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About this Program

The Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care Degree Program at Upstate is for students who want to become respiratory therapists and earn the credential of Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). The program accepts 20 students each year at the main campus in Syracuse.

The 21-month Bachelor of Science program prepares the student for entry-level as well as advanced level practice. The coursework is designed specifically to help prepare respiratory therapists to become not only excellent bedside respiratory therapists who are prepared to work in a wide variety of Respiratory Care specialties but also leaders in education, management and research - one of the distinct and measurable advantages of a bachelor's degree vs. an associate's degree.

Graduates are eligible to take examinations administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc., passage of which meets the licensure requirements in all states including New York. Information on licensure contacts for each state can be obtained at www.aarc.org/advocacy/state-society-resources/state-licensure-contacts/

Our program has a long tradition of producing excellent respiratory therapists with outstanding critical thinking and bedside care skills, who are highly valued by employers across the United States. This tradition continues through an ever-evolving, cutting-edge curriculum and collegial mentoring with our program faculty as well as other college and campus faculty and affiliate organization staff.

Upstate provides a very high-quality education through valuable experiences and opportunities through our expert faculty, state-of-the-art equipment and classrooms, and excellent clinical experience through our many exceptional clinical affiliates. Program graduates continue to be promoted to and thrive in leadership positions including:

  • educational specialists in hospitals, home care, alternative care, and medical device companies
  • staff supervisors/coordinators 
  • directors and mangers of hospital departments, home care companies, alternative care sites, and sleep laboratories
  • faculty in respiratory care educational programs
  • clinical instructors/preceptors in various clinical settings
  • hospital administrators at the presidential and vice-presidential levels
  • cardiopulmonary and pharmaceutical research coordinators

Our program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). 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. The CoARC’s main webpage is www.coarc.com and the CoARC’s outcomes webpage https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/. Our program number is 200066.


Helpful links from the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC):

http://www.aarc.org/careers/how-to-become-an-rt/
http://www.aarc.org/careers/how-to-become-an-rt/choosing-best-program/
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