PRE-RESPIRATORY THERAPY

Respiratory therapists treat and care for patients with respiratory or cardiopulmonary disorders. The majority of respiratory therapists are employed in hospitals with a growing number of therapists being employed by physician's offices and clinics. Respiratory therapists are involved in all levels of medical care from general care to critical and intensive care. The need for respiratory therapists is expected to grow at a faster than average rate. Because of this, the job outlook is very good with respiratory therapist technicians (CRT) typically making $39,120 a year on average and advanced respiratory therapists making $47,420 a year on average.*

In addition to the main Ogden campus respiratory therapy program, Weber State University (WSU) offers an outreach program that is designed to provide educational opportunities to students throughout the state of Utah and surrounding states. This includes a program that takes place at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center (UVRMC) in Provo. Academic classes are taught at UVRMC and clinical sites are located in Utah and Wasatch Counties.

*Information taken from U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook.

PREREQUISITE COURSES

In order to apply for the respiratory therapy program, students must complete the prerequisite courses listed below. All courses must be completed with a C grade or better.

General Education Courses

• ENGL 1010: Intro to Writing
• MATH 1010 : Intermediate Algebra
• PSY 1010: General Psychology
• COMM 1020 or 2110: Public Speaking or Interpersonal Communication

Respiratory Therapy Courses

Taken online through WSU

• REST 1540: Survey of Respiratory Therapy
• HTHS 2230: Introductory Pathophysiology (Prerequisites: HTHS 1110 and 1111)

Science Courses

Taken at UVU

• CHEM 1110: Elem Chem for the Health Sciences (Prerequisite: MATH 1010)
• BIOL 1010: General Biology
• MICRO 2060: Microbiology for Health Professions (Prerequisites: BIOL 1010 and ENGL 1010)
• BIOL 2420: Human Physiology (Prerequisites: BIOL 1010 and CHEM 1110)
• CNA Course (Not offered at UVU)

OR

Taken online through WSU

• HTHS 1110: Biomedical Core
• HTHS 1111: Biomedical Core

The following courses are part of the requirements for the AS degree and may be taken prior to application to the AAS program.

• ENGL 2010/20: Intermediate Writing
• MATH 1040: Intro to Statistics

DEGREES

WSU offers three degrees in respiratory therapy. The first is the associate of applied science (AAS) degree. This is considered the entry level program for students pursuing respiratory therapy. Once a student has completed the required prerequisites and been accepted into the program, the AAS degree takes about one year to complete. Students are then prepared to take the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential.

The second degree is an associate of science (AS) degree. Students can move into the AS degree after completion of the AAS degree. The AS degree is the advanced level and takes about one additional year to complete. Students are prepared to take the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential at the end of the program.

The third program is a Bachelors of Science (BS) in respiratory therapy. Students may begin the bachelors program after completion of the AS degree. It takes approximately one additional year to complete the bachelor's level respiratory therapy courses and additional degree requirements.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The application deadline is November 1st of each year. Applications must be postmarked by this date. You may print the application from the WSU website at www.weber.edu/chp/college_pages/respiratorytherapy. Follow the instructions on the application. Job shadowing and/or medical experience is highly recommended.

For information on online courses, contact Debby Boswell at (801) 626-6505. For specific information on the UVRMC program, contact Bob Guenter at bob.guenter@imail.org or (801) 357-7080 for an appointment.

Students can contact the following WSU admissions advisors: Doug Watson, dwatson@weber.edu, or Judith Joy, jjoy@weber.edu. You can also call (801) 626-6136 or (800) 350-7042 for more information or to schedule an appointment.