Respiratory Care

Respiratory Care

SFCC’s respiratory care training will give you the skills required to work closely with doctors, nurses and other clinicians in emergency rooms, critical care units, diagnostic centers, clinics and home health care organizations. You’ll gain competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists. You’ll be prepared to become a knowledgeable, competent, effective, and ethical respiratory care practitioners consistent with the professional, community, and employer expectations of registered respiratory therapists (RRT).

Come join the Respiratory Care Program’s Spring 2025 Cohort.
Accepting applications starting July 1st.
Application Form 2025-2026 | Application Instructions 2025-2026 

Upon successfully completing SFCC’s Associate of Applied Science degree in Respiratory Care, you’re eligible to take the board examination series administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). Graduates who successfully complete the Therapist Multiple Choice (TMC) and Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE) exam series are eligible for licensure as a registered respiratory therapist (RRT).

Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination (TMC) The TMC Examination is designed to objectively measure essential knowledge required of respiratory therapists at entry into practice, as well as determine eligibility for the Clinical Simulation Examination. There are two cut scores for the TMC Examination. If a candidate achieves the low cut score, he or she will earn the CRT credential. If a candidate achieves the high cut score, he or she will earn the CRT credential AND become eligible for the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE), (provided the candidate is eligible to earn the RRT credential).

Respiratory therapists earn an annual median salary of $61,830. The job market for respiratory therapists is expected to grow 23 percent by 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

NOTE: A.A.S. degrees are designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in specific occupations; they are not generally intended to transfer to four-year institutions. For more information on transfer, refer to the Transfer of Credit section, the SFCC Respiratory Care web page, or speak with an academic advisor.