Respiratory Therapy Major: What It Includes, Classes and Careers

A Respiratory Therapy major prepares you to evaluate and treat patients with breathing and heart-lung problems. Respiratory therapy programs teach cardiopulmonary anatomy, ventilator management, airway care and diagnostic testing, with clinical rotations in intensive care and emergency settings.

A Respiratory Therapy major includes coursework in cardiopulmonary anatomy and physiology, mechanical ventilation, pharmacology, pulmonary diagnostics, and neonatal and pediatric care and more. You build skills such as ventilator and airway management, patient assessment, emergency response, and equipment troubleshooting. Programs often include clinical rotations. Typical degrees: associate and bachelor's degrees.

Typical courses include cardiopulmonary anatomy and physiology, mechanical ventilation, pharmacology, pulmonary diagnostics, neonatal and pediatric care, and clinical rotations. Exact course names and requirements vary by college, and most degrees also include general education courses.

It depends on the level. Respiratory Therapy is offered as certificate, associate, bachelor’s, and master’s awards at U.S. colleges; certificates take from a few months to about two years, an associate degree usually takes about two years of full-time study, a bachelor’s degree usually takes about four years of full-time study, and a master’s degree usually takes one to two years after a bachelor’s. Part-time study takes longer.

Associate and bachelor's degrees. In the latest federal data, 15 colleges reported certificate awards, 303 colleges reported associate awards, 85 colleges reported bachelor’s awards, and 13 colleges reported master’s awards.

Career paths connected to respiratory therapy include respiratory therapist, cardiovascular technologist, paramedic, emergency medical technician, and registered nurse. Some roles need additional training, experience, certification or a license.

Examples include respiratory therapist (typical training: 2 years), cardiovascular technologist (typical training: 2 years), paramedic (typical training: 12–24 months), emergency medical technician (typical training: 1–6 months), and registered nurse (typical training: 2–4 years).

Respiratory Therapy majors build skills such as ventilator and airway management, patient assessment, emergency response, equipment troubleshooting, and teamwork in critical care.

Good pairings include Biology (deepens your knowledge of the body systems you treat), Healthcare Administration (prepares you for department lead roles), and Gerontology (many respiratory patients are older adults with chronic disease).

Often, yes. Programs commonly include clinical rotations. Ask each college how its program arranges hands-on work.

It can be a good fit if you are interested in the work it leads to, such as respiratory therapist, cardiovascular technologist, and paramedic, and enjoy subjects like cardiopulmonary anatomy and physiology and mechanical ventilation. No major guarantees a job, so compare the coursework, the careers and the education each career requires before deciding.

How hard it feels depends on your strengths. Core coursework includes cardiopulmonary anatomy and physiology, mechanical ventilation, and pharmacology; if those subjects interest you, the major is likely to feel more manageable. Reviewing a college’s course list and talking to current students helps you judge.

377 U.S. colleges reported awarding degrees or certificates in this field in the latest federal (IPEDS) data. Programs can have different names at different schools.

California (33), Texas (32), Florida (24), Ohio (19), and Pennsylvania (17), based on the colleges that reported awards in this field.

323 of the colleges that offer respiratory therapy also report offering at least one program entirely online, though not necessarily this one. Use the college search with this major and “Offers fully online programs”, then confirm with the school.

Respiratory Therapy prepares you to evaluate and treat patients with breathing and heart-lung problems. Nursing prepares you to assess, treat and educate patients as part of a healthcare team. Respiratory Therapy leads to careers such as respiratory therapist and cardiovascular technologist, while Nursing leads to careers such as registered nurse and licensed practical nurse.

Respiratory Therapy prepares you to evaluate and treat patients with breathing and heart-lung problems. Healthcare Administration teaches you to manage the business side of hospitals, clinics and health systems. Respiratory Therapy leads to careers such as respiratory therapist and cardiovascular technologist, while Healthcare Administration leads to careers such as medical and health services manager and medical administrative assistant.

Yes. Short online career training can help you understand a specific job and build practical knowledge alongside your classes. It does not replace your degree or any required license.

No. Career Education Institute is not a college and does not award degrees. It offers short, non-credit online trainings about jobs connected to respiratory therapy, such as Respiratory Therapist Training.