Program Overview

Whether you're an interested student or a healthcare professional looking to take that next step, it's never been easier to complete your career training in Respiratory Care. Here's how to get started with Seattle Central College:

Eligibility Requirements

• Complete a Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) and submit results for approval.
• Complete the Prerequisite Courses with a 2.0 GPA or higher. Classes include:
  • BIOL& 160 General Biology
  • BIOL& 241 Human Anatomy and Physiology I (must be within the past 5 years)
  • BIOL& 242 Human Anatomy and Physiology II (must be within the past 5 years)
  • BIOL& 260 Microbiology
  • CHEM& 121 Introduction to Chemistry
  • CHEM& 122/131 Organic Chemistry
  • MATH& 146 Introduction to Statistics
  • ENGL& 101 English Composition I
  • ENGL& 102 Composition II
  • PSYC& 100 General Psychology OR PSYC &200 Lifespan Psychology
  • HUM 105 Intercultural Communication
  • Additional 5 credit Visual, Literacy and Performing Arts (VLPA) class
  • AHE 168 Medical Terminology (recommended)

Please note that BIOL& 241 and BIOL& 242 must be taken within 5 years of applying to the program. There are no time limits on the other prerequisite classes.

Steps to Apply

1. Attend a Respiratory Care Information Session (required).
2. Complete the 5-Step Enrollment Process for Seattle Central College, which includes placement testing and transcript evaluations to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements.
3. Meet with an Advisor to create an education plan.
4. Apply to the Respiratory Care program.

Additional Useful Information 

• Prerequisite Worksheet — Respiratory Care BAS
• What is Respiratory Therapy

Sign up for a tour or information session.

Due in part to a growing middle-aged and elderly population, the demand for respiratory therapists is expected to increase by 12% by 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Earning a bachelor's degree will help you be more competitive for jobs as a Respiratory Therapist and qualify you to work in a variety of healthcare settings, including:

• Hospitals
• Physicians' offices
• Extended care facilities
• In-home care providers
• Rehabilitation
• Emergency services

My teachers showed me the kind of person I wanted to be when I went into the workforce.

If you are interested in a career as a Physician Assistant (PA), the pre-Physician Assistant option of the Respiratory Care program can help you meet the academic admissions requirements for the Physician Assistant master's degree at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine's MEDEX Northwest program.

The Seattle Central College Respiratory Care Track for the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Allied Health program, CoARC Program #200344 in Seattle, Washington is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (coarc.com). 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. View CoARC programmatic outcomes data.

Please contact the Respiratory Care Program with any questions at jennifer.clark@seattlecolleges.edu

This program meets the educational requirements for preparing students to take the national certification exams administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (nbrc.org). Students who complete the program and achieve the appropriate credentials can apply for licensure anywhere in the United States where a license is required. A list of contacts for license by state is available at aarc.org/advocacy/state-society-resources/state-licensure-contacts.