Clear Air. Clear Path. Clear Future.
The online Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy is designed to provide working respiratory therapists with a deeper understanding of advanced healthcare operations, logistics, technology, leadership, ethics, and project management. Featuring a robust curriculum focused on progressing respiratory therapy practice and research, the program develops clinicians who can make significant contributions to the field while positively affecting the future of respiratory care for a diverse range of patients.
Read on to discover if this program is right for you. Below you can find information about the Respiratory Therapy Curriculum, the University of Cincinnati, Accreditations, Rankings, Financial Aid, and Admissions.
- Earn a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy in as few as 20 months (5 semesters)
- Develop the clinical expertise needed for advanced practice and leadership opportunities
- Interact and network with industry-experienced faulty and healthcare professionals
- Continue working while you learn with flexible 100% online classes
- Build on your experience, define your practice, and prepare for the future
Program Details
A Clear Direction for Your Future
The online Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy at University of Cincinnati’s College of Allied Health Sciences provides an advanced and accessible next step for working respiratory therapists. Featuring a curriculum focused on improving clinical practice competency and cultivating leadership potential, the program integrates the scientific principles, community awareness, and critical thinking skills needed to build a lasting career in healthcare.
Curriculum
Building on associate-level respiratory care skills, the online Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy prepares students for management opportunities, graduate school, and advanced clinical practice. Special emphasis on research methods and analysis provides a strong foundation for all types of advancement. The unique curriculum has been developed in conjunction with UC library staff to enhance student writing, course design, and academic support. The program can be completed 100% online in as few as 20 months (5 semesters) of part time study.
Respiratory Therapy Core (28 credits)
- Ethics in Respiratory Therapy (3)
- Community Health Problems and Practices (3)
- Healthcare Documentation & Communication (3)
- Integration of Delivery of Respiratory Therapy (3)
- Caregiving in the Respiratory Therapy Professions (3)
- Management in Respiratory Therapy (3)
- Aging and Respiratory Therapy (3)
- Disease Management/Patient Education (3)
- Introduction to Respiratory Therapy Research (4)
Respiratory Therapy Advanced Courses (16 credits)
- Research Methods and Analysis (9)
- Advanced Respiratory Therapy/ Leadership & Project Management (4)
- Special Respiratory Therapy Internship [Clinical Observation] (3)
Respiratory Therapy Capstone (6 credits)
Course Descriptions
Ethics of Respiratory Therapy
This interdisciplinary course considers ethical theories and principles applicable to the allied health professions with a focus on Respiratory Therapy. Using scholarly inquiry, including case studies, students will analyze ethical dilemmas that may occur in their professional roles as respiratory specialists. Students will address ethical and legal issues across the lifespan in diverse socioeconomic and cultural situations.
Community Health Problems and Practices
This course focuses on determinants of the health of individuals and the challenges faced by communities as they work to improve the health of their residents. The student will develop plans to maximize the use of community resources to address both acute and chronic respiratory conditions.
Healthcare Documentation and Communication
This course is designed to improve writing competence as a healthcare leader, clinician, or educator. Focus will be on the construction, evaluation, and organization of written communication in the healthcare setting with an emphasis on Respiratory Therapy. Topics will include written medical documentation; article and proposal writing, using APA style for citations and references; patient education materials, etc. Students will also review the basics of clear communication, both written and oral.
Integration of Delivery of Respiratory Therapy
The course provides students with an overview of how the healthcare system works in the United States. Specifically, the focus of the course is the role of the respiratory therapist within the healthcare system. The differences between the public and private healthcare insurance will be evaluated throughout the course. Students will gain insight into healthcare from both a clinical and management aspect. The course will provide the student with the tools to function more efficiently as part of an integrated healthcare team.
Caregiving in the Respiratory Therapy Professions
This course will develop expertise in the science and art of caregiving from the perspective of the healthcare professional. Students will study age-specific care issues, culturally specific caregiving, compassion fatigue, family interaction and family-centered care, and death and dying. Caregiving issues directly related to patients with respiratory disease will be emphasized.
Management in Respiratory Therapy
This course will focus on the basics of healthcare management, including budgeting and financial management, data management, managing in clinical settings, and resource utilization. Respiratory Therapy students will learn how to assess healthcare information systems and database management systems.
Aging and Respiratory Therapy
This course provides Respiratory Therapy students with an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of gerontology. Topics include theories of aging, health and illness in later life, diversity and aging, and bio-psycho/social and spiritual aspects of growing old. Respiratory therapy content includes the biology of aging on lung function and working with older patients with multiple impairments.
Disease Management/Patient Education
Students in this course will learn to communicate with patients regarding their disease state. By developing a detailed knowledge of respiratory disease and treatment options, future practitioners will be prepared to counsel and advise patients on how to deal with their disease through the use of diet, exercise, medication regimes, etc.
Introduction to Respiratory Therapy Research
Respiratory Therapy students in this course will learn to develop skills needed to conduct basic research in healthcare settings. Topics include development of a research construct. Students will learn to develop and narrow a research topic by demographic and variables. In addition, students will learn how to search for peer-reviewed sources and develop literature reviews. Students will learn about populations and sampling. The student will learn about the importance of institutional review boards when conducting research.
Research Methods & Analysis
Students will review basic statistical models and inference applied to problems in healthcare, with an emphasis on Respiratory Therapy. Students will develop an understanding of research protocols and evaluation, critically analyze research data, and develop skills in interpreting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative research in Respiratory Therapy. Topics will include IRBs and clinical trials.
Advanced Respiratory Therapy/Leadership & Project Management
This course focuses on strategic, operational, and project management topics in the healthcare/respiratory therapy field, with an emphasis on increasing efficiency and quality of care. Topics include allocating staff and resources effectively, assessing financial and regulatory implications from a business perspective, leading and motivating effective teams, and developing, negotiating, and managing comprehensive programs.
Specialty Respiratory Therapy Internship [Clinical Observation]
This internship focuses on specialty disciplines within the respiratory therapy profession that can potentially foster an interest for the student to sit for one of the NBRC’s or its affiliate’s specialty exams (NPS, CPFT, RPFT, SDS, ACCS, or AE-C). The course is designed to promote interest for RRTs in the specialty practices of respiratory therapy. The practicum design and placement will be determined by the student’s interest area (neonatal, pediatrics, sleep disorders, asthma, diagnostics, or critical care). The student will perform 20 hours of clinical observation in their chosen specialty of respiratory therapy. The clinical observation can be performed at the student’s place of employment as long as it is a specialty area in which the student does not currently work and occurs during non-working hours. Paid work time cannot count as observation time. In addition to other assignments, the student will develop a comprehensive reflective journal detailing their experience as the final project for the course. Students that already have one of the specialty credentials listed above may apply for exemption from the class by providing official documentation of the earned credential. Program director approval is required. In addition, students that have been an RRT for at least 5 years may apply to the program director for exemption from the class with approved documentation. *Please note that students must have a total of 120 credit hours to receive a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati. A course exemption that would cause a student to fall short of credit hours to meet graduation requirements will not be granted.
Respiratory Therapy Capstone
This culminating course will enable senior-level Respiratory Therapy students to develop a proposal and complete a project or research paper based upon one of their areas of interest (Disease Management, Leadership and Project Management, or Education and Research). Presentations of completed papers or projects will be delivered by the student to selected Respiratory Therapy managers/specialists at a pre-determined site or at a poster presentation at a research symposium.
Faculty
Industry Defining Educators
The faculty and staff of the University of Cincinnati online Respiratory Therapy program are experienced practitioners and academicians. They remain active practitioners and leaders in the healthcare industry in addition to their academic courses and research.
Program Director Shane Keene (D.H.Sc., MBA, RRT-NPS, CPFT, RPSGT, RST)
Dr. Shane Keene developed this accelerated 100% online bachelor’s completion program specifically for working RTs. Dr. Keene previously worked as a Respiratory Therapy Manager, a Respiratory Therapy Director, an Associate Professor, a Respiratory Therapy Program Manager, and as an Assistant Chair, before becoming Program Director for the B.S. in Respiratory Therapy in the College of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Cincinnati. In addition to his professional career, Dr. Keene serves as a site visitor for COARC (Commission on Accreditation of Respiratory Care), and servers as one of the board of directors for CoGBRTE (Coalition for Baccalaureate and Graduate Respiratory Therapy Education). He is also a member of the AARC (American Association for Respiratory Care), NBRC (National Board for Respiratory Care), and several other respiratory therapy organizations. He also has more than 30 peer-reviewed publications & presentations, several grants, and multiple program and faculty awards.
Dr. Keene’s expertise is evident in every course in UC’s Respiratory Therapy program, and he is committed to providing an excellent, accelerated experience to every one of his students.
Admissions
A Clear Path Begins Here
The University of Cincinnati maintains its high rankings in part due to its competitive admissions standards. Great care is taken to ensure that each student is right for the program and the program is right for each student.
The admissions process can seem daunting, even for people who have done it multiple times. Each university is different, but few make as many resources available to its prospective students as the University of Cincinnati. Many of your questions about applications, admission requirements, tuition, computer requirements, academic calendar, and transfer credits will be addressed in the following sections. Should you need more answers, please complete the request form or call your Enrollment Advisor directly at 1-877-615-3074.
Admission Requirements
- Hold an A.S. or A.A.S. degree from a CoARC accredited Respiratory Care/Respiratory Therapy program in a regionally accredited institution
- Credentialed as a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC)
- Complete a UC application
- Complete a program application
- Submit official transcripts from all schools attended
- Possess a minimum 2.5 GPA
- Submit a letter of intent and resume
- Application fee: $50
- Matriculated fee: $100
Academic Calendar
Applications are accepted year-round and a new class begins every semester.
Summer 2013 Application Deadline: 3/22/13
Fall 2013 Application Deadline: 6/24/13
Spring 2014 Application Deadline: TBD
Please note: application deadlines are subject to change; contact your advisor for the most up-to-date information.
Transfer Credit Policy
Transfer Credits for Program Admission
To be eligible for graduation from the UC Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy program, all students must have earned a total of 120 credit hours between their associate’s program and UC’s completion program. All applicants are required to submit any previously attended college transcripts for review of content and credit hours.
Transfer Credits for Advanced Standing
On a case-by-case basis, a student may petition to have bachelor’s-level credit from an accredited college or university count as the equivalent of another course in the curriculum and accepted as transfer credit. In such cases, a student will have to supply a course syllabus to ensure that the content in the course taken at another university is equivalent to the content of the course in the Respiratory Therapy curriculum. Simply because courses have the same or similar names does not necessarily mean that their content sufficiently overlaps to justify deeming the courses to be equivalent.
Students may transfer up to 45 hours of bachelor’s-level credit in Respiratory Therapy courses from an accredited college or university. Bachelor’s courses outside of Respiratory Therapy will not be accepted. Courses taken outside an accredited college or university, such as non-credit professional development courses, will not be accepted. Only courses with a grade of C or higher will be considered for transfer. No credit is given for previous work history. Depending on the subject matter‚ courses taken 3 to 5 years prior to a student’s entrance into the program will not be accepted as transfer credit. All final decisions are left to the program director’s discretion.
Computer Requirements
During the online Bachelor in Respiratory Therapy program, your desktop computer or laptop and a broadband connection are essential for program completion and communication. That doesn’t mean you need a supercomputer to study online. In fact, if you can surf the Internet with your computer, there is a good chance it will meet the requirements for our online programs. For more information about our computer requirements please contact an Enrollment Advisor at 1-877-615-3074.
Tuition
Investing in your own education is one of the smartest investments you can make.
In-state tuition: $22,650 ($450/credit hour, App [$50], & Matriculation Fees [$100])
Out-of-state tuition: $23,400 ($465/credit hour, App [$50], & Matriculation Fees [$100])
In addition, course materials may average $100-$200 per term.
Please note: tuition is subject to change; contact your advisor for the most up-to-date information.
Financial Aid
Financial aid for your education is available from a variety of sources, such as federal loans, scholarship programs, private sources, student employment opportunities, and sometimes even employer assistance programs. We encourage you to research all of the financing options available so you can determine what works best for your individual needs.
The UC Office of Financial Aid and your Enrollment Advisor are available to help you fully understand the process.
Student Financial Aid
University of Cincinnati
PO Box 210125
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0125
Phone: 513-556-1000
Fax: 513-556-9171
Email: financeaid@uc.edu
Website: http://financialaid.uc.edu/
Federal School Code: 003125
Contact an Enrollment Advisor for additional assistance at 1-877-615-3074 or complete the request form.
Your Support Team
A Strong Support Team for a Confident Beginning and a Successful Completion
A major key to your success in the online Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy degree program is exceptional instruction and dependable support. From your first day of classes all the way through graduation, you have access to faculty, facilitators, and peers. But that is just the beginning—every prospective student is assigned a personal Enrollment Advisor and a Program Manager.
Enrollment Advisors
Your Enrollment Advisor is available to answer any questions, and most importantly, help you understand if UC’s RT program is the right fit for you.
Lakeshia Hamilton (1-877-615-3074 x5111)
Although born in Jacksonville, FL, I had the opportunity to travel the world and experience myriad cultures as part of a U.S. Army family. I graduated from Murray State University with a BS in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Speech Communication. Initially my goal was to serve as a protecting agent in law enforcement targeting crimes committed against children. I became a Special Investigator for Child Abuse and Neglect for the State of Georgia. Though this career proved rewarding, I opted for a career change.
I have been working as an Enrollment Advisor for the University of Cincinnati since 2007 on a variety of distance learning programs. Working with the Respiratory Therapy program has been wonderful. I recently completed my Master of Science Degree in Strategic Leadership online, and I love to share my stories to help our prospective students. I really get great enjoyment in assisting students achieve their dreams. We are helping students help their families one degree at a time!
Program Managers
After completing the application process, you are assigned a Program Manager for the remainder of your program. Your Program Manager assists with registration, obtaining books and materials, and finding answers to any program or support questions you may have. As part of our commitment to students, you can expect to hear from your Program Manager regularly as he or she helps guide you through the program. Your Program Manager helps you with the details, allowing you to focus on your studies.
Erick Edmond (1-877-615-3074 x5170)
I am a Pennsylvania native but grew up in the Orlando area. My passion for education and basketball earned me a scholarship to Mayville State University in North Dakota. At Mayville State I earned two bachelor’s degrees, one in business and the other in psychology. After graduation, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to play basketball in Mexico for a few years before moving on to several customer service management roles at area amusement parks (I know, a cliché for Orlando!).
I have always viewed myself as a dreamer and a doer. As a Program Manager, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed helping others accomplish their dreams. I firmly believe that education is the basis not only for professional growth, but for all personal growth as well.
About UC
A Historic University – A Tradition of Innovation
Founded in 1819, the University of Cincinnati is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning outside of the original 13 colonies. The University of Cincinnati is a leader in education innovation, including the first bachelor’s degree in nursing and the first Emergency Medicine training program. Its rapid adaptation to distance learning and subsequent developments in this learning environment are among UC’s largest and latest innovations. Online programs in a variety of undergraduate, graduate, and professional fields enable a wide range of working professionals to achieve their educational goals and provide a means for our students to gather diverse perspectives from around the world.
College of Allied Health Sciences
The College of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Cincinnati is involved in enhancing and improving the quality of life for people everywhere by discovering, teaching, and applying knowledge related to the health sciences. Respiratory therapy is a major aspect of this effort. The ever-changing field of healthcare will need dynamic leaders to deal with challenges now and in the future. The College of Allied Health Sciences follows the mission of the University of Cincinnati in its commitment to provide students the highest quality learning environment. Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy program within CAHS are exceptionally prepared with the broad base of knowledge needed to help them succeed in healthcare.
Accreditation and Rankings
The University of Cincinnati is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)*, a commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA). The NCA is recognized by both the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)and the United States Department of Education (USDE). www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org
The University of Cincinnati and the College of Allied Health Sciences are recognized for their commitment to education and research:
- Ranked #139 among National Universities and #70 among Top Public Schools (U.S. News & World Report 2013 college rankings)
- Top 100 “elite values” in higher education (Money Magazine)
- Featured in The Best 201 Colleges for the Real World: Get In. Get Out. Get a Job.
Please submit your information to have a personal advisor contact you. Advisors can also be reached directly at 877-615-3074.
