Respiratory Care

KU offers a bachelor's degree in respiratory care with the option to specialize in pulmonary rehabilitation, neonatology, adult critical care, management, education, sleep disorders, cardiopulmonary diagnostics, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Most students enter this program after completion of their sophmore year of undergraduate study or after finishing two years of community college course work.

With an advanced curriculum and located at an academic medical center, students receive extensive experience in advanced respiratory therapy techniques. The program includes a semester-long clinical assignment during the senior year in the student's area of specialization.

• Current KU students in biology and pre-pharmacy and other majors have a great opportunity to enter respiratory care due to existing undergraduate prerequisites overlapping admission requirements for the program.

• At KU Medical Center, students learn from a broad range of health care problems in an urban setting. The dynamic approach to health care will build a solid foundation for students to be well prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation. Students also have the opportunity to perform clinic rotations with affiliate hospitals in the Kansas City Metro Area to enrich their skills and understanding of respiratory care.

• The highly regarded KU faculty possess diverse backgrounds of experience in academia, clinics, hospitals, and management and are dedicated to providing necessary knowledge and skills for students to succeed in today’s health care landscape.

This program requires two years of course work in respiratory care at KU Medical Center. Two years of undergraduate course work – including at least 43 credit hours of specific prerequisites – is required prior to entry into this program. Most KU Core requirements must be met by the prerequisites.

Students in the respiratory care degree program complete 60 hours of course credits in a prescribed sequence covering five academic semesters. Students are responsible for completing additional electives to fulfill the university's requirement of 120 total credit hours for a bachelor's degree from KU.

An integral part of the curriculum, students begin clinical rotations at one of the clinical affiliate sites starting in their sixth week of the program. Clinical rotations provide exposure to patient care and experience in performing respiratory care procedures.

To be considered for admission into this program, the following are required:

1. Prerequisite Courses
   Prior to entering the program students must complete two (2) years of undergraduate college course work including all prerequisite courses. 
   Transfer students Note: To be transferable, prerequisite course work must be from an educational institution that is regionally accredited. This is not the same as national accreditation. More information.

2. Grade Point Average
   An overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) for college course work is required to be eligible to apply. In addition, student transcripts must document an individual course grade of no less than "C" on each prerequisite course.

3. Observation Experience
   Students will "shadow" a respiratory therapist in a professional health care environment to get an idea of what the profession is like. 
   Ask for permission and then make arrangements to spend at least two hours with this professional during clinical duties. This requirement may be fulfilled after applying to the program, but must the form must be received before a decision will be made to accept the student. Lawrence Memorial Hospital is a great option for students in Lawrence.

4. English Language Proficiency
   All students are expected to have a strong command of the English language to ensure a successful experience experience in the program and also as concern for patient safety. Students must meet the communication component of the technical standards in order to effectively communicate critical information to other health professionals and to the patient.

   Students whose native language is not English must demonstrate language proficiency with the Internet-based TOEFL (minimum 23 each on reading, listening, and writing, and 26 on speaking) or IELTS (minimum 7.5 overall band score with no part score lower than 7.0 and a speaking score of 8.0).

5. International Students: 
   An applicant is considered an international student if he or she requires a visa, or currently resides in the U.S. with non-immigrant status, or currently resides in the U.S. while applying for permanent residency. Additional requirements and documentation are required for international students to become eligible for KU programs. 

6. Technical Standards
   All individuals admitted to the program will be asked to verify that they can meet the technical standards with or without accommodation(s). Applicants who disclose a disability are considered for admission if they are otherwise qualified.

7. Background Check
   The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) requires all incoming students to pay for a background check. This one-time fee must be paid directly to the company performing the background investigation. You will be asked to provide information and make the payment once you have been officially accepted into the program. 

KU offers a few partial scholarships for qualified, new international freshmen and transfer students admitted for fall semester. To be considered for a scholarship, you must complete an online fall semester application by Jan. 15.

The Office of International Recruitment and Undergraduate Admissions (IRUA) screens candidates for a limited number of admissions scholarships. Awards are only offered to degree-seeking undergraduates whose first KU semester is the fall semester. KU does not offer international student scholarships based on financial need. International undergraduate scholarships do not cover all expenses. Prior to issuance of the SEVIS document, students requesting F-1 or J-1 status must submit proof of financial support for the first year of study.