English Composition 2
Self-paced online English Composition 2 course (ENG 102). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Any bachelor's counts: how Texas paramedics finish a degree while on shift
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
A bachelor's degree for Texas paramedics can be in any field: DSHS asks only that the school be accredited by an agency the US Department of Education recognises. Shift workers usually finish faster by choosing a degree-completion college, counting prior credit, and taking self-paced general education courses, with the college's written plan first.
Start with the college, not the courses
The degree-granting college decides everything that follows: how many credits it counts from your past, whether it counts paramedic training, and which outside credit it will review. So the first job is a short list of colleges with a USDE-recognised accreditor, flexible online study and clear transfer pages. TESU, UoPeople and Newlane are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; read their transfer pages first.
A plan that fits 24-hour shifts
Self-paced courses suit rotating shifts better than classes with set login times. A practical rhythm is one course at a time, with study blocks on your days off and short reviews on quiet shifts.
- Pick one course; finish it before the next
- Study in 45-minute blocks on days off
- Book the final exam for the day after a rest day
- Send each score to the college as you finish
What a 120-credit degree is made of
Most bachelor's degrees split into general education, a major and electives. General education is where outside credit most often fits: English composition, math or statistics, psychology, sociology, humanities. The major usually needs the college's own courses. Electives can take prior credit, sometimes including paramedic training.
| Part | Typical size | What can fill it |
|---|---|---|
| General education | 30-45 credits | Prior college credit; outside credit the college reviews |
| Major | 30-45 credits | Usually the college's own courses |
| Electives | 20-40 credits | Prior credit, training the college evaluates, outside credit |
Check the school's accreditation yourself
DSHS asks for a degree from a school accredited by an agency the US Department of Education recognises. Before you enrol anywhere, find the accreditor named on the college's own site, then look the school up on the Department of Education's accreditation database. A degree that fails this check does not meet the rule, however many credits it has.
The same check matters for credit you bring in. If a college lists outside credit on its transcript, the degree it confers is still that college's degree, so the accreditation that counts for DSHS is the degree-granting college's own. Keep a screenshot of the accreditor listing with the date you checked it, in case DSHS or an employer asks later.
Cost and time, honestly
Time depends on your starting credits and pace. A paramedic with 40 prior credits and a college that counts them has about 80 to go. UPI Study's PRO plan is $99 a month for every course, so pace sets the price. The college charges its own tuition and fees for the rest of the degree; ask for them in writing with your credit plan.
Two habits save the most time. First, never take a course before the college has said in writing where it fits; a course that lands nowhere costs a month. Second, keep a simple record: course, date finished, score, date sent, date posted. When you apply to DSHS, the only document that matters is the final transcript showing the conferred degree, and that record helps you chase anything missing before your application.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the college that will grant your degree in writing which of these courses it will count, and check its accreditor on its own page, before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
Can I finish a bachelor's degree online while working as a paramedic?
Yes, many do. Choose a college with a USDE-recognised accreditor and flexible online study, ask for a written credit evaluation, and take self-paced courses between shifts. The degree must be conferred before you apply for licensure.
Which bachelor's degree is best for a Texas paramedic?
For licensure, any field works. Pick by your goal: health administration or business for management, psychology for crisis work, or a general studies degree if you want the fastest finish with your existing credits. Ask each college how many of your credits it will use.
Does paramedic training count toward a bachelor's degree?
Some colleges count it as elective or professional credit; others do not. It depends on the college and how your training is documented. Ask for a written evaluation of your paramedic course before you choose.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Introduction to Sociology
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Principles of Philosophy
Self-paced online Principles of Philosophy course (Philosophy 200). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
General education courses you can take between shifts.
Sources
- DSHS: EMS Reciprocity Certification (official)Licensure needs an Associate's Degree in EMS, a Bachelor's or higher degree in any field, or a post graduate degree, from a school accredited by an agency the US Department of Education recognises; a college transcript is submitted; EMT-Paramedic needs no degree. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- DSHS: Initial Certification-Licensure (official)Paramedic Licensure is for those with a two-year EMS degree or a four-year degree in any field; EMT-Paramedic is for those who finished a paramedic course without a degree; fees $126 (Licensed Paramedic) and $96 (EMT-P). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.