Respiratory Care

Explore on This Page

• Job Titles & Career Info
• Our Program
• Degrees & Certificates
• Attend an Information Session
• Accreditation
• Professional Licensure Disclosure: Respiratory Care
• How Much Time & Money to Finish?
• Earn More Choices & More Money
• Start on Your Pathway!

Job Titles & Career Info

Our Program

Why Choose Respiratory Care?

• Fulfill your passion for service by helping others in their time of need
• Learn from knowledgeable, caring faculty with over 120 years of combined experience in respiratory care
• Study in our program that, since its beginning in 1972, has:
  • Earned a perfect accreditation record
  • Maintained examination pass rates that are well above national averages
  • Received the Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success Award multiple times
• Choose to participate in our current partnership with Midwestern State University, which allows concurrent enrollment if you are interested in earning a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care

Prepare for What You Will Do at Work

• Talk to patients, consult with physicians & perform chest physical exams to determine best therapies & treatment methods
• Manage ventilators & artificial airway devices for patients of all ages who can’t breathe normally on their own
• Analyze breath, tissue & blood samples to determine levels of oxygen & other gases
• Respond to emergency situations & urgent calls for care.
• Educate patients & families about lung disease so they can maximize their recovery
• Visit Be an RT to find out more about respiratory care

Explore Professional Organizations

• American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology
• American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC)
• American Thoracic Association
• Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists
• Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
• National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory Care
• National Board for Respiratory Care

Marketable Skills You Will Learn

• Critical thinking
• Reasoning
• Communication
• Personal & social responsibility
• Teamwork
• Computer literacy

Before You Enroll, Think About:

Texas Veterans Commission (TVC)-approved

You can use your Veterans Administration (VA) educational benefits to pay for this program.

Questions? See VetSuccess on Campus

Selective Admission

Respiratory Therapy is a selective admission program.

After being accepted to TCC, you must meet the selective admission requirements to be eligible to submit a separate application to our Respiratory Care program.

Get the Details on These Pages:

• About Our Program
• Selective Admission
• How to Apply
• Performance Requirements
• Cost Analysis
• Scholarships

Licensing Notice: Texas House Bill 1508

This program prepares you for an occupational license. However, you may not be eligible for licensing if you have a prior criminal history.

For more details, see Texas House Bill 1508 Licensing Requirements

Need a boost to get ready for college?

Talk to your advisor about Developmental Studies if your TSI scores say you need some help in math or reading and writing.

Degrees & Certificates

Degree

• Respiratory Care, AAS

Attend an Information Session

About the Session

Find out everything you need to know about our program: requirements, courses, costs, and more.

Attending an information session is an application requirement. You will submit your Certificate of Attendance with your application.

Until We Host In-Person Sessions

Review the presentation slides and contact us if you have any questions: Respiratory Care Information Session (PDF)Listen

• To request an accessible copy of this document, please contact Jozelin Garcia by email at jozelin.garcia@tccd.edu or by phone at 817-515-2457.

Questions?

Health Care Professions Advising Resource Hub

Marcie (MJ) Gonzales, M.L.S.-CCSP, Career Advisor

Call 817-515-1487
Email TR.HealthCareAdvising@tccd.edu

Accreditation

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)

We are a Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)-Accredited Respiratory Care Program.

• Category: RRT-level program
• Accreditation Status: Continuing Accreditation
• Degree: Associate of Applied Science

The TCC Respiratory Care Program has been an accredited respiratory program since 1972.

The TCC Respiratory Care Program #200195, Associate of Applied Science Degree, Trinity River Campus East, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).

CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, it 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.

Program Outcomes Data

3-year time period being reported: January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023

• 95%: Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credentialing success
• 98%: Therapist Multiple Choice High Cut Score success
• 93%: Retention
• 98%: Job placement
• 100%: Employer Satisfaction
• 100%: Graduate Satisfaction
• 60: Total number of program enrollees during that period
• 42: Total number of program graduates during that period

See the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) Programmatic Outcomes Data.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

Tarrant County College District (TCCD) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award the associate degree. TCCD also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Tarrant County College District may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling 404-679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC's website (www.sacscoc.org).

Professional Licensure Disclosure: Respiratory Care

The respiratory care program at Tarrant County College meets the licensure requirements in all states except Alaska. Licensure requirements have not been determined in Alaska because licensure is not currently regulated.

Use the link below to find information on the state or U.S. territory in which you intend to be licensed in order to identify whether TCC’s Respiratory Care program meets, does not meet, or if it has not been determined if it meets the educational requirements for licensure.

If TCC’s program has not determined if it meets the educational requirements for licensure in the state in question, it may satisfy all or a portion of the academic requirements. If that is the case, we recommend contacting the licensing agency directly before beginning the program.

A list of state agencies and contact information can be found at this link: Respiratory Therapist Sate Licensure Contacts

For more information, please contact Don Holt, donald.holt@tccd.edu.

How Much Time & Money to Finish?

2024–2025 Academic Year

Notes:

• Tuition is based on in-state, in-county rates.
• Totals do not include textbooks and other materials.

Continuing Education Programs

Time commitments and fees vary depending on the course.

Earn More Choices & More Money

Transfer to a college or university to continue your studies. Earning a bachelor’s degree and higher opens the door to promotion and career opportunities.

For example, you will be ready to work toward:

• Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care (BSRC)
• Master of Science in Respiratory Care
• Master of Respiratory Therapy for Advance Respiratory Care

Next steps

• Talk to your advisor about planning for transfer
• Explore transfer schools

Start on Your Pathway!