Respiratory Care

This is an archived copy of the 2023-24 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.ndsu.edu.

Major Requirements

Respiratory Care Major

Degree Type: B.S.
Minimum 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 specified by the university.
  4. A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
  5. At least 30 credits must be NDSU resident credits.  Resident credits include credits registered and paid for at NDSU.
  6. At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
  7. Students presenting transfer credit must meet the NDSU residence credits and the minimum upper level credit. Of the 30 credits earned in residence, a minimum of 15 semester credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above, and 15 semester credits must be in the student’s curricula for their declared major.

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
*

 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

Respiratory Care Major Requirements
CHP 190Critical Thinking, Academic, and Professional Skills for the Health Professions3
RC 200Introduction to Respiratory Care1
RC 496Field Experience51
RC 494Individual Study4
Advanced clinicals including the capstone experience.
BIOC 260Elements 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 *
4
BIOL 221
221L
Human Anatomy and Physiology II
and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory *
4
CHP 125Medical Terminology for Health Professionals *1
PHRM 170Common Medicines & Diseases2
CSCI 114Computer Applications3
or TL 116 Business Software Applications
MATH 103College Algebra *3
PHYS 120Fundamentals of Physics *3
PSYC 111Introduction to Psychology3
STAT 330Introductory Statistics3
Chemistry Sequence: Select one sequence depending on future educational goals from the following: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 *
Microbiology Sequence: Select one microbiology course & lab from the following:3-5
Introductory Microbiology
and Introductory Microbiology Lab *
General Microbiology
and General Microbiology Lab *
Major Electives: Select one from the following:3
Medical Anthropology
Sociology of the Family
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 Credits101-108
*

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.