Respiratory Therapy Admissions

Respiratory Therapy Minimum Requirements

• Complete the RCC admissions process ( apply to RCC, submit all transcripts)
• Completed  BIO 168 and BIO 169 or BIO 163 with a grade of “C” or higher. (Applicants may be enrolled in BIO 169 in the Summer 2025 semester.)
• Completed  CHM 131  (with lab CHM 131A ),  CHM 151 or MAT 143 or higher with a grade of “C” or higher. (Applicants may be enrolled in  MAT 143, CHM 131 /A or CHM 151 in the Summer 2025 semester.)
• Eligible to take ENG 111 without a co-requisite.
• Have a 2.8 GPA or higher from all completed pre-requisite and general education courses. GPA calculation includes:
  • BIO 168, BIO 169
  • CHM 131/A
  • ENG 111, ENG 112
  • PSY 150
  • Humanities elective ( ART 111, ART 114, ART 115, HUM 115, MUS 110, MUS 112, PHI 215, or PHI 240 )
• Be in Satisfactory Academic Standing with Rockingham Community College (2.0 or higher RCC cumulative GPA). 
• Essay – One page, double spaced, typed statement responding to the following questions:
  • What makes you a strong candidate for the Respiratory Therapy program at Rockingham Community College?
  • What is the biggest challenge you will face in the Respiratory Therapy program?

Important Information

It is your responsibility to read this page and the information it contains. You must meet all requirements to be considered for acceptance; however, completion of these items does not guarantee acceptance to the entering class.

• Read the Admissions Requirements (above) and complete the Minimum Admissions Requirements. This includes applying to RCC and submitting all official transcripts to the Admissions Office. NOTE: Current RCC students do not need to submit a new RCC application.
• Complete the  Respiratory Therapy Candidate Review Form  online. The Candidate Review Form will open December 13, 2024. Candidate Review Forms, including all application materials, must be submitted by Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at 4:00pm.
• Monitor your email for your Candidate Review Form status. Candidate Review Forms will be processed as soon as possible upon submission. You will be notified via email whether your form has been successfully submitted to the Respiratory Therapy Department or if a follow-up meeting with RCC Admissions is required prior to processing your form:
  • Submitted Candidate Review Forms that are complete and meet all minimum requirements will be processed and forwarded to the Respiratory Therapy Department for review. No further action from the student is required in this case.
  • Candidates missing requirements or that need additional verification will be required to schedule a follow-up appointment. Candidates will receive the link to schedule an appointment by email. This appointment is required before the application will be processed and forwarded to the Respiratory Therapy Department for review.
• Schedule an appointment with the Respiratory Therapy Program Director, Angela Pruitt (pruitta0299@rockinghamcc.edu).

Application Timeline

Information Session Details

Respiratory Therapy Information Sessions are optional, but highly encouraged. Sessions begin at time listed and will last approximately one hour. Please log into the Zoom session at least 10 minutes before the start time.

Zoom links are provided in the registration confirmation email (registration links below).

2024-2025 Respiratory Therapy Information Session Dates

To sign up for an online information session, simply pick one of the options provided below.

• October 16, 2024 at 1:00pm
• December 11, 2024 at 2:00pm
• January 28, 2025 at 5:30pm
• March 19, 2025 at 1:00pm
• April 29, 2025 at 2:00pm
• May 7, 2025 at 1:00pm

General education GPA is calculated using the following courses:

• BIO 168,  BIO 169  OR BIO 163
• CHM 131/A OR MAT 143 , MAT 152 or MAT 171
• ENG 111,  ENG 112
• PSY 150
• Humanities elective ( ART 111 , ART 114 , ART 115 , HUM 115 , MUS 110 , MUS 112 , PHI 215 , or PHI 240 )
  

Use the following link to calculate your general education GPA:

RCC Respiratory Therapy GPA Calculator

RCC Respiratory Therapy Program Goal:

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).

Accreditation

The Rockingham Community College Respiratory Therapy Program, CoARC program # 200459, AAS, in Wentworth, NC is accredited by the   Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
264 Precision Blvd.
Telford, TN 37690
(817) 283-2835
CoARC Programmatic Outcomes

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 link listed above provides potential applicants and the public detailed data regarding student/graduate outcomes of this program and all other programs accredited by the (CoARC) Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.

Important Information

It is your responsibility to read this page and the information it contains in its entirety. You must meet all requirements to be considered for acceptance; however, completion of these tasks does not guarantee acceptance to the Fall 2025 entering class.

Please review the  Credit Programs Catalog  for more information on policies and procedures for this program and for Rockingham Community College.

Please review the   Respiratory Therapy Performance Standards. Submitting a Respiratory Therapy Candidate Review form indicates your understanding of these standards.

Respiratory Therapy Candidate Review Form must be submitted by July 23, 2025. We will begin accepting Candidate Review Forms on December 13, 2024.

Applicants must attend a Candidate Review Appointment to review and finalize their application. Candidate Review Appointments will take place through July 23, 2025. The link to schedule an appointment will be provided upon submission of the Candidate Review Form.

The Respiratory Therapy Program provides learning opportunities for students in an array of clinical learning environments. To comply with program policies, state and local regulations for healthcare providers, and in the interest of your own personal safety, the safety of your patients, and the potential liability to both the college and clinical agency, there are significant compliance requirements that must be met in order to enter the clinical area.  

Applicants are expected to review the  Compliance Policy for Clinical Placement  prior to application to the program.