Respiratory Care
Welcome
Welcome to our Respiratory Care Program! You're embarking on a journey toward an Associate of Applied Science degree. Here, you will gain the skills needed for obtaining the RRT credential, empowering you to make a positive impact on patients' lives, one breath at a time!
The Respiratory Care program provides educational experiences and all coursework necessary to qualify graduates for credentialing exams offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) . Students desiring admission into the program must first meet the basic entrance requirements for Temple College. They then must file for admission to the Respiratory Care program.
Departmental Goals
To 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).
Programs of Study
Important Dates
|
Next Application Deadline June 16, 2027 |
Classes Start Date Fall 2027 |
Program Information
The Respiratory Care Program (CoARC Program Number 200193) offering an Associate’s of Applied Science (AAS) degree at the Temple College Campus located at 2600 South 1st Street, Tempe, TX holds Continuing Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.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. CoARC’s outcomes webpage
Admission into the Respiratory Care program requires the submission of a completed portfolio and an interview with the selection panel. You will receive the program application at the information session.
Admission Steps
- Attend an information session and hospital tour
- Submit transcripts indicating a “C” or above for the prerequisite courses
- Take and pass TSI or equivalent
- Take and Pass the most recent TEAS test
- Submit two letters of reference
- Submit Government issued photo ID
- Be interviewed
Information sessions are held in the Health Sciences Center. Information sessions are from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
Dress Code is business casual (ie. no shorts, torn jeans, or Flip flops)
Scheduled Dates for 2026
- Thursday, September 17
- Friday, October 23
- Thursday, November 12
Scheduled Dates for 2027
- Thursday, January 21, HSC room 1866
- Thursday, February 18, HSC room 1866
- Thursday, March 25, HSC room 1818
- Friday, April 16, HSC room 1818
- Thursday, May 27, HSC room 1818
- Thursday, June 10, HSC room 1818
- Thursday, July 15, HSC room 1818
- Thursday, August 19, HSC room 1866
- Thursday, October 21, HSC room 1818
- Thursday, November 18, HSC room 1818
Please contact the Respiratory Care department at respcareinfo@templecollege.edu if attending. Dates are subject to change.
Resources
- 100% employment rate for students since 2016 graduating class
- Temple College respiratory care graduates pass national credential exams on par with baccalaureate program graduates*
- Most Temple College graduates attain certification as Registered Respiratory Care Therapists within a month or two of graduation.*
- Distinguished registered respiratory therapist credentialing success award 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
*Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
Quick Facts: Respiratory Therapists*US Bureau of Labor Statistics |
|
| 2023 Median Pay |
$77,960 per year $37.48 per hour |
| Typical Entry-Level Education | Associate's Degree |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | None |
| On-the-job Training | None |
| Number of Jobs, 2023 | 133,900 |
| Job Outlook, 2023-2033 | 13% (Much faster than Average) |
| Employment Change, 2023-2033 | 17,500 |
There are currently eleven active clinical affiliates that give students a broad range of experiences during on-site clinical training:
- Respiratory care practitioners are tested and gain their credentials from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).
- There is no testing done by any agency in Texas; however passing scores from the Therapist Multiple Choice (TMC) exam are sent to the Texas Medical Board so that a person may receive the Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP) credential.
- In Texas it is mandatory to have the RCP. There is also some type of mandatory regulation in all 48 continental states.
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The NBRC is replacing the current Therapist Multiple Choice exam (TMC) and the Clinical Simulation exam (CSE) with a single, comprehensive Respiratory Therapy Examination (RTE) starting in January 2027. This new exam will have two sections: one assessing a candidate’s breath of knowledge and another evaluating their depth of clinical judgment. Candidates passing at the high cut score will be awarded the RRT credential.