Respiratory Care Associate of Applied Science Degree
The Respiratory Care associate degree program is a sequence of courses that prepares students for careers in the field of respiratory care. Learning opportunities develop academic and professional knowledge and skills required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement.
The program emphasizes specialized training in areas such as pulmonary and cardiac pharmacology, medical gases, humidity/aerosol therapy, positive pressure ventilation, incentive spirometry, patient assessment, postural drainage, percussion/vibration, assessment of diseases and conditions, critical respiratory care, advanced critical care monitoring, pulmonary function testing, and pediatric and neonatal respiratory care.
Program graduates receive a Respiratory Care Associate Degree of Applied Science which qualifies them to take the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) examinations to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist. To work in the state of Georgia, all respiratory care practitioners must apply and be granted a license. The only way to obtain a license is to successfully pass NBRC board exams.
Students may enter the Respiratory Care degree program every semester. A full-time student can complete this program in 6 semesters. To graduate, students must earn a minimum of 81 semester credit hours.
For more information on Respiratory Care professions, please visit the following websites:
National Board for Respiratory Care
American Association for Respiratory Care
Georgia Society for Respiratory Care
Georgia Composite Medical Board
Completion of Oconee Fall Line Technical College’s CoARC-accredited Respiratory Care program meets educational requirements to apply for a Respiratory Care professional license in Georgia.
Offered at the Following Campuses/Delivery Mode:
Employment Outlook
Career Traits/Requirements
Individuals wanting to enroll in the Respiratory Care degree program must have good work ethics, be people oriented and possess great organizational skills. Instruction and practical application of learned skills provide a broad occupational background which appeals to prospective employers.
Employment Opportunities
Graduates of the Respiratory Care degree program can find a variety of employment opportunities in hospitals, home health companies, physicians’ offices, pulmonary function laboratories, and medical equipment sales.
Program Costs
Tuition & Fees: $10,086.00
Books & Supplies: $4,500.00
Additional Fees
Malpractice Insurance: $11.00
Drug Screen: $50.00
Criminal Background Check: $51.50
BLS for Healthcare Provider: $7.00
Testing Fee (RESP 2090): $402.50
ACLS Certification: $10.00
Testing Fee (RESP 2100): $402.50
PALS: $10.00
Testing Fee (RESP 2190): $402.50
NRP Certification: $40.00
Clinical Onboarding Fees: Varies by clinical facility
Science Lab Fees: $100.00
Testing Fee (RESP 2220): $402.50
(Costs are estimated and are subject to change.)
Certain facilities require clinical students to have an active health insurance policy during clinical rotations. Therefore, all students are required to obtain health insurance coverage prior to submitting pre-clinical onboarding documents for clinical rotations.
Admission Requirements
OFTC may accept a student’s official entrance score on the following validated assessment instruments if the scores meet the required minimums:
- COMPASS/ASSET,
- SAT,
- ACT,
- PSAT,
- PACT,
- Accuplacer/Accuplacer Next Generation/Companion,
- HOPE GPA after completion of 10th grade of 2.6 or higher, or High School GPA of 2.6 (for occupational programs), or 2.0 for Workforce Entry Level programs, or GED.
The College may accept transfer credit for other courses according to the College’s transfer policy.
Competitive Admission Requirements
Students must complete an application to compete for their name to be placed on the list of potential program students. If more students apply to compete than there are seats available, the competitive process is followed with the exception of PSB testing.
All steps of the competitive selection process must be completed for students to be considered for admission into program classes.
Access links and forms for Competitive Admissions Programs
Access the Respiratory Handbook
Accreditation
The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Respiratory Care is accredited by:
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
264 Precision Boulevard
Telford, TN 37690
Phone: 817-283-2835
CoARC Program Number: 200474
Program Outcomes Data may be found at coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/
The goal of the Respiratory Care program is to prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRTs).
Curriculum
GENERAL EDUCATION CORE (Required minimum: 15 Semester Hours)
Area I - Language Arts/Communication
Area II - Social/Behavioral Sciences
Area III - Natural Sciences/Mathematics
Area IV - Humanities/Fine Arts
Choose one of the following:
Non-General Education Degree Courses
Occupational Courses
Program Pathway
The sequencing below is for seven semesters. While a full-time student CAN complete the program in six semesters, most core students do not take a full load due to the rigor of the courses.
Year 1
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Year 2
Semester 4
Semester 5
Semester 6
Year 3
Semester 7