Respiratory Therapy (AAS)

Degree: Associate of Applied Science
Major: Respiratory Therapy
Program Code: 1661

About This Major...

This program, which is offered at the main campus, allows students to achieve an Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy degree, opening greater employment opportunities in health care.  The Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy program exposes the student to oral and written communication skills, social/behavior sciences, and biomedical/natural sciences, as well as respiratory care.  The Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy exposes the students to a variety of settings, such as inpatient, outpatient, and home care, as well as different patient populations. 

This program has selective admission requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain the current admission requirements. 

Important information for this program:

The following prerequisites must be successfully completed, along with admission into the program before a student will be granted admission into the respiratory therapy program. Must earn a grade of "C" or better in each course:

• BIOL 209/BIOL 209L
• BIOL 250/BIOL 250L
• CHEM 131/CHEM 131L
• ENGL 111
• ENGL 112 or SPCH 101 or SPCH 102
• MATH 113
• KINA Activity Class
• KINE 100
• PSYC 150 or PSYC 233

Additional admission requirements also apply.  Please visit the Department of Health Sciences’ website for a complete list of admission requirements and program information.

For more information on what you can do with this major, visit Career Services’ What to Do with a Major? resource. 

All CMU/CMU Tech associate graduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in specialized knowledge/applied learning, quantitative fluency, communication fluency, critical thinking, personal and social responsibility, and information literacy. In addition to these campus‐wide student learning outcomes, graduates of this major will be able to:

1. Exemplify proficiency as a respiratory care practitioner, as outlined by the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) and the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) (Specialized Knowledge/Applied Learning).
2. Aid in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of cardiopulmonary patients (Critical Thinking).
3. Apply and evaluate information pertinent to the respiratory care practitioner role (Quantitative Fluency).
4. Exhibit technical competency in skills researched and utilized as a respiratory care practitioner (Information Literacy).
5. Display professionalism, as well as, culture, ethnic, and individual diversity as expected of a respiratory care practitioner (Personal Social Responsibility).
6. Describe and discuss alternative care sites (Communication Fluency).

Each section below contains details about the requirements for this program. Select a header to expand the information/requirements for that particular section of the program's requirements. 

To print or save an overview of this program's information, including the program description, learning outcomes, requirements, suggested course sequencing (if applicable), and advising and graduation information, scroll to the bottom of the left-hand navigation menu and select "Print Options." This will give you the options to either "Send Page to Printer" or "Download PDF of This Page." The "Download PDF of This Page" option prepares a much more concise presentation of all program information. The PDF is also printable and may be preferable due to its brevity. 

Institutional Degree Requirements

The following institutional degree requirements apply to all CMU and CMU Tech Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.

• 60 semester hours minimum.
• Students must complete a minimum of 15 of the final 30 semester hours of credit at CMU/CMU Tech.
• 2.00 cumulative GPA or higher in all CMU/CMU Tech coursework.
• A course may only be used to fulfill one requirement for each degree/certificate.
• No more than six semester hours of independent study courses can be used toward the degree.
• Non-traditional credit, such as advanced placement, credit by examination, credit for prior learning, cooperative education and internships, cannot exceed 20 semester credit hours for an AAS degree.
• Pre-collegiate courses (usually numbered below 100) cannot be used for graduation.
• Capstone exit assessment/projects (e.g., Major Field Achievement Test) requirements are identified under Program-Specific Degree Requirements.
• The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and degree requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements you should follow.
• See “Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees and Certificates” in the catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.

Specific to this degree:

• 73 semester hours required for the AAS in Respiratory Therapy. 
• Must have a "C" or better in all courses.

Essential Learning Requirements

(All courses must be passed with a "C" or better for each course in this degree.)

See the current catalog for a list of courses that fulfill the requirements below.  If a course is an Essential Learning option and a requirement for your major, you must use it to fulfill the major requirement and make a different selection for the Essential Learning requirement.

Other Lower Division Requirements

(2 semester hours, must earn a grade of "C" or better in each course.)

Program Specific Degree Requirements

(54 semester hours, must earn a grade of "C" or better in each course.)

Advising Process and DegreeWorks

Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a degree. The suggested course sequencing outlines how students could finish degree requirements. Some courses are critical to complete in specific semesters, while others may be moved around. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and altering the suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for their intended degree(s).

DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a degree and determine eligibility for graduation. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.

Graduation Process

Students must complete the following in the first two months of the semester prior to completing their degree requirements:

• Review their DegreeWorks audit and create a plan that outlines how unmet requirements will be met in the final semester.
• Meet with their advisor and modify their plan as needed. The advisor must approve the final plan.
• Submit the “Intent to Graduate” form to the Registrar’s Office to officially declare the intended graduation date and commencement ceremony plans.
• Register for all needed courses and complete all requirements for each degree sought.

Submission deadlines and commencement details can be found on the Graduation web page.

If a student's petition for graduation is denied, it will be their responsibility to apply for graduation in a subsequent semester. A student's “Intent to Graduate” does not automatically move to a later graduation date.