Respiratory Care

This is an archived copy of the 2018-19 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://bulletin.ndsu.edu.

Major Requirements

Respiratory Care Major

Degree Type: B.S.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 126

University Degree Requirements

  1. Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the curriculum in which one is enrolled.
  2. Earn a minimum total of 120 credits in approved coursework.  Some academic programs exceed this minimum.
  3. Satisfactory completion of the general education requirements as specific by the university.
  4. A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
  5. At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses number 300 or higher.
  6. Transfer Students: Must earn a minimum of 60 credits from a baccalaureate-degree granting or professional institituion. 
    1. Of these 60, at least 36 must be NDSU residence credits as defined in #7.
    2. Within the 36 resident credits, a minimum of 15 must be in courses numbered 300 or higher and 15 credits in the major field of study.
  7. At least 36 credits must be NDSU resident credits.  Residence credits include credits registered and paid for at NDSU.

For complete information, please refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section of this Bulletin.

University General Education Requirements

Communication (C)12
College Composition I
College Composition II
Fundamentals of Public Speaking
Upper Division Writing
Quantitative Reasoning (R) 3
Science and Technology (S) 10
Humanities and Fine Arts (A) 6
Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) 6
Wellness (W) 2
Cultural Diversity (D) *†
Global Perspectives (G) *†
Total Credits39
  •  A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.

Major Requirements

Respiratory Care Major Requirements
CHP 190Critical Thinking and Academic Success2
RC 200Introduction to Respiratory Care1
RC 496Field Experience51
RC 494Individual Study4
Advanced clinicals including the capstone experience.
Related Courses Required:
BIOC 260Elements of Biochemistry3 or 4
or BIOC 460 Foundations of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I
BIOL 220
220L
Human Anatomy and Physiology I
and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory (May satisfy a general education category S)
4
BIOL 221
221L
Human Anatomy and Physiology II
and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory
4
CHEM 121
121L
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry I Laboratory
4
CHEM 122
122L
General Chemistry II
and General Chemistry II Laboratory
4
CHEM 240Survey of Organic Chemistry3
CHP 125Medical Terminology for Health Professionals1
CSCI 114Microcomputer Packages (May satisfy a general education category S)3
or CSCI 116 Business Use of Computers
MATH 103College Algebra (or higher level; excluding MATH 104)3
PHYS 120Fundamentals of Physics (May satisfy a general education category S)3
PSYC 111Introduction to Psychology (May satisfy a general education category B)3
STAT 330Introductory Statistics (May satisfy a general education category R)3
Select one microbiology course & lab from the following:3-5
Introductory Microbiology
and Introductory Microbiology Lab
General Microbiology
and General Microbiology Lab
Special Major Electives (department approved)
Sociology: Select one of the following:3
Sociology of Medicine
Sociology of Aging
Death and Dying
Communication: Select one of the following:3
Business and Professional Speaking
Small Group Communication
Health Communication I
Patient-Provider Communication
Organizational Communication I
Interprofessional Health Care Practice
Total Credits105-108

Degree Requirements and Notes

  • All required courses must be completed with a grade of 'C' or above. All students must maintain a semester GPA of 2.0 or above for each semester in the College. A student who fails to meet this standard for two successive or three non-successive semesters may be terminated from enrollment in the College.
  • Completion of the prerequisites does not guarantee a student internship. Selection of interns is competitive. Please consult your Respiratory Care advisor for more information.
  • Core courses have a maximum of two attempts allowed. These include:
    BIOC 260Elements of Biochemistry3 or 4
    or BIOC 460 Foundations of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I
    BIOL 220
    220L
    Human Anatomy and Physiology I
    and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory
    4
    PHYS 120Fundamentals of Physics3
    BIOL 221
    221L
    Human Anatomy and Physiology II
    and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory
    4
    CHEM 121
    121L
    General Chemistry I
    and General Chemistry I Laboratory
    4
    CHEM 122
    122L
    General Chemistry II
    and General Chemistry II Laboratory
    4
    CHEM 240Survey of Organic Chemistry3
    MATH 103College Algebra3
    CHP 125Medical Terminology for Health Professionals1
    One microbiology course & lab from the following:3-5
    Introductory Microbiology
    and Introductory Microbiology Lab
    General Microbiology
    and General Microbiology Lab