COURSE CURRICULUM

The BS in Allied Health Technology with a Respiratory Care concentration is a 120-credit four-year degree program that combines general education, healthcare sciences, and specialized respiratory therapy training to prepare students for careers as Respiratory Therapists (RTs). The curriculum begins with foundational subjects such as composition, psychology, communication, ethics, global studies, mathematics, and healthcare information systems. Students also complete science-based courses including Anatomy and Physiology I & II, Chemistry for Health Sciences, Microbiology, Pathophysiology, and Statistics, which provide the scientific background required for advanced respiratory care studies. During the first two years, students build essential academic, technical, and professional skills while completing university core requirements and healthcare-related foundational courses. In the later semesters, students enter the Respiratory Care concentration, where they study specialized topics such as cardiopulmonary pharmacology, cardiopulmonary anatomy and physiology, respiratory care foundations, cardiopulmonary evaluation, neonatal and pediatric respiratory care, mechanical ventilation, advanced respiratory care, and respiratory care in alternate healthcare settings. The curriculum also includes leadership and healthcare administration courses like American Health Care, Health Care Law and Policy, Social Determinants of Health, Management Principles for Healthcare, and Healthcare Research utilization. Clinical education is an important part of the program, with four progressive clinical experiences that allow students to gain hands-on training in hospitals and healthcare facilities under professional supervision. Students learn to assess patients, manage ventilators, administer oxygen therapy, provide emergency respiratory care, and work with critically ill patients. Certain science and professional courses must be passed in order to continue progressing through the program. Placement exams in reading, writing, and mathematics may require some first-year students to complete developmental prerequisite courses before beginning standard coursework. By the final semester, students complete advanced respiratory care training and specialized respiratory topics, preparing them for national CRT and RRT certification examinations as well as state licensure. The curriculum is designed to produce skilled respiratory care professionals capable of working in hospitals, intensive care units, emergency care, rehabilitation, and other healthcare environments while also preparing graduates for leadership roles in the healthcare industry.