Nov 24, 2024  
2017-2018 VSCC Catalog 
    
2017-2018 VSCC Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Respiratory Care Technology - A.A.S.


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This program prepares students to become Respiratory Care Therapists at the Advanced Practitioner level. Respiratory Care Therapists are typically employed within the hospital, clinic and home-care setting.  Therapists may also be employed within diagnostic labs with further training.  After fulfilling the college admission requirements, students are required to complete all of the general education courses as outlined prior to beginning the program with a GPA of 2.5 or higher.  Students may additionally complete AHC 115*, BIOL 2020 and RPC 101* as recommended optional courses.  Students are required to submit an application to the Respiratory Care program by the October 1st deadline.  Formal screening for program admission is conducted in November.  Classes begin in the spring and seating is limited. The RPC program is a total of four full-time semesters.  The last semester meets one day a week and requires additional on-line coursework.  Interested students should contact the Health Sciences Division for an information packet.  For more information refer to the Health Sciences Associate of Applied Science Degrees  section in the catalog.

Students must complete the general education courses prior to acceptance into the program.

All students graduating with a degree from VSCC are required to take the Educational Testing Service Proficiency Profile (ETSP). More information can be found at http://www.volstate.edu/Testing/Services.php.

General Education Requirements - Credits (16)


Total Degree Requirements - Credits (72)


Computer Literacy Requirement


See http://www.volstate.edu/ComputerLiteracy/ for Computer Literacy Requirements

Career and Salary Information


The salary for a first year graduate may vary.  Typically, first year RRT graduates average a base pay of approximately $22+ per hour.  With the addition of shift differential, graduates may average more.  The median annual salary for a Respiratory Therapist is approximately $50,000 according to the U.S. Department of Labor at http://www.onetonline.org/.  The percent of projected growth in the job market is faster than average at 11% to 19% for 2012-2022.  Salaries are not guaranteed. 

Career Median Annual Salary in Tennessee Median Annual Salary Nationwide
Respiratory Care Therapist $48,170 $56,730

 

Recommended Schedule


This is a recommended schedule. Learning Support, pre-requisites and other academic factors may impact this schedule.  See your advisor to create a degree plan.

DegreeWorks, along with the correct catalog, should be utilized by students for all of their educational planning.  Students can monitor their progress toward a degree or certificate and view missing requirements with the DegreeWorks audit, which is accessible through My Volstate.

First Year - Fall Semester - Credits (16)


  • Humanities and/or Fine Arts (See General Education Requirements in Catalog) Credits: (3)
  • Natural Sciences (Choose from list above)  Credits: (4)
  • Social/Behavioral Sciences (Any Except GEOG - See General Education Requirements in Catalog - ) Credits: (3)

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