Respiratory Therapy
Program Description
Respiratory Therapy is a dynamic and challenging healthcare profession. Therapists work with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in intensive care units and hospital floor care areas. They are involved in the treatment, management, and rehabilitation of patients with lung and heart problems. Respiratory Therapists manage the ventilation of critically ill patients, as well as provide care to patients with acute and chronic pulmonary disease. The Respiratory Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) (coarc.com).
Learn more about the program on the Respiratory Therapy website.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Graduates will be able to demonstrate the necessary knowledge, entry-level competency, and clinical skills in respiratory therapy.
- Graduates will be able to demonstrate the appropriate values, critical thinking skills, time management, and communication skills needed for competent respiratory therapy care in multidisciplinary settings.
Career Opportunities
The employment outlook for graduates is good—Respiratory Therapists can work full or part-time. The average annual salary for new graduates is approximately $90,000. The average annual salary for experienced registered therapists in the Bay Area is approximately $110,000 to $120,000. Most therapists work 8 or 12-hour hospital shifts. Graduates may specialize in many different areas, including but not limited to: intensive care (adult, neonatal, and pediatric), pulmonary function testing, and home care. There are also many opportunities for advancement within the field of Respiratory Therapy.
Award Type(s)
- AS = Associate in Science Degree
- CA = Certificate of Achievement
Units Required
- Major: 100
- Certificate(s): 12
Program Application
Admittance to the Respiratory Therapy Program is through an application process. Program information, admission criteria details, and applications can be found at the Respiratory Therapy program website.
Program Prerequisites
Must be completed with a grade of "C" (or "P") or better. For the purposes of any GPA calculations for program prerequisites, the "P" grade is calculated the same as the "C" grade.
- High school diploma, G.E.D., or equivalent.
- Compliance with Technical Standards. See the Respiratory Therapy program website for information.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Intermediate Algebra or equivalent | 5 | |
| One of the following: | 5 | |
| COMPOSITION & READING | ||
| HONORS COMPOSITION & READING | ||
| ADVANCED COMPOSITION & READING | ||
or equivalent | ||
| CHEM 25 | FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY | 5 |
| or CHEM 30A | SURVEY OF INORGANIC & ORGANIC CHEMISTRY | |
or equivalent chemistry course that includes a laboratory | ||
| BIOL 40A & BIOL 40B & BIOL 40C | HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY I and HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY II and HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY III | 15 |
or a semester of Anatomy that includes a laboratory and a semester of Physiology that includes a laboratory, or equivalent courses | ||
| AHS 52 | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY (or a medical terminology course of at least 3 quarter/2 semester units) | 4 |
Associate Degree Requirements
A minimum of 90 units is required1 to complete the associate degree, including:
- Core courses for the major (100 units total)
- Completion of one of the following general education patterns:
- Foothill College General Education
- Summer Session 2025 only–CSU General Education Breadth (CSU GE Breadth)2
- Summer Session 2025 only–Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)2
- Beginning Fall Quarter 2025–California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)3
- 1
Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.
- 2
Summer Session 2025 is the final term during which CSU GE Breadth and IGETC may be used. Please see a counselor for more information.
- 3
Cal-GETC begins in Fall Quarter 2025. Please see a counselor for more information.
Note: A grade of "C" (or "P") or better is required for all core courses used for the degree or certificate. In addition, the student must obtain a minimum GPA of 2.0.
Refer to the Associate in Arts & Associate in Science Degree Requirements page for complete information about graduation requirements and catalog rights.
Core and Support Courses
Core Courses
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Quarter | Units | |
| AHS 50A | INTRODUCTION TO ALLIED HEALTH PROGRAMS | 1.5 |
| BIOL 41 | MICROBIOLOGY | 6 |
| RSPT 50A | RESPIRATORY THERAPY PROCEDURES | 4.5 |
| RSPT 51A | INTRODUCTION TO RESPIRATORY ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY | 2 |
| RSPT 52 | APPLIED SCIENCE FOR RESPIRATORY THERAPY | 3 |
| RSPT 54 | ORIENTATION TO RESPIRATORY CARE | 2 |
| RSPT 55A | MEDIATED STUDIES IN RESPIRATORY THERAPY I | 0.5 |
| Units | 19.5 | |
| Winter Quarter | ||
| AHS 50B | INTERPROFESSIONAL PATIENT COMPETENCIES | 0.5 |
| RSPT 50B | INTRODUCTION TO PATIENT CARE PROCEDURES | 5 |
| RSPT 51C | PATIENT ASSESSMENT & PULMONARY DISEASE | 4 |
| RSPT 53A | INTRODUCTION TO RESPIRATORY THERAPY PHARMACOLOGY | 2 |
| RSPT 55B | MEDIATED STUDIES IN RESPIRATORY THERAPY II | 0.5 |
| RSPT 56 | ORIENTATION TO HOSPITAL & PATIENT CARE I | 1 |
| Units | 13 | |
| Spring Quarter | ||
| PSYC 1 or PSYC 1H |
GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY or HONORS GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY |
5 |
| RSPT 50C | THERAPEUTICS & INTRODUCTION TO MECHANICAL VENTILATION | 4 |
| RSPT 51B | RESPIRATORY PHYSIOLOGY | 3 |
| RSPT 55C | MEDIATED STUDIES IN RESPIRATORY THERAPY III | 0.5 |
| RSPT 57 | ORIENTATION TO HOSPITAL & PATIENT CARE II | 2 |
| Units | 14.5 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Summer Session | ||
| 6 Weeks | ||
| RSPT 55D | MEDIATED STUDIES IN RESPIRATORY THERAPY IV | 0.5 |
| RSPT 61A | ADULT MECHANICAL VENTILATION | 4 |
| RSPT 70A | CLINICAL ROTATION I | 2 |
| Units | 6.5 | |
| Fall Quarter | ||
| AHS 60A | CARDIOLOGY FOR ALLIED HEALTH | 2 |
| RSPT 53B | ADVANCED RESPIRATORY THERAPY PHARMACOLOGY | 2 |
| RSPT 55E | MEDIATED STUDIES IN RESPIRATORY THERAPY V | 0.5 |
| RSPT 61B | NEONATAL RESPIRATORY CARE | 3 |
| RSPT 70B | CLINICAL ROTATION II | 8 |
| Units | 15.5 | |
| Winter Quarter | ||
| AHS 60C | ADVANCED CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT | 2 |
| RSPT 55F | MEDIATED STUDIES IN RESPIRATORY THERAPY VI | 0.5 |
| RSPT 61C | HOME & REHABILITATIVE RESPIRATORY CARE | 2 |
| RSPT 63A | ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY & PATIENT MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| RSPT 65 | COMPUTER PATIENT SIMULATIONS | 0.5 |
| RSPT 70C | CLINICAL ROTATION III | 8 |
| Units | 16 | |
| Spring Quarter | ||
| AHS 50C | INTERPROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES FOR COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE | 0.5 |
| RSPT 55G | MEDIATED STUDIES IN RESPIRATORY THERAPY VII | 0.5 |
| RSPT 60C | PULMONARY DIAGNOSTICS | 3 |
| RSPT 61D | PEDIATRIC RESPIRATORY CARE | 2 |
| RSPT 62 | MANAGEMENT, RESUME & NATIONAL BOARD EXAMINATION | 1 |
| RSPT 70D | CLINICAL ROTATION IV | 8 |
| Units | 15 | |
| Total Units | 100 | |
Certificate Requirements
Certificate of Achievement in Interventional Pulmonology Assistant
- Units: 12
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| RSPT 85 | INTERVENTIONAL PULMONOLOGY THEORY & APPLICATION | 5 |
| RSPT 86 | INTERVENTIONAL PULMONOLOGY PROCEDURES | 5 |
| RSPT 87 | INTERVENTIONAL PULMONOLOGY CLINICAL PRACTICUM | 1 |
| RSPT 88 | INTERVENTIONAL PULMONOLOGY RESEARCH PROJECT | 1 |
| Total Units | 12 | |