As the only university in Kansas offering a four-year bachelor's degree in respiratory care, KU can prepare you for employment in a field projected to grow by 23% between 2020 and 2030.
Our bachelor's degree in respiratory care offers you the option to specialize in pulmonary rehabilitation, neonatology, adult critical care, management, education, sleep disorders, cardiopulmonary diagnostics and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. A professional license is required to provide clinical services in this field.
You can enter the respiratory care bachelor's degree program after completing your sophomore year of undergraduate study or after two years of study at a community college. See the prerequisites. If you're a biology or pre-pharmacy major, you have a great opportunity to enter respiratory care because of existing undergraduate prerequisites overlapping admission requirements for the program.
The program is taught by highly regarded KU faculty with experience in academia, clinics, hospitals and management at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Your studies also include a semester-long clinical assignment during senior year in your area of specialization and the opportunity to perform clinic rotations with affiliate hospitals in the Kansas City Metro Area. Upon graduation, you'll be well prepared to enter the workforce having received practical applications in diverse clinical settings.
Accreditation Statement
The University of Kansas respiratory care program at KU Medical Center is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com), program number 200080.
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 the programmatic outcomes data at coarc.com.
Graduates of KU's bachelor's degree program in respiratory care are eligible to take the national registration examination which provides eligibity for licensure in this field in all U.S. states. Licensing for employment in the state of Kansas is provided by the Kansas Board of Healing Arts. The National Board for Respiratory Care provides information on specific state licensure requirements.
Documents relating to accreditation status are available at the department office by request. Information for students.
Advising and Questions
Do you have a question about KU's bachelor's degree in respiratory care? Are you interested in scheduling a tour? Contact Ashley Barry (abarry2@kumc.edu), clinical assistant professor and on-campus program student coordinator, for academic advising or answers to any of your questions.