South Dakota
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Build Your EMS Career in South Dakota
From the urban call volumes of Sioux Falls and Rapid City to the wide-open ranching communities of West River and the lakes and prairie towns of East River, South Dakota offers one of the most diverse EMS landscapes in the country. At School of EMS, we connect students with approved South Dakota clinical field sites, giving you the opportunity to build real-world skills in the environments where you’ll launch your career.
Whether you’re responding alongside a busy metro service, supporting a frontier ambulance run, or training in the Black Hills and Badlands region, our clinical network helps prepare you for the day-to-day realities of EMS in South Dakota.
We understand the licensing requirements, clinical expectations, and workforce needs unique to South Dakota EMS. Our programs are built to meet national education standards while aligning with South Dakota Department of Health and state EMS requirements.
As you’re starting your EMS journey or advancing from EMT to paramedic, School of EMS helps you move forward with confidence.
Your Journey with the School of EMS
Online Coursework
Engage in comprehensive online coursework to acquire the vital knowledge where you'll gain the knowledge and skills necessary for your new career as an EMS Provider.
Hands-On Skills Lab
Participate in live skills labs: engage in hands-on learning, practice essential techniques, and showcase proficiency needed to excel in EMS.
Clinical & Field Training
Embark on Clinical & Field Experiences at top-tier hospitals, clinics, and ambulance services, where you'll apply your skills in real-life scenarios, solidifying your expertise through practical immersion.
Capstone Internship
Take on the role of Lead Paramedic aboard a 911 ambulance within your region, offering guidance to your colleagues and delivering top-tier EMS care at the forefront of the field.
Clinical education is where classroom learning becomes real. As a School of EMS student in South Dakota, you’ll complete clinical rotations at approved healthcare and EMS locations throughout the state, including:
• Emergency departments
• Ambulance services
• Fire-based EMS agencies
• Specialty care and hospital-based units.
These experiences give South Dakota EMT and paramedic students the chance to:
• Apply patient-care skills in real emergencies
• Work alongside experienced South Dakota EMS professionals
• Build confidence in fast-paced environments
• Prepare for real job expectations across South Dakota EMS systems
Clinical availability varies by program and location. Students are placed at approved sites based on program requirements and site availability.
To earn EMT certification in South Dakota, you must complete an approved training program (a minimum of approximately 165 hours, including at least 10 hours of hospital or ambulance observation and 10 patient assessments), then pass both a state-approved and the National Registry (NREMT) cognitive and psychomotor exams. Certification is issued through the South Dakota Department of Health, Office of EMS, and is valid for two years. School of EMS guides you through each step with structured training and clinical experience.
Demand for EMTs in South Dakota is strong and growing, especially in rural and frontier communities where workforce shortages have prompted statewide focus. Opportunities exist across hospital systems (Avera, Sanford), municipal and county ambulance services, fire-based EMS, and air-medical programs. Completing your training with real-world clinical experience can help you stand out to South Dakota employers.
To work toward paramedic jobs in South Dakota, you must first earn EMT certification, then complete an approved advanced paramedic education program and meet clinical and certification requirements through both the state and the National Registry (NREMT). South Dakota paramedics are licensed by the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners. School of EMS provides the foundation and clinical preparation needed for this advancement.
Yes. South Dakota recognizes AEMT as an Advanced Life Support (ALS) provider level licensed by the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners. Students who complete an approved AEMT program and pass the NREMT AEMT exam can practice intermediate-level skills such as IV access, select medications, and advanced airway management. Talk to a School of EMS advisor about whether AEMT is the right next step for your career path.
Students complete clinical hours at approved South Dakota hospitals, EMS agencies, and field sites — from major systems in Sioux Falls and Rapid City to community and critical-access providers across the state — giving you hands-on experience in real patient-care environments.
Yes. Our programs emphasize real‑world skills, professionalism, and confidence, helping Arkansas EMS students transition smoothly from training into the workforce.
Our goal is to place South Dakota students as close to home as possible, though some travel may be required depending on site availability. Because of South Dakota’s geography, students in West River and frontier regions may travel further than students near Sioux Falls or Rapid City.
Yes. Our training emphasizes practical skills, professionalism, and readiness, helping students transition into EMT and paramedic roles across South Dakota — including rural, tribal-area, and frontier services where workforce demand is highest.
Emergency Medical Technician
(EMT) - South Dakota
Start your EMS career in South Dakota with comprehensive training that covers patient assessment, trauma care, medical emergencies, and prehospital operations. Programs available with live, lecture/lab, and clinical courses.
Paramedic - South Dakota
Advance your career with indepth paramedic education, clinical rotations, and field internships focused on advanced life support, critical decision-making, and leadership in prehospital care.
Built for South Dakota’s EMS Environment
From Sioux Falls and Rapid City to the small towns, ranches, and tribal communities across East River and West River, South Dakota’s EMS systems serve a wide range of populations and call types.
At School of EMS, we focus on preparing you for:
• Diverse call types across urban, suburban, rural, and frontier settings
• Real-world response scenarios
• The professionalism and adaptability required in EMS careers
• The long response distances and resource limitations common to rural South Dakota EMS
Training locally helps you better understand the South Dakota communities you’ll serve and gives you a stronger start in your EMS career.
See Our Students in Action
Click your state below to view our Live Lab Education, Clinical, and Field Externship locations in your area.
If you don't see your city listed, reach out. New clinical partnerships are added regularly.
Clinical sites are subject to change or close without notice, please ensure you have multiple sites selected for clinical rotations.
Learn from experienced instructors and practice essential skills in labs and simulations that mirror real-world EMS scenarios.
Build confidence through supervised patient care and ride-along opportunities with EMS partners.
Prepare for certification exams with structured review, skill validation, and professional development resources.
- Immunizations Declination Forms/Waivers: Immunizations@schoolofems.org (Flu and COVID Declination/Waivers are under the Immunization Section of the EMS9000 Clinical Services Canvas Course)
- Assistance uploading my EMT License in Campus Cafe: Alexandria Hernandez admissions@schoolofems.org
- Questions regarding Labs and Live Weeks : Labs@schoolofems.org
- SOE ID Badge issues - ID Badges FAQ
- Never received a badge: ITSupport@schoolofems.org or submit a request through your profile above
- Need a replacement badge: studentservices@schoolofems.org
- SAP Dashboard issues: ITSupport@schoolofems.org
- SAP Questions (including requirements, fails, etc) : arc@schoolofems.org
- Clinical shift scheduling: ClinicalScheduling@schoolofems.org
- Clinical Onboarding : ClinicalScheduling@schoolofems.org
- General Clinicals questions : clinicals@schoolofems.org
Once your clinical requirements have been completed and confirmed, our Student Services team will begin the course completion process. They will check all four elements of your course for completion: didactic with a successful GPA and exam passes, labs with all days attended, all card courses completed, skills successfully completed, clinical hours, PCRs, PEs, impressions, and age groups completed, and finally, all fees are paid. A "terminal competency report" (course completion) is generated upon success in all four areas. This report is sent to the Medical Director and Program Director for review and signature. Once that is completed, your course completion certificates will be emailed and mailed to you. This process can take up to two weeks. You may want to check with Student Services to make sure we have your updated mailing address on file and to ensure you have paid all required fees. Please ensure you have created your application on the NREMT website.
Student Services FAQs
Your access to Canvas will be activated by 1700 (5:00pm) on your scheduled cohort start date.
Yes! SOE has an articulation with Columbia Southern University which awards college credit hours to SOE courses. You can request a transcript here.
Yes, by contacting the Finance Department at 888-390-5081.
An agreement was signed upon enrollment that states you remain financially responsible to make payments even if you voluntarily withdraw from the program or are administratively withdrawn (i.e. expelled). SOE is not a "pay as you go" institution. If you fail to make payments on time, you may be sent to collections.
You may submit an appeal here to request to stay in the program. Appeals hearings may be scheduled up to two weeks after your appeal request. After your hearing, a formal decision will be made and sent to you via email. To request an appeal of any Lab Psychomotor Testing Results click here.
For the full uniform dress code, please see Volume 2 of the Institutional Catalog, page 16. To purchase uniform items and course required books (except for EMS pants, which you will need to purchase independently through any EMS uniform retailer) please visit the bookstore.
Yes, you can return unused uniform items through the bookstore directly. Please see their return policy for more information.
SOE has several options for students who wish to stay within the program but are experiencing major life changes (marriage, divorce, child birth, death of a family member, etc.). Please reach out to Student Services with a brief description of the reason you are requesting an LOA and they will assist you through the process.
Contact Student Services to notify them of your wish to return to the program and they will assist you through the process.
You may submit a legal name change request by filling out this form. Please allow 30 days for requests to be processed. A $20 fee will be added to your tuition balance for requests requiring a new ID badge, transcript or other course documentation editing.
ID badges can take 2 to 4 weeks to process and ship from date of submission. If you have still not received your badge, please submit an IT ticket requesting a replacement and/or temporary badge. Please see the FAQ ID Badge Problems for more information.
Send a request to Student Services for a replacement badge with a verified shipping address. There is a $15.00 fee for a replacement badge (this will be added to you account).
CORE stands for Connecting Opportunity through Relationships & Engagement
For questions or clarification on any Employer Sponsor issues, please contact the CORE manager Christina Bratton or call Click Here to Call.
Sponsor Dashboard & Employer Access
Once your sponsorship paperwork is complete, the CORE team will set up access for your employer. If they have not received login instructions, have them contact the CORE team.
Contact the CORE team and they will verify your sponsorship and make sure the right contact at your agency is added.
Yes. Your sponsor can request additional authorized users by contacting Christina Bratton.
Notifications & Progress Reports
Contact the CORE team and they will review the information, make corrections if needed, and update your sponsor.
Sponsors are updated at major checkpoints such as SAP reviews, labs, and clinical milestones.
Yes, sponsors are notified when appeals are filed or when students are placed on High Risk.
Labs & Course Information
Yes. Sponsors are notified of lab performance.
Yes. These results appear in the Sponsor Dashboard.
Have them contact the CORE team and they will connect them with the right department if needed.
Join School of EMS and take the next step toward a rewarding career as EMT or Paramedic professionals.
