Respiratory Care

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Respiratory Care degree provides education in patient services in the cardiovascular and pulmonary fields. Students will learn how to assess, provide treatment, and perform diagnostic procedures. The program focuses on principles for respiratory therapists to utilize advanced technology in life support systems, administer medications, and perform many techniques to assist patients in the healing process. Curriculum includes experiences in the hospital critical care, trauma, emergency departments, and operating rooms, patient's home, physicians' offices, and out-patient clinics in preparation for employment.

Successful completion of the AAS degree in Respiratory Care enables the program graduates to take the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination and Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE). Passing both of these exams is required to earn the RRT credential and make the graduate eligible to obtain their license to practice professionally.

This program is designed to meet education requirements for licensure or certification in the State of Arizona. Granting licensure and certification is the sole responsibility of the state board or approval agency. This program is only offered and available to students located in the State of Arizona. The Maricopa County Community College District and colleges define student location within Administrative Regulation 2.2.3(7).

Details

Field of Interest

Health Sciences

Degree Type

Associate in Applied Science (AAS)

Academic Plan

Respiratory Care (DEG)

Academic Plan Code

3284

Total credits required

80.5-96

Catalog Year

2024-2025

Effective Term

Fall 2023

Admission criteria

1. Formal application and admission to the program.
2. Background check requirements: Admission to an Allied Health program requires that students be in compliance with the Maricopa County Community College District Background Check Standards. Upon conditional program enrollment, the student must comply with all requirements of the MCCCD Background Check Policy.
3. Clinical health and safety requirements must be met prior to enrollment in any program of study course. Upon conditional program enrollment, the student must comply with all requirements of the MCCCD Clinical Health and Safety Policy and drug testing protocols.
4. Inability to comply with background check requirements and/or clinical health and safety requirements at the start of classes or during the program may result in cancellation of enrollment.
5. There are limited spaces available in the Respiratory Care program. Only students who have completed all of the general education and introductory courses noted above may have their name added to the queue of those waiting for an available space in a cohort.

Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Where selected as part of program completion, the following general education and introductory courses must be completed with a 3.0 GPA to be added to the queue of those waiting for an available cohort space to begin the core curriculum: BIO160, BIO201, BIO202, CHM130, CHM130LL, CRE101, ENG101, ENG107, HCC/RES109, and MAT15+, or any approved general education, algebra-based Mathematics course for which MAT15+ is a prerequisite.

What You'll Learn

Prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRTs).
Demonstrate assessment and evaluation of the patient in keeping with the application of appropriate care that aligns with established hospital regulations and standards.
Utilize technology in the management of patients.
Demonstrate the ethical and professional standards expected of respiratory care professionals.
Communicate information regarding clinical status to appropriate members of the health care team.

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

$125,370 Show expanded career information for Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

Respiratory Therapists

$64,440 Show expanded career information for Respiratory Therapists

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Full-time
Part-time

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
ENG101 or ENG107	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in ENG091 or ESL097or WAC101) or (B or better in ALT100) or (ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in ENG091 or ESL097or WAC101) or (B or better in ALT100) or (ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+).	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
MAT150 or MAT151 or MAT152 or MAT155 or MAT156	College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions with Review or College Algebra/Functions with Review	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MAT095, or MAT096, or MAT114, or MAT115, or MAT12+, OR an appropriate district placement for MAT15+, OR permission of Department or Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MAT095, or MAT096, or MAT114, or MAT115, or MAT12+, OR an appropriate district placement for MAT15+, OR permission of Department or Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MAT095, or MAT096, or MAT114, or MAT115, or MAT12+, OR an appropriate district placement for MAT15+, OR permission of Department or Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (MAT055, MAT056, and MAT057), or MAT09+, or MAT114, or MAT115, or an appropriate district placement for MAT120 or MAT121 or MAT122, or permission of Department/Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in each of the following: (MAT055, MAT056, and MAT057), OR MAT09+ or MAT114 or MAT115, OR an appropriate district placement for MAT120 or MAT121 or MAT122, OR permission of Department or Division Chair.	OR Any approved general education, algebra-based course in the Mathematics area for which MAT15+ is a prerequisite	MA or MA or MA or MA or MA	3–6
HCC/RES109	CPR for Health Care Provider		Gateway course OR American Heart Association Health Care Provider CPR certification		0–0.5
BIO160 or BIO201	Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology or Human Anatomy and Physiology I	No requisites or Prerequisites: C or better in (BIO156, or BIO156XT, or BIO181, or BIO181XT, or 1 yr of high school biology) and (RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101). CHM130 or higher or one year of high school chemistry suggested but not required.		SQ or SG	4

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
BIO202	Human Anatomy and Physiology II	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in BIO201 or BIO201XT.	The student must take BIO202 with BIO201 to complete Biology prerequisite requirement.	SG	0–4
CHM130	Fundamental Chemistry	Prerequisites: C/better in [(CHM100 or hgh schl algebra or MAT140/hghr or EdReady Quant&Stat 70/hghr or Coll Alg 80/hghr) and (RDG100 or RDG100LL or hghr or eligibility for CRE101 as indicated by appropriate reading placemnt)] or permission of the dept.	Critical course	SQ in combo w/ CHM130LL	3
CHM130LL	Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory	Prerequisites or Corequisites: CHM130.	Critical course	SQ in combo w/ CHM130	1
CRE101	College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (ENG101 or ENG107) and (RDG095, or RDG100, or RDG100LL, or RDG111, or RDG112, or RDG113, or an appropriate district placement, or permission of Instructor).	OR equivalent as indicated by assessment.	L	0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
ENG102 or ENG108	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENG101. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG107.		FYC or FYC	3
RES130	Respiratory Care Fundamentals I	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.	Gateway course		4.5
RES131	Infection Control for Respiratory Care	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or admission into the Polysomnographic Technology program.			1
RES133	Respiratory Care Clinical Seminar	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.			2
RES134	Respiratory Care Pharmacology I	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or permission of the Program Director.			2
RES136	Applied Biophysics for Respiratory Care	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.	Critical course		3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Credits
RES140	Respiratory Care Fundamentals II	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.	Gateway course	5
RES142	Respiratory Care Clinical I	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.		4
RES144	Introduction to Mechanical Ventilation	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.		1
RES224	Pathophysiology for Respiratory Care	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.		2
RES240	Respiratory Physiology	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.	Critical course	3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Notes	Area	Credits
PSY101	Introduction to Psychology		SB	3
COM100 or COM110 or COM230	Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Small Group Communication	Students may not take COM225.	SB or SB or SB	3
HU	Humanities, Fine Arts & Design	Students wishing to earn an AGEC-A must have 6 credits in HU courses with the appropriate designations.Recommend a single course with the [HU] general studies designation meeting the Awareness Area [C], [G], and/or [H]. See the AGEC Matrix for course designations.	HU	3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Credits
RES118	Vascular Access for Clinical Practice	Corequisites: RES130 or permission of the Program Director.		1
RES220	Respiratory Care Fundamentals III	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.	Critical course Gateway course	4.5
RES226	Respiratory Care Clinical II	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.		4
RES235	Respiratory Care Pharmacology II	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or permission of the Program Director.		2
RES270	Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or permission of the Program Director.		2

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
HES100	Healthful Living		Recommended for students seeking university transfer.	SB	0–3
RES230	Respiratory Care Fundamentals IV	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.			4.5
RES232	Respiratory Care Clinical III	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.			4
RES280	Respiratory Care Review	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or permission of the Program Director.			2
RES291	Respiratory Care Advanced Life Support	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or permission of the Program Director.			1
RES292	Respiratory Care Pediatric Advanced Life Support	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or permission of the Program Director.			1

Part-time Sequence

This option may include variable full-time (12 to 18 credits per semester) and/or part-time (11 credit hours or less per semester) status by term due to course prerequisites and scheduling

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
ENG101 or ENG107	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in ENG091 or ESL097or WAC101) or (B or better in ALT100) or (ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in ENG091 or ESL097or WAC101) or (B or better in ALT100) or (ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+).	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
HU	Humanities, Fine Arts & Design		Students wishing to earn an AGEC-A must have 6 credits in HU courses with the appropriate designations. Recommend a single course with the [HU] general studies designation meeting the Awareness Area [C], [G], and/or [H]. See the AGEC Matrix for course designations.	HU	3
FYE101 or FYE103	Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success				1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MAT150 or MAT151 or MAT152 or MAT155 or MAT156	College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions with Review or College Algebra/Functions with Review	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MAT095, or MAT096, or MAT114, or MAT115, or MAT12+, OR an appropriate district placement for MAT15+, OR permission of Department or Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MAT095, or MAT096, or MAT114, or MAT115, or MAT12+, OR an appropriate district placement for MAT15+, OR permission of Department or Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MAT095, or MAT096, or MAT114, or MAT115, or MAT12+, OR an appropriate district placement for MAT15+, OR permission of Department or Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (MAT055, MAT056, and MAT057), or MAT09+, or MAT114, or MAT115, or an appropriate district placement for MAT120 or MAT121 or MAT122, or permission of Department/Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in each of the following: (MAT055, MAT056, and MAT057), OR MAT09+ or MAT114 or MAT115, OR an appropriate district placement for MAT120 or MAT121 or MAT122, OR permission of Department or Division Chair.	OR Any approved general education, algebra-based course in the Mathematics area for which MAT15+ is a prerequisite	MA or MA or MA or MA or MA	3–6
CRE101	College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (ENG101 or ENG107) and (RDG095, or RDG100, or RDG100LL, or RDG111, or RDG112, or RDG113, or an appropriate district placement, or permission of Instructor).	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment.	L	0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
HCC/RES109	CPR for Health Care Provider		Gateway course OR American Heart Association Health Care Provider CPR certification		0–0.5
BIO160 or BIO201	Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology or Human Anatomy and Physiology I	No requisites or Prerequisites: C or better in (BIO156, or BIO156XT, or BIO181, or BIO181XT, or 1 yr of high school biology) and (RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101). CHM130 or higher or one year of high school chemistry suggested but not required.		SQ or SG	4
ENG102 or ENG108	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENG101. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG107.		FYC or FYC	3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
BIO202	Human Anatomy and Physiology II	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in BIO201 or BIO201XT.	The student must take BIO202 with BIO201 to complete Biology prerequisite requirement.	SG	0–4
CHM130	Fundamental Chemistry	Prerequisites: C/better in [(CHM100 or hgh schl algebra or MAT140/hghr or EdReady Quant&Stat 70/hghr or Coll Alg 80/hghr) and (RDG100 or RDG100LL or hghr or eligibility for CRE101 as indicated by appropriate reading placemnt)] or permission of the dept.	Critical course	SQ in combo w/ CHM130LL	3
CHM130LL	Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory	Prerequisites or Corequisites: CHM130.	Critical course	SQ in combo w/ CHM130	1

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Credits
RES118	Vascular Access for Clinical Practice	Corequisites: RES130 or permission of the Program Director.		1
RES130	Respiratory Care Fundamentals I	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.	Gateway course	4.5
RES131	Infection Control for Respiratory Care	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or admission into the Polysomnographic Technology program.		1
RES133	Respiratory Care Clinical Seminar	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.		2
RES134	Respiratory Care Pharmacology I	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or permission of the Program Director.		2
RES136	Applied Biophysics for Respiratory Care	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.	Critical course	3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Credits
RES140	Respiratory Care Fundamentals II	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.	Gateway course	5
RES142	Respiratory Care Clinical I	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.		4
RES144	Introduction to Mechanical Ventilation	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.		1
RES224	Pathophysiology for Respiratory Care	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.		2
RES240	Respiratory Physiology	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.	Critical course	3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
PSY101	Introduction to Psychology			SB	3
COM100 or COM110 or COM230	Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Small Group Communication		Students may not take COM225.	SB or SB or SB	3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Credits
RES220	Respiratory Care Fundamentals III	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.	Critical course Gateway course	4.5
RES226	Respiratory Care Clinical II	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.		4
RES235	Respiratory Care Pharmacology II	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or permission of the Program Director.		2
RES270	Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or permission of the Program Director.		2

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
RES230	Respiratory Care Fundamentals IV	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.			4.5
RES232	Respiratory Care Clinical III	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program.			4
RES280	Respiratory Care Review	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or permission of the Program Director.			2
RES291	Respiratory Care Advanced Life Support	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or permission of the Program Director.			1
RES292	Respiratory Care Pediatric Advanced Life Support	Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Care program or permission of the Program Director.			1
HES100	Healthful Living		Recommended for students seeking university transfer.	SB	0–3

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

FYC = First Year Composition
HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
MA = Mathematics

SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
SG = Natural Sciences General
SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=183952).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Respiratory Care

Respiratory Care

Details

Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

$125,370 Show expanded career information for Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

Average Salary

Entry Level Salary

Mid Level Salary

Typical Education Level

Projected Job Openings

Respiratory Therapists

$64,440 Show expanded career information for Respiratory Therapists

Average Salary

Entry Level Salary

Mid Level Salary

Expert Level Salary

Average Hourly Wage

Entry Level Hourly Wage

Mid Level Hourly Wage

Expert Level Hourly Wage

Typical Education Level

Projected Job Openings

Full-time Sequence

Term 1

Term 2

Term 3

Term 4

Term 5

Term 6

Term 7

Part-time Sequence

Term 1

Term 2

Term 3

Term 4

Term 5

Term 6

Term 7

Term 8

Term 9