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Eligibility and Requirements

Admission Requirements

  • professional certification as a registered respiratory therapist (RRT) from the National Board for Respiratory Care
  • prior coursework of all the prerequisite courses (see below)
  • associate's degree (or equivalent) from a regionally accredited, CoARC-approved advanced respiratory therapist program
  • grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) for college coursework
  • an individual course grade of no less than "C" on each prerequisite course in math, chemistry, physics and biological sciences

Prerequisite Courses

  • Human Anatomy (lab recommended)
  • Human Physiology (lab recommended)
  • Microbiology (lab recommended)
  • Algebra
  • English Composition I and II
  • Oral Communication
  • Humanities (2 courses)
  • Psychology
  • Sociology

If you have completed a single combined anatomy and physiology course you'll need to complete either a second, higher-level A&P course, or take a course in physiology only.

Note: To be transferable, all prerequisite and respiratory care coursework must be from an educational institution that is regionally accredited. This is not the same as national accreditation. Please read about the differences in accreditation.

Technology Requirements

Review the computer requirements. Coursework requires a reliable computer and home broadband internet access is recommended.

English Language Proficiency

All students in the respiratory care program are required to have strong command of the English language. Students must meet the communication component of the technical standards in order to effectively communicate critical information to other health professionals and to the patient.

Advising and Questions

Our School Certifying Official is John Hanysz, coordinator in the Registrar's Office. Contact John at kumcregistrar@kumc.edu.

For questions about this program and whether it's right for you, contact Cheryl Skinner, M.Sc., RRT, CPFT, at cskinner@kumc.edu. Cheryl is the coordinator for KU's online respiratory therapy programs.  

KU School of Health Professions

University of Kansas Medical Center
Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Science
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Mailstop 1013
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-4630 • 711 TTY