Diploma in Advanced Care Paramedic at Portage College in Lac La Biche, Canada is a diploma in Health Sciences programme. The programme runs for 2.5 years, delivered in a hybrid format. Tuition is CAD 6,668 per year for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Health Sciences
Duration: 2.5 years
Delivery: Hybrid
Local tuition: CAD 6,668 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This diploma program builds on primary care paramedic training to prepare advanced-practice paramedics for emergency medical services in rural, urban and industrial settings. Delivered from the Lac La Biche campus over roughly two and a half years, it uses a hybrid model that combines remote theory study with mandatory onsite training weeks, so working paramedics can complete it without relocating. The curriculum extends foundational paramedic skills into advanced life support and trauma care, and includes two ambulance placements plus a hospital clinical placement in which students apply advanced skills under supervision before progressing toward independent practice, culminating in a practicum. Admission requires prior completion of primary care paramedic or EMT training along with standard high-school science prerequisites. The program suits paramedics already working in the field who want to advance their scope of practice. Graduates are eligible to write the Canadian Organization of Paramedic Regulators examination for registration with the Alberta College of Paramedics as advanced care paramedics.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Entry requires successful completion of a Primary Care Paramedic or EMT program, plus English Language Arts 30-1 at 60% or English Language Arts 30-2 at 70%, Math 20-2 at 60%, and Biology 30 at 60%, with Chemistry 30 strongly recommended; holding an Alberta College of Paramedics PCP practice permit is considered an asset. Applicants whose first language is not English must submit IELTS Academic (Listening 7.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 7.0, Speaking 7.0) or TOEFL iBT (Listening 23, Reading 21, Writing 25, Speaking 22) from within the previous two years. Candidates must be at least 18, hold a current Alberta Class 4 driver's licence, and provide Heart & Stroke BLS for Healthcare Providers certification issued within one year of the start date, along with a Police Information Check and Vulnerable Sector Check within two months of starting and completed immunization and health-status forms. An iPad or Android tablet is required for the CompTracker system. Admission is competitive and includes a mandatory virtual selection assessment.
Application Details
Start Date:August
Application Deadline:Portage College sets no single institution-wide application deadline for domestic applicants, who apply through ApplyAlberta and are generally admitted on a rolling basis until seats fill or the program starts; individual program pages carry their own dates, e.g. the Business Administration Diploma - Management and Hairstyling Certificate close August 15, 2027 and the Indigenous Arts Diploma closes June 1, 2027, all for programs beginning around August 2027, while the Practical Nurse Diploma and Primary Care Paramedic remain 'open until seats are filled.' International applicants apply directly to Portage College with a $160 fee; deadlines are published per program rather than institution-wide, for example the University Studies Diploma's international deadlines of October 15, 2026 for Winter and February 15, 2027 for Spring, and Primary Care Paramedic does not accept international applicants at all. Portage does not publish a single equal-consideration date for either group. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
