CrimsonEMS offers one fully subsidized EMT training course per semester.  The next offering of the course will be in Spring 2027. Applications for the Spring 2027 course will become available on October 14, 2026, and be available until November 4, 2026.

During the course, future EMTs will learn the principles and skills necessary to provide care and treatment in a variety of urgent situations. Students learn about topics such as anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, sickness, disease, trauma, abuse, mental illness, and patient assessment, as well as methods of treatment and management. EMT candidates also develop skills through classroom and applied learning in incident management, communication and leadership, teamwork, emergency vehicle operations, response systems, healthcare systems, bedside manner, and more.

The course is both incredibly rewarding and time and energy-intensive. The course requires a roughly 15-hour time commitment per week, with virtual classes on Tuesdays from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. and in-person practical classes on Saturdays from 9 a.m-5:00 p.m. Course dates follow the Harvard College academic calendar and will not coincide with shopping week, University holidays, or final exams. The EMT course is to be taken concurrently with academic courses at Harvard.

CrimsonEMS, as a service line of Harvard University Health Services (HUHS), is generously supported and subsidized by HUHS. While typical EMT courses may cost around $2,000, students in CrimsonEMS are only responsible for the cost of testing, licensure, and registration fees. For certain students, financial aid is available to help with or cover these fees. Please see our FAQs for more information. After their training course, students are well-prepared to use their skills and knowledge to serve the Harvard community.