5,364.96 |
$7,296.96 |
|
Third (EMT-240, 245, 248) |
8 | $3,276.64 | $4,564.64 |
|
Fourth (EMT-250, 252) |
6 | $2,532.48 | $3,498.48 |
| Total | 39 | $17,361.12 | $23,640.12 |
*Out-of-county residents may qualify for Chargeback from their resident county.
Financial Assistance
- Financial aid. Students may be eligible for federal financial aid. More information can be found at the FAFSA page.
- Payment arrangements. A Deferred Payment Plan is offered to HCCC students, to assist in the payment of tuition and fees and to secure classes for the semester. Students should be prepared to make their first payment before the payment plan becomes active.
- Reimbursement and scholarships for RWJBarnabas Health employees. RWJBarnabas Health Mobile Health Employees: tuition reimbursement and scholarship opportunities are available.
Accreditation
The Paramedic program sponsored by RWJBarnabas Health is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions.
Initial Accreditation Date: September 17, 2010
Program ID #: 600296
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
1361 Park Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
727-210-2350
Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical
Services Professions (CoAEMSP)
8301 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 111-312
Rowlett TX 75088
214-703-8445
Fax
214-703-8992
