The Respiratory Care Program prepares students to enter a dynamic and progressive health care profession. Respiratory Therapists work with advanced technology making it possible to help patients with respiratory and cardiac disorders in ways that were impossible years ago. The Respiratory Care program provides hands-on education in diverse clinical settings such as adult and neonatal critical care, emergency care, longterm care, pulmonary rehabilitation and diagnostic services. Respiratory Therapists are vital members of the health care team who work closely with physicians providing education and support to patients with acute and chronic lung conditions

Admissions Requirements:

The Respiratory Care Program has a selective admissions process. The applicant must meet the following requirements in addition to the general admission policies:

1. High school diploma or equivalency and submission of all application materials including high school transcripts, immunization records, and college transcripts, if applicable, no later than the January 15 deadline.
2. Prerequisites: Proof of having met or exceeded the following prerequisites prior to the application deadline of January 15, 2019. Applicants who are enrolled in and plan to complete the prerequisites during the winter term may apply. If applicable, a copy of a high school transcript and/or official college transcript for credits earned outside of NVCC must be provided by January 15, 2019.
   • Minimum of having completed, within the last 5 years, high school algebra II with a grade of “C” or better AND an Accuplacer or SAT/ACT score above intermediate algebra; OR MAT* H136 , OR MAT* H137  or college level equivalent with a grade of “C” or better.
   • BIO* H105  or BIO* H115  or BIO* H121  or equivalent within the last 5 years with a grade of “C” or better.
   • Minimum of having completed with a “C” or better developmental English (ENG* H063 , ENG* H096  or equivalent); OR Accuplacer placement test results recommending ENG* H101 ; OR SAT/ACT results for either Reading or Writing at or above the score for placement into ENG* H101 - Composition .
3. Minimum GPA of 2.5 based only on the college courses with grades that meet the Respiratory Care Admission and program curriculum requirements.
4. Complete a program application by the January 15, 2018 deadline.
5. Information session: Consideration for admission requires all qualified applicants to attend a mandatory program information session. In late February/early March, qualified applicants will be contacted via their college email address to schedule attendance at a session. The deadline to register for, and attendance at the information session is strictly enforced.
6. Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology I and II taken prior to admission into the program must have been taken within the following timeframe and the student must have achieved a grade of “C” or better for each of the courses:
   • Anatomy and Physiology I and II within the last 5 years
   • Chemistry within the last 8 years
7. Algebra, Chemistry, and Biology (including Anatomy and Physiology I and II) taken at other colleges must be equivalent to NVCC courses in order to fulfill the program science and math prerequisites and program science requirements.
8. Once your application is received, all communication regarding that application status will be sent to your college assigned email account issued at the time of your acceptance to NVCC.
9. Once admitted to the program, students are required to undergo a criminal background check and/or drug screen. Students that do not pass the background check may be excluded from clinical practice and may not meet the competencies required for the program.

Due to the extensive time requirements for classes, clinical, and studying, the program faculty strongly recommends that respiratory care students work no more than 20 hours a week. Faculty strongly advises applicants to consider this before applying and/or before accepting an offer of admission.

Special Admission Requirements for Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT s)

Graduates of a one year certificate program who seek admission to the program and have successfully completed the Certification Exam for Respiratory Therapists by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) will be admitted into the program as a second year student. All CRT s seeking admission into the program must provide proof of certification in order to receive credit for the following technician level courses:

• RSP* H112 - Fundamentals of Respiratory Care
    
• RSP* H131 - Applied Pharmacology
    
• RSP* H121 - Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology
    
• RSP* H141 - Principles of Respiratory Care
    
• RSP* H151 - Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiology and Diagnostics
    
• RSP* H180 - Clinical Practicum
    
• RSP* H181 - Clinical Practicum II
    
• RSP* H281 - Advanced Clinical Practicum
    (transfer credit requires approval from the Director of Clinical Education).

Students entering the program as a CRT must complete all of the general education courses prior to graduation. All applicants will be required to take a self-assessment exam by the NBRC prior to admission to the program. This test is not used for admission into the program, but for internal purposes only.

Readmission into the Respiratory Care Program

Students seeking readmission into the respiratory care program must apply directly to the program director within 6 months of severance from the program. Please see the Respiratory Care Student Handbook for additional information regarding readmission.

Transfer Requirements:

1. Students seeking transfer into the program must apply to the Program Director by the program application deadline (January 15).
2. Official transcripts must be provided with the application.
3. Consideration for transfer into the Respiratory Care Program depends on whether there are available openings at the time of the request.
4. Transfer admission is based on GPA and previous completed course work.
5. A minimum GPA of 2.5.
6. Students who were previously or are currently enrolled in another Respiratory Care program must have successfully completed their Respiratory Care and science requirements with a grade of “C” or better.
7. The Program Director and the Director of Clinical Education will evaluate previous respiratory care course work for equivalency with NVCC respiratory care courses.

Please contact the program director for details or questions.

Learning is planned as a progression of increasing complexity. Therefore, in order for a student to progress to the next semester, a minimum grade of “C” is required in all respiratory courses. BIO* H211  and BIO* H212  must be completed with a grade of “C” or better before a student can progress to the second year of the program. Electives and other core courses may be taken prior to the designated semester. Students must achieve a “C” or better in all required courses including respiratory, science and general education courses. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the Therapist Multiple Choice and Clinical Simulation examinations administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care. .

The Naugatuck Valley Community College Respiratory Care Associate Degree Program is located on the Waterbury Campus and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com). The CoARC number is 200460.

General Education Core course listings and definitions appear on General Education Core . Placement testing will determine the sequencing of courses. Additional courses may be required. The suggested sequence for full-time students is shown below.