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Respiratory Therapy
67 Credit Associate DegreeProgram Description
The Respiratory Therapy Associate Degree program is designed 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). Respiratory therapists, as members of a team of health care professionals, work to evaluate, treat and manage patients of all ages with respiratory illnesses and other cardiopulmonary disorders in a wide variety of clinical settings. In addition to performing respiratory care procedures, respiratory therapists are involved in clinical decision making (such as patient evaluation, treatment selection and assessment of treatment efficacy) and patient education. The scope of practice for respiratory therapy includes, but is not limited to: -assessing the cardiopulmonary status of patients, -drawing blood samples, performing blood gas analysis and pulmonary function testing, -initiating ordered respiratory care, evaluating and monitoring patients' responses to such care, modifying the prescribed respiratory therapy and cardiopulmonary procedures and life support endeavors to achieve desired therapeutic objectives, -providing patient, family and community education, and -participating in life support activities as required. At graduation, the student is qualified for admission to the entry-level and advanced practitioner examinations to become a registered respiratory therapists. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, on recommendation of the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).
This program may require a Criminal Background Check and/or Health Record
Acceptance to Northcentral Technical College will not be denied based on a criminal background or health record.
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Financial Aid
Available
Total financial aid offered may not exceed the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA).
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Availability
Courses for this program may be available at a variety of campus locations through multiple modes of delivery if you meet the admission requirements and prerequisites.
* Campus and online availability of courses and programs may be subject to change.
Outcomes
Graduates will be able to…
- Demonstrate technical proficiency required to fulfill the role of a Respiratory Therapist
- Practice respiratory therapy according to established professional and ethical standards
- Apply respiratory therapy concepts to patient care situations
Careers
Some of the potential careers graduates can pursue are:
- Respiratory Therapist
Courses
The Respiratory Therapy Associate Degree is a 67 Credit program. The following is a typical semester breakdown of the courses within the program.
* College 101 (10-890-165) is not part of the program credit requirements but is a College Requirement for graduation that must be passed with a “C” or better.
Credit for Prior Learning Available
View All Detailed Course Information
Accreditation
The Northcentral Technical College Respiratory Therapy Program, 200678, which confers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree, is located in Wausau, Wisconsin and holds Provisional Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).
This status signifies that a program with an Approval of Intent has demonstrated sufficient compliance with the Standards (through submission of an acceptable Provisional Accreditation Self-Study Report (PSSR) and any other documentation required by the CoARC, as well as satisfactory completion of an initial on-site visit), to be allowed to admit students. It is recognized as an accredited program by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), which provides enrolled students who complete the program with eligibility for the Respiratory Care Credentialing Examination(s). The program will remain on Provisional Accreditation until it achieves Continuing Accreditation.
CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this, CoARC 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.
The link to “View Program outcome data” is: https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/
Transfer Information
All associate degrees transfer to a variety of programs at other partner colleges to give you the opportunity to continue your education in other areas of study.
View all transfer guides
Cost of Attendance
2024–2025 Estimated Academic Year Budgeted Cost of Attendance
The estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) is a budget that includes categories of expenses that a student can expect to incur while attending college. The COA does not reflect actual charges. It is an average based on the estimated living costs typical of our region. In determining the cost of attendance, Northcentral Technical College uses the budget established by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Financial Aid Budget Work Group. This budget is used to determine financial need for all students who apply for financial aid. A student's cost of attendance is composed of all educational expenses that can be included for financial aid purposes that a student may accrue while pursuing their education for the year (or semester, if enrolled less than a year). A student's financial aid cannot exceed their cost of attendance. Schools are required to provide a fuller picture of what it may cost students to pursue their degree, not just what they will owe in tuition/fees and books/supplies.
| Expenses | Student Living With Parents (Home) | Student Living on Own (Other) | ||
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| Full-time Tuition (based on a total of 30 credits, 15 credits fall and 15 credits spring) |
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| Living Expenses (Housing & Food) | $3,008 | $9,147 | ||
| Books / Supplies | $1,465 | $1,465 | ||
| Transportation | $4,017 | $4,017 | ||
| Personal Expenses | $3,608 | $3,608 | ||
| Loan Fees | $85 | $85 | ||
| Total Estimated Cost Of Attendance |
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* Tuition listed is based on approved rates for the 2024–2025 academic year. Rates are approved each March by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and estimated budgets are updated at that time.
For the 2024–2025 academic year, the Wisconsin Resident tuition rate is $149.50 per credit and Out-of-State resident tuition is $224.25 per credit.
For the 2024–2025 academic year, Student Fees include: a minimum $5.00 material fee and a $13.15 per credit activity fee. A $4.00 per semester insurance fee will be assessed to students taking at least one course which has a scheduled session on campus.
Students awarded Federal Direct Loan(s) also have an average of the mandatory loan fees automatically added to their COA.
Students with disability-related expenses may contact the Financial Aid Office to have their additional expenses considered. Disability-related expenses include but are not limited to: personal assistance, equipment, and supplies. The Financial Aid Office may potentially include disability expenses in the COA that are not provided by other assisting agencies.
NTC also offers a Net Price Calculator to help estimate costs.
For more information regarding billed tuition and fees visit https://www.ntc.edu/admissions/tuition-fees
We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about how the financial aid process works. Please feel free to reach out for more information.
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NTC Financial Aid Office
- 715.803.1647
- financialaid@ntc.edu
Additional Information
Student Handbook
View the Respiratory Therapy Student Handbook
Licensure/Certification Information
NTC’s Respiratory Therapy Associate Degree is designed to meet the State of Wisconsin's licensing and certification criteria. However, NTC has not made a determination whether this program meets licensure/certification requirements in states other than Wisconsin. Students who may be seeking professional licensure or certification in states other than Wisconsin should contact the appropriate licensing board in that state to verify that the NTC program meets licensure or certification requirements.
Admissions Process
Our application process takes just a few minutes to complete, but we want to make sure you have the things you’ll need on hand to complete the application. We’re here to help if you have any questions while submitting your application.
Before you apply, you should know
- This program may require a Criminal Background Check and/or Health Record. Acceptance to Northcentral Technical College will not be denied based on a criminal background or health record, however, a check may be required for placement at clinical sites or field experiences.
- Current Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR certification is required prior to starting program courses or within the timeframe discussed at program orientation. Accepted certifications include BLS CPR from American Heart Association or American Red Cross.
Fill out our application
The application can be submitted online and takes just a few minutes to complete. There is no fee to apply.
Apply NowThen, submit one of the following
Documentation can be sent via email to admissions@ntc.edu, via mail, addressed to: Northcentral Technical College, ATTN: Admissions, 1000 W. Campus Drive, Wausau, WI 54401, or delivered in person to any NTC campus.
- High school transcript indicating a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above. Contact the high school you attended if you do not have a copy of your transcript.
- ACT composite score of 18 or above. Request an ACT College Report from ACT or contact the high school you graduated from if you do not have a copy on hand.
- Accuplacer scores. Score requirements vary by program and version of the Accuplacer test that was taken. For more details, please contact Admissions. If you did not take the Accuplacer at NTC, contact the college at which you took it to obtain a copy of your scores.
- College transcript indicating a cumulative GPA of 2.5 over a minimum of 12 credits, earned at a single college.
If you do not meet any one of the above criteria, don’t worry, complete the application anyway and we will contact you to discuss your options.
What’s Next?
We’ll review your application and let you know if we need anything else. If you’re all set, your acceptance letter will be emailed to you.