College of Arts and Sciences

Respiratory Care - Bachelor of Science and Associate of Science

Respiratory Care is an allied health profession that cares for patients with deficiencies and abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system. The respiratory therapist sees a diverse group of patients ranging from newborn and pediatric patients to adults and the elderly. Disease states or conditions often requiring respiratory care include asthma, emphysema, chronic obstructive lung disease, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, infant respiratory distress syndrome, and conditions brought on by shock, trauma or postoperative surgical complications. In addition to working in hospitals, respiratory therapists have job opportunities in home care, rehabilitation agencies, nursing homes, emergency transport teams, sleep centers, pulmonary function laboratories, outpatient clinics, and physician offices.

DSU’s respiratory therapists program is either two or four years in length and upon completion, awards the Associate of Science or Bachelor of Science degree, respectively. Coursework from the first fall and spring semesters of the curriculum must be satisfactorily completed before the student is accepted into the clinical portion of the program, and acceptance is competitive.

The field of respiratory care provides excellent opportunities for those interested in a dynamic and exciting career in cardiopulmonary sciences. Salaries for respiratory therapists are excellent and compare favorably with other allied health fields. Job opportunities for new graduates are also very good. According to newly released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the respiratory therapy profession is expected to add almost 38,000 new jobs between now and 2012, increasing the size of the profession by 35 percent and making respiratory therapy one of the fastest growing occupations covered in BLS’s 2004-2005 Occupational Outlook Handbook. This increase in demand is expected because of substantial growth of the elderly population, and increases in the number of patients with asthma and chronic lung disease.

Prerequisite classes are taken at Dakota State University in Madison or USDSU in Sioux Falls, and the professional respiratory care classes are at Avera McKennan and Sioux Valley Hospitals in Sioux Falls. A new option this year is for the student to take prerequisite classes through Black Hills State University or the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and then complete the clinical year at Rapid City Regional Hospital. Due to the limited capacity for specialized clinical experience at these medical facilities, acceptance to this clinical year is competitive. See program handbook for details.

The Dakota State University Respiratory Care Program is designed to permit students to obtain the Associate degree in two years with the option to continue for an additional two years to obtain the Bachelor of Science degree. Also, respiratory therapists trained in programs at other institutions and meeting the entry requirements of the equivalency of the Associate of Science in Respiratory Care from Dakota State University may apply to enter the program as juniors and attain the Bachelor of Science degree in two years.

Students will be considered for acceptance into the program after admission to the University. Applicants to the associate of science degree program should have a background in mathematics and science courses, good communication skills, and a desire to help people with medical problems. A “shadowing” experience (that is, an observational time) in a respiratory care department at an approved medical center is required of all students prior to program acceptance.

To be eligible for the junior year of this program (the Bachelor of Science degree program), students must be a graduate of an AMA-approved associate degree program (or the equivalent) in Respiratory Care. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. The program faculty will evaluate coursework completed elsewhere to determine its equivalency to the required prerequisites provided applicants submit a copy of the college catalog course description for each course to be evaluated. Determination of equivalency is made on an individual basis and all decisions of the admissions committee are final.

Dakota State University’s Respiratory Care Program is fully accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), which is a component of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). This accreditation enables graduates of the program to take the NBRC credentialing examinations.

Associate of Science in Respiratory Care

All students earning an Associate of Science in Respiratory Care degree must complete the following courses:

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