South Texas College has received approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and falls under the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Accreditation Guidelines. The program is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Respiratory Care (CoARC) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs (CAAHEP).  Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for Respiratory Therapy administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) to acquire eligibility for licensure.  Licensure is issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services.  Most employers will require that the graduate be certified in CPR.

This two-year program will prepare the student’s knowledge, skills, and ethical attitude that will culminate in successful employment of the graduate as a licensed respiratory therapist. In turn, the graduate offers or provides optimal patient care to the community.

Program Admission Requirements

Selection Criteria

The Respiratory Therapy program selection criteria are based upon a point system score comprised of degree plan course G.P.A., number of degree plan courses, and required test scores.  Due to program size limitations, a number of applicants who meet the program admissions requirements may not be admitted to the program.  Qualified applicants are ranked from highest to lowest points based on grades earned in pre-requisite courses and overall G.P.A.

Program Application

A new applicant pool is established for each fall admission period.  All students interested in the program who are not granted admission (qualified and non-qualified) must reapply each year if they wish to be considered for enrollment.

Application deadline is the third Friday in May.  Applications are available from Respiratory Therapy faculty and may be downloaded here.  Application will be discussed and completed during advisement.  If you have questions, please call for an appointment at (956) 872-3102

Graduation Criteria

To earn an Associate of Applied Science in the Respiratory Therapy Program, a student must meet college graduation requirements and complete all coursework as prescribed in the degree plan with a minimum grade of 75 in didactic courses and minimum grade of “C” in the clinical/practicum courses.