ADMISSIONS CRITERIA
The Priority Deadline for Respiratory Therapy is March 1st. All application steps listed below must be completed prior to March 1st to be considered in the initial applicant pool. After the priority deadline, the program will move to rolling admissions until incoming cohort slots are filled.
- Follow the Steps to Apply and Enroll.
- Meet the Testing requirements and complete all required transition/support courses.
- Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0 on the most recent academic transcript for the last 10 hours of college credit. If you do not have college credits, your cumulative grade point average will be taken from your high school transcript.
- As a SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS program, there is only one entry point into the program annually. The TEAS test is required for Respiratory Therapy Applicants. Applicants will be evaluated based on the Health Sciences Admissions Rubric.
- Complete ACA 111 (or equivalent course) with a grade of "C" or better by the end of the summer term prior to entering the program. Applicants who have completed at least 12 credit hours of college-level work at a regionally accredited institution will receive an ACA waiver.
Those individuals who are notified of provisional acceptance to the program must attend a mandatory orientation session and have SCC health forms completed by the appropriate medical personnel indicating the candidate is mentally and physically capable of performing the job duties required by this profession.
Once accepted into the program, students will be required to complete an onboarding process, which will include a criminal background check and drug testing prior to participation in the clinical component. If any clinical facility refuses to allow the student to participate in clinical experiences, for any reason, the student will not be able to progress in the program. Each student completing a health science program may be required, by an external agency, to submit a criminal background check and/or drug test prior to a state or national licensing/ certification board approving the graduate to sit for exams.
Due to the rigorous nature of the curriculum, where possible, students are encouraged to have successfully completed general education courses prior to enrolling in program specific courses: ACA 111, BIO 168, BIO 169, COM 140, ENG 111, ENG 114, MAT 143 and PSY 150 with a "C" or better. See your advisor for acceptable general education substitutes.
REQUIRED TECHNICAL STANDARDS:
- Critical Thinking/Problem Solving: Critical thinking and problem-solving ability sufficient for clinical judgement.
- Interpersonal skills: Ability to interact with individuals, families and groups successfully from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds.
- Communication: Communication skills sufficient for acceptable written, verbal and non-verbal skills to communicate with the individuals, families and groups.
- Mobility & Strength: Physical mobility and strength sufficient to move through the clinical setting, to move patients and equipment, to use one's body for treatment without the use of equipment, and to ensure patient safety during treatment.
- Motor skills: Gross and fine motor abilities/coordination to provide safe and effective treatment.
- Hearing: Auditory acuity sufficient to monitor and treat patients and to monitor safety warning signals on equipment.
- Visual Acuity: Visual acuity sufficient to monitor and treat patients and to monitor safety warning signals on equipment.
- Tactile skills: Tactile skills sufficient to monitor and treat patients and to perform measurements.
- Emotional: Must possess emotional stability sufficient to maintain composure in stressful situations.
CLINICAL EDUCATION:
Clinical education will be provided at cooperating health care facilities and other related settings. Many of these sites may require the student to relocate or travel extensively for this part of the program. All expenses are the student's responsibility.
ACADEMIC STANDARDS:
The program requires that students maintain a high level of academic and clinical performance in accordance with program policies. Failure to meet these standards will prevent normal progression through the program.
Upon completion of the program graduates will be eligible to take the national exams and may apply for a state license to practice.
The Respiratory Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for the Respiratory Care (CoARC). CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, it utilizes an 'outcomes based' process. Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent to which the educational goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented.
CoARC address:
264 Precision Blvd.
Telford, TN 37690
Phone: 817.283.2835
