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- Students spend the first two years of a bachelor's degree taking general education classes to prepare for respiratory therapy courses. Science classes make up a large percentage of general education courses, since most institutions require students to take chemistry, microbiology, human anatomy and physiology. Other general education classes may include English, speech, college algebra and a mixture of humanities and social science electives.
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Although it is a requirement to complete all prerequisites prior to the start of the respiratory therapy program, many schools require completion of at least half before students can apply for admission. The University of Texas is one program that requires sophomore standing with at least 30 credit hours of prerequisites completed before students can submit an application to the respiratory therapy bachelor program.
Additional admission requirements include a minimum grade point average, completion of the admission application and a personal interview with faculty from the program. Even when your application is approved, you may be granted only conditional admission. The respiratory therapy program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham grants conditional admission to students until they provide immunization records and undergo a physical exam. - Once admitted to a bachelor program in respiratory therapy, students can begin taking courses that apply to their chosen career field. These courses comprise classroom lectures, labs and clinicals, which give students the opportunity to practice their skills and apply their knowledge with real patients under the watchful eyes of their clinical supervisors.
- The cost of a bachelor program in respiratory therapy may differ greatly from one institution to another. The University of Texas estimates students spend approximately $20,000 during the two years they complete just the core classes and clinicals for the respiratory program, not including room or board. To help offset the cost of a bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy, students can research what financial aid is available to them.
- Bachelor programs in respiratory therapy generally take four years to complete, since they require approximately 120 credit hours for a degree. However, students may take longer to get their degree if they aren't accepted into the respiratory therapy program on their first try.
- While it is possible to get an associate's degree in respiratory therapy and begin working as a respiratory therapist, career advancement opportunities are more available to respiratory therapists with a bachelor's degree. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, supervisory and managerial positions are more likely to go to applicants with a bachelor's degree, and these individuals also have more opportunities to choose. They may work in a specialty such as cardiology or pediatrics.
