The questions we hear most.

The program is built for working firefighters and EMTs. Class runs 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and meets on a unit-rotation or weekly basis depending on the stage of the curriculum, so CFD members attend on their assigned unit day. The 2027 class runs January 5 through November 20, 2027, about 1,100 hours in total. Clinical and field internship hours are scheduled around department and student needs.

Tell the Program Director right away. Missed time must be made up, either by attending on another unit day, by submitting a written outline of the material, or both, under a signed make-up agreement. Missing more than 10% of the course is grounds for dismissal, so plan vacations before the class starts and get approval for any that fall inside it.

Field internship is about 300 hours of supervised 9-1-1 rotations, mostly on Cincinnati Fire Department companies, with every student given time on the busiest units. Some rotations may be completed with approved partner departments; ask the Clinical Coordinator whether yours qualifies.

About 110 hours across University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, and Good Samaritan Hospital, plus simulation time at UCMC, the UC Division of EMS, and Children's. UCMC nurse preceptors, a cadaver lab, and physician-led rounds are part of it.

Tuition for the 2027 class is $10,500 for external students, with a $1,000 deposit due on the first day of class. Cincinnati Fire Department members pay no tuition. Tuition covers instruction, labs, clinicals, field internship, and National Registry preparation; the program charges no additional fees. The only costs outside tuition are set by third parties: the National Registry exam fee and the Ohio certification fee, plus your own background check, physical, and immunizations.

Yes. Tuition is paid in four quarterly installments of $2,625, and a $1,000 deposit reserves your seat. All tuition must be paid before you can sit for the National Registry exam. Veterans should contact the Program Director about benefits; the program has a pro-rata refund policy for VA-sponsored students, described on the policies page.

No. Tuition and fees paid to that point are not refunded on withdrawal or dismissal, except for VA-sponsored students, who are refunded pro rata by federal rule.

Yes. Graduates can earn 30 hours of college credit through the program's articulation agreement with Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.

You need 75% or higher on every midterm and term final, cognitive and psychomotor. If you fall short, you may retest once per term, on the next class day or a time agreed with the Program Director. A second failure may lead to dismissal. Scheduled tutoring is built into the program to keep that from happening.

The program uses the NHTSA Paramedic Functional Job Analysis as its technical standards: lifting, carrying, and balancing 125 pounds (250 with assistance), working on uneven terrain in extreme heat and cold, fine manual dexterity, and the ability to stay calm and lead under stress. Read the full standards on the policies page. If you may need an accommodation, talk to the Program Director before applying.

You can review every graded assessment and have 24 hours to file a written appeal with the instructor; unresolved appeals go to the Program Director and then to the District Chief of EMS Operations or Medical Director, whose decision is final. Broader concerns go to the Program Director first, and anyone may contact the accreditor, CoAEMSP. The process is on the policies page.

For the cohorts reported to our accreditor, CoAEMSP (enrolled 2016 through 2025), 81% of our graduates passed the National Registry Paramedic exam on the first attempt and 94% within three attempts. Across our own longer record going back to 2008, the figures are 84% and 96%. Every cohort's results are on the outcomes page.