Online Degrees in Respiratory Therapy - Associate's & Bachelor's
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Thich Nhat Hanh—Buddhist monk and peace activist—wrote in his book The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation: “Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.” In this fast-paced information age, people turn to mindfulness practices to become aware of their breathing and cultivate a sense of calm in their busy lives.
Respiratory therapists provide breathing solutions to those suffering from respiratory conditions. While many people are fortunate to bring awareness to the quality of their breath and others go through their day without giving the act of breathing much thought, for some, breathing can be a daily struggle. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), in 2021, approximately 27 million Americans in the United States had asthma.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this represents one in 13 Americans living with this condition, or 8 percent of all adults and 6.5 percent of all children. As air pollution levels in the world’s most populated cities continue to rise, this number may continue to increase. Chronic respiratory diseases caused by pollution, smoke, allergens, and occupational risks require more people to depend on medical professionals to help them manage or improve their breathing.
The Covid-19 pandemic has underscored the need for more respiratory therapists. J. Brady Scott, a respiratory therapist and associate professor in the Department of Cardiopulmonary Sciences at Rush University, wrote in April 2020 in the U.S. News & World Report that the 130,000 respiratory therapists in the US are short-staffed and overworked. To lessen the burden of front-line workers, J. Brady Scott calls for more respiratory therapists to serve in clinical care and instructional roles “to train physicians without pulmonary or critical care backgrounds, as well as nurse practitioners, physician assistants and others who could help fill the workforce gap and support the sickest patients with Covid-19.”
Fortunately, the demand for respiratory therapists is matched by occupational trends. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023) predicted that openings in respiratory therapy will grow 13 percent nationally, which is much faster than the U.S. average for all fields (3 percent). This equates to 16,700 new RT positions in the coming decade.
Students aspiring to work in respiratory therapy can choose from on-campus or online respiratory therapy associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree programs. By pursuing a two or four-year degree, graduates from these programs can look forward to gratifying career opportunities in helping people breathe more easily and improving their quality of life in the coming decade.
Read on to learn more about becoming a respiratory therapist through online respiratory therapy associate degree and bachelor’s degree programs.
Admissions Requirements for Respiratory Therapy Programs & Accreditation
Keeping in mind that each school has unique admissions requirements, here are some documents and certifications commonly requested by respiratory therapy degree programs:
- Application
- 2.5 GPA
- College-level prerequisite coursework including anatomy and physiology
- Transcripts of all previous educational institutions
Admissions requirements specifically for bachelor’s degree programs commonly include:
- Letter of reference from current employer
- Proof of current registered respiratory therapist (RRT) credential through the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC)
- Proof of certification for Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Basic Life Support (BLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)
- Associate’s degree from an accredited Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) educational program
The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) is the leading accrediting agency for respiratory therapy associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degree programs. With a mission to ensure high-quality educational programs for the field of respiratory therapy, students, employers, and educational institutions can trust the quality of instruction at CoARC-accredited institutions. CoARC accreditation is limited to programs in the United States.
Online Respiratory Therapy Programs
Below are six online respiratory therapy programs: two associate’s degrees and four bachelor’s degrees.
Online Respiratory Therapy Associate Degrees
The University of Saint Francis offers a hybrid associate of applied science entry to practice respiratory therapy program combining the power of practical learning experiences with the convenience of online classes. Through a mix of on-site labs, clinical rotations, and asynchronous online courses, students will receive training from expert faculty members who are active healthcare practitioners.
Preparing graduates with demonstrated competence in the psychomotor, affective, and cognitive learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists, this program helps students gain a foundation in anatomy or physiology, medical terminology, and cardiopulmonary diseases and hone their technical and patient care skills.
Made up of 75 credits, the program includes courses such as cardiopulmonary physiology; pharmacology for respiratory care; introduction to resp care & procedures; cardiopulmonary diagnostics; pediatric & neonatal respiratory care; and respiratory management in critical care.
- Location: Fort Wayne and Crown Point, IN
- Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 months
Southeast Community College offers a part-time online associate’s degree in respiratory care. Students can apply their classroom knowledge during practical clinical learning opportunities throughout the local region, featuring a comprehensive curriculum in patient assessment, treatment, disease management, diagnostic evaluation, and patient care.
Students who complete this program have the option of taking the NBRC credentialing exam to become RRTs or transferring their educational requirements for admission to a bachelor’s degree program in respiratory therapy. Enrollment begins fall and spring semesters and most graduates from this program secure job opportunities upon completion.
This 70.5-credit program includes courses such as respiratory anatomy & physiology; respiratory care principles; respiratory care procedures; respiratory pharmacology and pathology; chronic cardiopulmonary management; and cardiovascular principles.
- Location: Lincoln, NE
- Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
Online Respiratory Therapy Bachelor’s Degrees
Mizzou Online, the University of Missouri’s online degree program, offers a fully online bachelor of health science (BHS) in clinical and diagnostic sciences, emphasizing respiratory therapy. This is an ideal degree program for those who currently hold RRT certification and want to complete a bachelor’s degree program while working full-time in their current respiratory therapist positions.
The program requires no campus visits and can be completed entirely online. At least 30 of the last 36 credits in this 120-credit program must come from MU courses completed just prior to graduation and 25 to 26 of these credits make up the core curriculum for the respiratory therapy bachelor’s degree advancement.
The curriculum includes courses such as emergency and disaster management in healthcare; introduction to the research process and evidence base; pulmonary rehabilitation; pediatric respiratory care; advanced mechanical ventilation theory; current issues in respiratory care; and neonatal and pediatric critical care.
- Location: Columbia, MO
- Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 24 months
Nebraska Methodist College offers a fully online bachelor of science (BS) in respiratory therapy (BSRT) degree through a degree advancement program.
There are no clinical hours required in this program, and students can choose from two advanced practice tracks: education and research or healthcare management and leadership. The curriculum of this program focuses on the holistic elements of the respiratory care profession, supports the changing role of the respiratory therapist, and provides instruction in health promotion, health education, leadership, and healthcare policy.
- Location: Omaha, NE
- Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 24 months
University of North Carolina – Charlotte (UNC)
The goal of UNC Charlotte’s fully online BSRT program is to advance the knowledge and professional skills of RRTs with associate’s degrees and prepare them for more expansive careers in respiratory therapy. The program builds upon content taught in most two-year respiratory therapy programs. Areas of emphasis include improved written and oral communication, evaluating clinical evidence, and software and web-based communication methods used in clinical administration.
Students in this program are expected to demonstrate knowledge of critical care pathophysiology and develop a research proposal related to clinical practice. This school features a “2+2 program” that admits students to the university awarded a two-year associate’s degree and who want to complete the last two years of the bachelor’s degree program at UNC.
This 30-credit program includes courses such as leadership and professionalism in respiratory therapy; cardiopulmonary pharmacotherapy; critical care monitoring and mechanical ventilation; evidence-based practice in respiratory care; critical care pathophysiological concepts for respiratory therapy; introduction to research models in respiratory care; and information technology in respiratory care.
- Location: Charlotte, NC
- Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC); Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
The University of Cincinnati offers a 50-credit online bachelor of science in respiratory therapy, focusing on empowering medical professionals to advance their careers and become leaders in the field.
UC requires that applicants apply to the program with an associate’s degree from a CoARC-accredited institution that also holds regional accreditation. Students must be credentialed as RRTs before being eligible to enroll in the advanced courses of the program. To make transferring credits easier, UC has articulation agreements with many community colleges around the United States. Current RRTs can also earn bachelor’s degrees online through this program in less than two years.
Graduates of this program will be equipped with the skills and knowledge required for taking on leadership roles in respiratory care, from assisting patients with lung conditions to educating family members of patients about how to offer care.
The curriculum includes courses such as ethics of respiratory therapy; integration of delivery of respiratory therapy; caregiving in the respiratory therapy professions; management in respiratory therapy; aging and respiratory therapy; disease management; introduction to respiratory therapy research; and advanced respiratory therapy.
- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
Kent State University at Ashtabula’s online bachelor of science program in respiratory care is for both students who have already completed an associate degree as well as working respiratory therapists wanting to expand their career options. This accredited degree completion program is offered in an accelerated format featuring seven-week courses and can be completed entirely online.
The curriculum includes courses such as leadership and management in respiratory care; educational instruction in respiratory care; advanced practice in respiratory care; professional practice in respiratory care; contemporary issues and trends in respiratory care; chronic disease management principles; and information and patient care technology for healthcare professionals.
Applicants to this program must hold active credentials for certified CRT or RRT and an entry-level degree from an accredited respiratory therapy or care program with a minimum GPA of 2.0.
- Location: Kent, OH
- Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Four semesters
Respiratory Therapist Job Responsibilities
Specializing in diagnosing and analyzing breathing conditions and techniques, respiratory therapists help people manage their breathing ailments. Through regular care with a respiratory therapist in a clinic, hospital, or even a home-based setting, patients suffering from chronic breathing problems can learn techniques and utilize technology to cope with, recover from, and find comfort with their breathing afflictions.
Students in online respiratory therapy associate degree and bachelor’s degree programs learn and practice these skills through didactic and practical courses taught by knowledgeable respiratory therapy professors with rich backgrounds in research and professional experience.
