About This Program
The Bachelor of Science degree in Respiratory Care is a completer program designed to prepare qualified respiratory therapists with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop professionalism and advance their careers in the areas of leadership, management, education, research, disease and sleep medicine utilizing best practices in order to advance the practice of respiratory care.
Contact Information
- Amy Rodenhausen | arodenha@kent.edu | 440-964-4362
- Speak with an Advisor
- Chat with an Admissions Counselor
Program Delivery
- Delivery:
- Fully online
Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*
Respiratory therapists
- 19.4% much faster than the average
- 135,800 number of jobs
- $62,810 potential earnings
Accreditation
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Respiratory Care major is selective. Applicants must hold an active credential for certified respiratory therapist (CRT) or registered respiratory therapist (RRT) and an entry-level degree from an accredited respiratory therapy/care program with a minimum 2.000 overall GPA.
Applicants who are actively enrolled and in good standing in the second year of an accredited entry-level associate degree in respiratory therapy/care or are actively enrolled and in good standing in the third year of an accredited entry-level bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy/care may be conditionally enrolled in the program.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning a minimum 71 TOEFL iBT score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score, minimum 47 PTE score or minimum 100 DET score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive English Program. For more information on international admission visit the admissions website for international students.
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA) | ||
NURS 46000 | HEALTH CARE POLICY | 3 |
RSPC 30000 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN RESPIRATORY CARE | 3 |
RSPC 30002 | LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT IN RESPIRATORY CARE | 3 |
RSPC 30004 | EDUCATIONAL INSTRUCTION IN RESPIRATORY CARE | 3 |
RSPC 30006 | SLEEP MEDICINE AND POLYSOMNOGRAPHY | 3 |
RSPC 40002 | RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT IN RESPIRATORY CARE (WIC) 1 | 3 |
RSPC 40004 | ADVANCED PRACTICE IN RESPIRATORY CARE | 3 |
RSPC 40006 | CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND TRENDS IN RESPIRATORY CARE | 3 |
RSPC 40008 | CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES | 3 |
RSPC 40075 | INFORMATION AND PATIENT CARE TECHNOLOGY FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS | 3 |
RSPC 41092 | PRACTICUM FOR RESPIRATORY CARE (ELR) | 3 |
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) | ||
PSYC 11762 | GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) | 3 |
LIS 30010 | INFORMATION FLUENCY IN THE WORKPLACE AND BEYOND | 3 |
UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
Statistics Electives, choose from the following: | 3-4 | |
BUSINESS ANALYTICS I | ||
INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS PLUS (KMCR) | ||
INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS (KMCR) | ||
PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS FOR LIFE SCIENCES 3 | ||
BASIC PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS 3 | ||
INTRODUCTORY BIOSTATISTICS | ||
QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I | ||
DATA ANALYSIS and DATA ANALYSIS LABORATORY | ||
Kent Core Composition | 6 | |
Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning | 3 | |
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each) | 9 | |
Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines) | 3 | |
Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory) | 6-7 | |
Kent Core Additional | 6 | |
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) 4 | 44 | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 |
- 1
A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.
- 2
Not required of transfer students with 25 or more credit hours
- 3
MATH 12022 and MATH 30011 are not offered online presently.
- 4
The majority of general elective credit hours may be transfer courses from an associate degree in respiratory care/therapy.
Progression Requirements
To be able to register for Respiratory Care (RSPC) courses, students must be admitted to professional study. Admission is a selective process. Criteria for admission into professional study are the following:
- Evidence of an earned accredited entry-level associate degree in respiratory therapy/care or accredited entry- level bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy/care
- Evidence of earned RRT credential
- Evidence of current active license to practice respiratory therapy
Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA |
---|---|
2.000 | 2.000 |
Roadmap
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
Semester Prerequisite | Credits | ||
---|---|---|---|
PSYC 11762 | GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) | 3 | |
Transfer courses from associate degree in respiratory care/therapy | 41 | ||
Kent Core Requirements | 15 | ||
Credit Hours | 59 | ||
Semester One | |||
UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 | |
Statistics Elective | 3 | ||
Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
Credit Hours | 16 | ||
Semester Two | |||
LIS 30010 | INFORMATION FLUENCY IN THE WORKPLACE AND BEYOND | 3 | |
! | RSPC 30002 | LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT IN RESPIRATORY CARE | 3 |
! | RSPC 30004 | EDUCATIONAL INSTRUCTION IN RESPIRATORY CARE | 3 |
! | RSPC 40002 | RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT IN RESPIRATORY CARE (WIC) | 3 |
! | RSPC 40004 | ADVANCED PRACTICE IN RESPIRATORY CARE | 3 |
Credit Hours | 15 | ||
Semester Three | |||
! | RSPC 30000 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN RESPIRATORY CARE | 3 |
! | RSPC 30006 | SLEEP MEDICINE AND POLYSOMNOGRAPHY | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 6 | ||
General Elective | 3 | ||
Credit Hours | 15 | ||
Semester Four | |||
! | NURS 46000 | HEALTH CARE POLICY | 3 |
! | RSPC 40006 | CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND TRENDS IN RESPIRATORY CARE | 3 |
! | RSPC 40008 | CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES | 3 |
! | RSPC 40075 | INFORMATION AND PATIENT CARE TECHNOLOGY FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS | 3 |
! | RSPC 41092 | PRACTICUM FOR RESPIRATORY CARE (ELR) | 3 |
Credit Hours | 15 | ||
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 |
University Requirements
All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.
NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.
Requirement | Credits/Courses |
---|---|
Flashes 101 (UC 10001) | 1 credit hour |
Course is not required for students with 30+ transfer credits (excluding College Credit Plus) or age 21+ at time of admission. | |
Diversity Domestic/Global (DIVD/DIVG) | 2 courses |
Students must successfully complete one domestic and one global course, of which one must be from the Kent Core. | |
Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) | varies |
Students must successfully complete one course or approved experience. | |
Kent Core (see table below) | 36-37 credit hours |
Writing-Intensive Course (WIC) | 1 course |
Students must earn a minimum C grade in the course. | |
Upper-Division Requirement | 39 credit hours |
Students must successfully complete 39 upper-division (numbered 30000 to 49999) credit hours to graduate. | |
Total Credit Hour Requirement | 120 credit hours |
Kent Core Requirements
Requirement | Credits/Courses |
---|---|
Kent Core Composition (KCMP) | 6 |
Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (KMCR) | 3 |
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (KHUM/KFA) (min one course each) | 9 |
Kent Core Social Sciences (KSS) (must be from two disciplines) | 6 |
Kent Core Basic Sciences (KBS/KLAB) (must include one laboratory) | 6-7 |
Kent Core Additional (KADL) | 6 |
Total Credit Hours: | 36-37 |
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication skills by presenting arguments, recommendations and research with relevant sources used for support with proper citation.
- Use research methodology and critical inquiry to formulate research questions, search for relevant literature, critically evaluate literature to determine quality, synthesize available literature and write a research project proposal.
- Utilize research and theories of teaching and learning to produce educational materials for patients, families and healthcare professionals.
- Analyze contemporary issues and evidence-based practices in respiratory care, and demonstrate the ability to identify the impact on professional practice and the ability to advocate for patients through ethical and current best practices.
- Explore the principles of inter-professional collaboration and leadership to identify how teams come together to improve the knowledge of the team and create innovations for advancement of the field and improvements in patient outcomes.