Respiratory Care

Associate of Applied Science

Develop skills through classroom, laboratory and clinical experience to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). Pima’s Respiratory Care program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)

Limited Admissions Program: Students must meet the preparatory coursework and any other prerequisites and apply to the program. Depending on available spots, students may be placed on a waiting list before starting the program. See Program Admission or an advisor for details.

Title IV Financial Aid eligible: Yes

Careers

Completing this program can lead to employment in a variety of different careers.  Here are some examples of occupations related to this program with associated Pima County-based annual median wages.  Some careers may require additional education or training. Source: EMSI

Occupation	Annual Median Wage
Respiratory Therapist	$49,525

Academic Options

This program may apply toward a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS). See an advisor

Program Requirements 2020-2021

Students must receive a C grade or better in all core courses to progress to the next semester.  Course substitutions are not accepted in the Respiratory Care program.

Program Prerequisites

These courses are not eligible for Title IV financial aid. Students must have completed the following (with grades posted) before they may begin the application process.

Program Prerequisites		Credits
International students must score higher than 450 on the institutional TOEFL (Test of English as a Second Language)
MAT 097 Intermediate Algebra or placement into MAT 151 or higher		0-3
Subtotal		0-3

Preparatory Coursework

Students must have completed the following (with grades or C or better posted) before they may begin the application process

Preparatory Coursework		Credits
REA 112HP or REA 112 or Accuplacer reading placement score of 250 or higher		0-4
BIO 156IN OR BIO 201IH OR 201IN OR BIO 156 bypass exam score of 70% or higher		0-4
HRP 100 or STU 100		1
Subtotal		1-9

General Education Requirements

General Education requirements are fulfilled by core or support courses.*

Required Core Courses

A grade of C or better is required for graduation.

Course #	Course Title	Credits
HCA 152	Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)	1
RTH 110	Introduction to Respiratory Care	2
RTH 112	Respiratory Physiology	4
RTH 121/121LB	Basic Therapeutics/Lab	4
RTH 123/123LB	Basic Assessment and Monitoring/Lab	4
RTH 124	Pharmacology for Respiratory Care	3
RTH 135LC	Clinical Procedures I	4
RTH 156	Cardiopulmonary Diseases I	3
RTH 162	Principles of Mechanical Ventilation	3
RTH 241/241LB	Application of Mechanical Ventilation/Lab	4
RTH 243/243LB	Advanced Assessment and Monitoring/Lab	4
RTH 245LC	Clinical Procedures II	4
RTH 251/251LB	Neonatal and Pediatric Specialty Therapeutics/Lab	5
RTH 255LC	Clinical Procedures III	4
RTH 256	Cardiopulmonary Diseases II	2
RTH 257LB	Clinical Applications and Professional Development	1
Subtotal		52

Required Support Courses

Course #	Course Title	Credits
BIO 205IN	Microbiology [SUN# BIO 2205]	4
AIS/ANT 206   or HIS 141   or HUM 260	Contemporary Native Americans of the Southwest    History of the United States I  [SUN# HIS 1131]   Intercultural Perspectives	3
PSY 101	Introduction to Psychology [SUN# PSY 1101]	4
WRT 101	English Composition I  [SUN# ENG 1101]	3
WRT 102	English Composition II [SUN# ENG 1102]	3
Subtotal		16
Total (not including program prerequisites or preparatory coursework)		68
Total  (including program prerequisites and preparatory coursework)		69-80

* Other general education requirements are fulfilled by required prerequisites courses: Communication - WRT 101; Arts and Humanities  - AIS/ANT 206 or HIS 141 or HUM 260; Social and Behavioral Science - PSY 101; Mathematics and Science -  BIO 205IN and Math prerequisite; Other Requirement - WRT 102;  Special Requirement (C or G) - HIS 141 or HUM 260.

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Respiratory Interest Program/Major code: AOA9ALA/9RTH

Respiratory Program/Major code: AASRESPTHERA/RTH1

www.pima.edu/respiratory-aas