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The respiratory care AS degree prepares you to treat patients who have difficulty breathing due to pulmonary or cardiac disease. Learn to work with premature infants, children, trauma victims and patients requiring life support. Respiratory therapists work in physician offices, home care setting, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, sleep study departments and hospitals. The need for respiratory therapists continues to increase due to a growing elderly population; environmental problems; and technological advances in the treatment of lung disease, heart attack, cancer, accident victims and premature babies.
Graduates may take the national certification and registry exams to become licensed practitioners in the US.
A separate Health Sciences application is required for this degree, and students must attend an online information session prior to the application deadline.
Respiratory care is an allied health discipline operating with medical direction in the treatment, management, control, diagnostic evaluation and rehabilitation of patients with abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system.
This curriculum is from the current college catalog and is meant to provide prospective students an example of courses taken in this degree/certificate. It is not intended to be used for graduation requirements. Students should consult an advisor for graduation information.
Prerequisite Courses Required for Admission
†BSC 2085 Anatomy and Physiology I - 3 cr.
†BSC 2085L Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory - 1 cr.
†BSC 2086 Anatomy and Physiology II - 3 cr.
†BSC 2086L Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory - 1 cr.
†ENC 1101 English Composition I - 3 cr.
†MAC 1105 College Algebra - 3 cr.
†MCB 2000 Microbiology and Human Disease - 3 cr.
†MCB 2000L Microbiology Laboratory - 1 cr.
†AMH 2010 Early American History or †AMH 2020, Modern American History or †POS 2041, American Government - 3 cr.
Program Required Courses
YEAR I – First Semester
RET 1024 Introduction to Respiratory Care - 4 cr.
RET 1024L Introduction to Respiratory Care Laboratory - 1 cr.
†RET 1350 Pharmacology for Respiratory Care - 3 cr.
†RET 1485 Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology - 3 cr.
YEAR I – Second Semester
RET 1274C Basis Respiratory Care - 6 cr.
†RET 1503 Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiology - 3 cr.
RET 1832 Respiratory Care Clinic I - 2 cr.
YEAR I – Third Semester
RET 1833 Respiratory Care Clinic II - 1 cr.
RET 2264C Principles of Mechanical Ventilation - 5 cr.
Humanities General Education CORE - 3 cr.
YEAR II – First Semester
RET 2283 Respiratory Intensive Care - 3 cr.
RET 2714C Pediatric and Neonatal Respiratory Care - 3 cr.
RET 2834 Respiratory Care Clinic III - 2 cr.
YEAR II – Second Semester
RET 2413C Pulmonary Diagnostics - 2 cr.
RET 2533C Advanced Respiratory Care - 8 cr.
RET 2835 Respiratory Care Clinic IV - 2 cr.
YEAR II – Third Semester
RET 2836 Respiratory Care Clinic V - 1 cr.
RET 2930 Respiratory Care Seminar - 3 cr.
†Courses symbolized by a dagger (†) are offered online in addition to the traditional delivery method. Online availability may vary by academic term.
