Respiratory Care
Major Requirements
Respiratory Care Major
Degree Type: B.S.
Minimum Degree Credits to Graduate: 126
University Degree Requirements
- Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the curriculum in which one is enrolled.
- Earn a minimum total of 120 credits in approved coursework. Some academic programs exceed this minimum.
- Satisfactory completion of the general education requirements as specified by the university.
- A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
- At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
- Transfer Students: Must earn a minimum of 60 credits from a baccalaureate-degree granting or professional institution.
- Of these 60, at least 36 must be NDSU resident credits as defined in #7.
- 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.
- At least 36 credits must be NDSU resident credits. Resident 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
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Credits | 39 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review major requirements to determine if specific courses can also satisfy these general education categories. |
- A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Respiratory Care Major Requirements | ||
| CHP 190 | Critical Thinking, Academic, and Professional Skills for the Health Professions | 3 |
| RC 200 | Introduction to Respiratory Care | 1 |
| RC 496 | Field Experience | 51 |
| RC 494 | Individual Study | 4 |
| Advanced clinicals including the capstone experience. | ||
| Related Courses Required: | ||
| BIOC 260 | Elements of Biochemistry * | 3 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 |
| Select a Chemistry Sequence: sequence depends on future educational goals | 4 or 8 | |
| Chemical Concepts and Applications and Chemical Concepts and Applications * | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory and General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory * | ||
| CHP 125 | Medical Terminology for Health Professionals * | 1 |
| PHRM 170 | Common Medicines & Diseases | 2 |
| CSCI 114 | Computer Applications (May satisfy a general education category S) | 3 |
| or TL 116 | Business Software Applications | |
| MATH 103 | College Algebra (or higher level; excluding MATH 104) * | 3 |
| PHYS 120 | Fundamentals of Physics (May satisfy a general education category S) * | 3 |
| PSYC 111 | Introduction to Psychology (May satisfy a general education category B) | 3 |
| STAT 330 | Introductory 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 Credits | 101-108 | |
| * | These core courses have a maximum of two attempts allowed. |
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.