Associate in Science (AS) Respiratory Care

Program Overview

Respiratory Care Practitioners are healthcare professionals that specialize in providing optimal cardiopulmonary care to patients with disorders such as asthma, pneumonia, COPD and infants with immature lungs, etc. Santa Monica College’s Respiratory Care Program is a two-year, Associate of Sciences Degree program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). Through transforming competency-based medical education curriculum, the program prepares the respiratory care practitioner of the future to possess great medical knowledge, apply it, and be clinically competent to provide high quality care in challenging settings likely to be encountered upon entry into practice.

The SMC Respiratory Care Associate Degree program incorporates the latest respiratory equipment, high-fidelity simulators, skills laboratory and clinical experience at top-rated clinical sites in the Greater Los Angeles area. The program prepares students for National Board for Respiratory Care’s (NBRC) board exams and earn the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential, required for licensure in California. To earn the RRT credential, graduates must pass the Therapist Multiple Choice Exam (TMC) at the high threshold and the Clinical Simulation Exam (CSE).