Northern Virginia Community College
NOVA’s EMS Program
Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is proud to be the oldest accredited Paramedic program in the state and one of the oldest in the country. Our Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program offers an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in EMS, allowing students to stack other credentials such as EMT certification.
Program Options
EMT and Paramedic (Advanced Placement)
A.A.S. in EMS (Paramedic)
Current Paramedic to Degree Options
All students are initially placed into the EMS A.A.S. program, and we highly recommend completing it to gain comprehensive skills and qualifications. However, students also have the flexibility to exit the program after achieving their desired level of certification (e.g., EMT certification).
Information Session
Start Your EMS Career Training
To begin your Emergency Medical Services (EMS) career training at NOVA/MEC, attending an Information Session is mandatory. These sessions provide essential details about the program for the current academic year.
Minimum Expectations
The goal of the EMS program is to prepare Paramedics who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.
State OEMS BLS Accreditation
The Northern Virginia Community College EMS program is accredited to offer EMT education by the Virginia Department of Health Office of Emergency Medical Services. This accreditation is granted upon the recommendation of the Division of Accreditation, Certification, and Education.
EMS Lab Guidelines
The mission of the Emergency Medical Services Lab (EMSL) is to provide students in the emergency services field with the tools and equipment necessary to succeed in their learning experience.
EMSL students are given the opportunity to learn and perform a variety of hands-on training. While there is no guarantee that every student will experience all scenarios during clinical rotations, incorporating simulated experiences allows students to refine critical skills before interacting with real patients.