The EMT certificate, which fulfills basic and intermediate-level EMS training requirements for Oregon, takes four quarters (11 months) of full-time study to complete. The program includes 26 credits of EMS courses, a three-quarter anatomy and physiology series, and liberal arts classes such as English composition, psychology and speech.
The associate degree in EMT includes basic and intermediate-level EMS training followed by the coursework needed to become a certified paramedic in Oregon. The program is eight quarters (two years) in length, and the curriculum in the first four quarters is identical to that of the certificate program. The latter four quarters are devoted solely to paramedic training, with a focus on practical training in hospitals and in the field.
To begin either the certificate or associate degree program, students must have placement test scores that place them into college-level writing and basic algebra classes. Students without satisfactory scores will need to take remedial coursework before beginning the program, which will add a quarter or more to the total program length.