Cancel
Cancel
Loading...

Western Dakota Technical College Learn. Do. Now.

Apply Now Schedule a Tour Visit Us Request Info Chat Online

Advanced Emergency Medical Technician

An Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) is a health professional who provides basic and advanced emergency medical care and transportation of patients. AEMTs work as part of an EMS response team under medical supervision. 

Are you interested in our Advanced Emergency Medical Technician Degree Program?

Sign up to receive more information!

I want to Learn More

Degree Description

An Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) is a health professional who provides basic and advanced emergency medical care and transportation of patients. AEMTs work as part of an EMS response team under medical supervision. This program combines academic learning with practical instruction, laboratory skills, and supervised clinical training to equip students for careers as AEMTs. Coursework covers patient care, anatomy and medical terminology, assessment and triage, transportation of patients, and accurate record keeping. Students also gain practical experience in patient care, problem-solving, and effective communication within health care teams within their clinical rotations.

Request More Info

Application Process

1. Complete Western Dakota Technical College Admissions Application
2. Complete the ACCUPLACER test ($15 fee)
3. Schedule your Admissions Advising Session
4. Provide an official copy of a High School transcript or GED scores. If you graduated from an international high school, you must submit your transcript to Educational Credential Evaluators to determine U.S. equivalence.
5. Submit Immunization Records verifying two doses of MMR vaccinations
6. Once you receive your acceptance letter, schedule a time to register for classes

The ACCUPLACER test will be waived if you have an ACT sub-score of 18 or better in English, Math, and Reading.  To waive the ACCUPLACER with SAT scores a student will need a 500 on the MATH subsection of ACT and a composite of 970 to waive Writing and Reading. To place into MATH 114 a student will need a 520 on the MATH subsection.  

Additional Application Information Coming

Please call Admissions at (605) 718-2565 to schedule an appointment.

Note: If you are or have been convicted, pleaded guilty or no contest to, or received a suspended imposition of sentence for a felony or certain misdemeanors, you are advised that you may not be able to complete all course requirements for your chosen program, you may be prevented from taking required certification/licensure examinations in your chosen program field, and you may be prevented from gaining employment in your program field.

If you are not a resident in the state of South Dakota, please be aware that licensing requirements vary from state to state. It is your responsibility to determine if your Paramedic testing results and status are valid in your state of residence, or the state in which you plan to practice as a paramedic.

Students that sit out for a spring or fall semester or longer, will return under a new Catalog and may be required to repeat courses or successfully complete new or revised skills or competency assessments. Before readmittance, the program may need to determine if a student is eligible to continue in technical courses. Program sequencing and cohort size may prevent enrollment in technical courses.

Clinicals, practicums, and internships may include, but are not limited to, differential shifts (evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays) to meet industry expectations. This may require travel outside the Rapid City Area.

Apply Now

Career Description

Emergency medical personnel provide pre-hospital emergency care to the ill and injured. An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) has the knowledge and skills to provide basic life support to all persons whether the problem is trauma, cardiac, or other medical condition. EMTs splint fractures, bandage wounds, and stabilize a patient for transport to a medical facility. In addition to the skills of an EMT, an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) will assess and triage patients and provide patient care using basic and advanced equipment including airway devices, IV fluids, and administration of certain medications. They can also perform cardiac monitoring, endotracheal intubation, and intramuscular injections. AEMTs work with other agencies during regional emergencies and establish relationships with patients, community members, and other medical personnel. The skills and abilities of an AEMT should include critical reasoning and problem-solving, communication, time management, customer service, and an ability to deal with stress and maintain composure. AEMTs will work in inclement weather, on evenings, weekends, and holidays, and might be required to report for duty during dangerous and severe weather such as storms and flooding.

Apply Now

Licensure and Certification

Professional licensure and certification requirements often vary from state to state. WDTC will not initially enroll students in an academic program leading to professional licensure or certification unless the College has confirmed the program meets all educational requirements of the state where the student is located, per WDTC’s Student Location policy, or intends to work after graduation.

If WDTC has not determined whether the program curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure or certification in the state you are located in or intend to work in after graduation, please contact the Vice President for Teaching and Learning for assistance by emailing Tiffany.Howe@wdt.edu or calling 605.718.2905.

As of May 22, 2024:

  1. The program curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure/certification in the following states: AK, AL, American Samoa, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, Guam, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, The Republic of the Marshall Islands, MD, ME, MI, The Federated States of Micronesia, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, The Republic of Palau, The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, The Virgin Islands, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY
  2. The program curriculum does not meet educational requirements for licensure/certification in the following states: 
  3. WDTC has not determined whether the program curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure/certification in the following states: 
General Education EMT

After Earning Your Degree

An Advanced Emergency Medical Technician is a healthcare professional whose primary focus is to respond to, assess, and triage nonurgent, urgent, and emergent requests for medical care, apply basic and focused advanced knowledge and skills necessary to provide patient care and/or medical transportation and facilitate access to a higher level of care when the needs of the patient exceed the capability level of the AEMT. The additional preparation beyond EMT prepares an AEMT to improve patient care in common emergency conditions for which reasonably safe, targeted, and evidence-based interventions exist. As of May 2023, the average national wage was reported as $45,605 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Meet Your Faculty

Western Dakota Technical College has a low student-to-faculty ratio, meaning more one-on-one learning. Individual attention from your professor can make your college experience more fulfilling.


  • Mary Grassrope

  • Marquis Trujillo

Financial Aid

Continuing your education is crucial and Western Dakota Technical College wants to make sure that any student who wants to attend school, has the opportunity to do so. For this reason, WDTC is dedicated to administering the U.S. Department of Education’s Title IV Financial Assistance Program fair and consistently to anyone who needs it.

Build Dakota Scholarships

The Build Dakota Scholarship at Western Dakota Technical College will pay all your tuition and fees and prepare you for a career that is in-demand and growing in South Dakota. Build Dakota Scholarships will be awarded to students entering high-need workforce programs at South Dakota’s technical institutes to fill the state’s technical careers with skilled professionals.

Student Housing

Finding affordable housing during school can be a challenge for students. Western Dakota Technical College currently does not have on-campus housing, but partners with a Rapid City VRBO to offer a limited number of apartments for full-time students in the fall and spring semesters.


Learn More

Child Care

Finding child care during school is a challenge for many students. Western Dakota Technical College currently does not offer on-campus child care, but here are some resources that may help you in your search.

Youth & Family Services is an organization dedicated to helping children in Western South Dakota. They offer a variety of services, including child care at multiple locations.

The Y of Rapid City offers child care and other services.

Disclaimer: Western Dakota Technical College provides these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply affiliation, endorsement or adoption by Western Dakota Technical College of any site or any information contained therein. When you leave wdt.edu, you should be aware that our terms and policies no longer govern. Western Dakota Technical College makes no claim or representation regarding, and accepts no responsibility for, the quality, content, nature or reliability of third-party websites or vendors.

WESTERN DAKOTA TECHNICAL COLLEGE MISSION
Western Dakota Technical College prepares students to be highly-skilled professionals through accessible, career-focused programs to improve their lives, while adapting to community workforce needs and positively impacting our economy.

Join the Conversation

Connect with Western Dakota Technical College

facebook logo instagram logo snapchat logo x logo youtube logo LinkedIn

Website Powered By PageFramer, Development By Robert Sharp & Associates