AAS Respiratory Care Technology (SPC) to Respiratory Care (Texas Core Complete), BS - University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA) 2020-2021

Lower Division Requirements at the Alamo Colleges District for an AAS degree

The courses in this section meet the requirements for an Associate of Applied Science degree. The Graduation section in any catalog of the colleges in the Alamo Colleges District lists additional Degree/Certificate Requirements.

Applicable Transfer Credit Hours

This Transfer Advising Guide provides 92 college-level hours, of which 75 will transfer and apply, as RSPT 1141, RSPT 1207, RSPT 2210, RSPT 2231, RSPT 2353, RSPT 1411, 1 SCH of RSPT 1310 or RSPT 1431, 1 SCH of RSPT 1360 or RSPT 1361 or RSPT 1462, and 1 SCH of RSPT 2360 or RSPT 2361 or RSPT 2462 will transfer but will NOT be applicable towards the University of Texas Health San Antonio baccalaureate degree in Respiratory Care.

Note: University of Texas Health San Antonio accepts a maximum of 66 hours towards a baccalaureate degree, however per department approval, 75 college-level hours will apply for this specific TAG. Students must complete the specified number of advanced credits and credits in residence for their degrees.

Note: University of Texas Health San Antonio requires that all transfer courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.

Note: BIOL 2401 AND BIOL 2402 can be used in lieu of BIOL 2404. However, only 4 SCH will be applicable toward the UTHSA Respiratory Care, Bachelor of Science. It is recommended that the student take BIOL 2404 for this degree plan.

Note: For the Alamo Colleges District, this transfer advising guide is degree complete but NOT core complete, but is UTHSA Texas core complete. 

Milestone Course(s)

*** denotes Milestone Course(s).

A milestone course is a course that is critical for success in this program as determined by the Faculty of the Alamo Colleges District.

Additional Program Information

The Respiratory Care Technology Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). This program prepares students to care for patients who have trouble breathing, such as chronic respiratory disease, like asthma and emphysema. Their patients could be premature infants with underdeveloped lungs to the elderly with lung diseases. In addition, they may provide emergency care to patients suffering from heart attacks, drowning or shock.

Student must apply and be selected prior to be admitted to the program. Evaluation for admission to the program includes, but not limited to, successfully completing program prerequisites, cumulative GPA, previous healthcare experience, and TEAS V examination. Students accepted to the program are required to provide evidence of meeting immunization requirements, drug and background screenings and evidence of personal health insurance as described on the Health Sciences Webpage. The program is a sequenced learning experience offering classroom, laboratory, and clinical experiences relevant to the practice of state-of-the-art respiratory care.

The Respiratory Care Technology Program leads to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree and the program is completed within 24 months of acceptance into the program.

The program requires the following:

• Assignment to a cohort of approximately 30 students every Fall semester with full time attendance throughout the program to include summer enrollment.
• Respiratory Care content includes respiratory care of the adult, pediatric, and newborn patient, health promotion, education, and disease management; fundamental principles of healthcare reimbursement; fundamental principles of evaluating current scientific literature; medical ethics; provision of health care services to patients with transmissible diseases; provision of services for and management of patients with special needs; community respiratory health; medical emergencies; and legal and ethical aspects of respiratory care practice.
• Content and clinical practice experiences are designed to sequentially develop, apply, critically analyze, integrate, synthesize and evaluate concepts and theories in the performance of respiratory care procedures.  Through structured, sequential, competency-based clinical assignments, concepts of team practice, patient-centered clinical practice and professional development are discussed, examined and evaluated.
• All students must be able to meet the clinical and classroom schedules.
• Special Tuition Fee of $700 every fall and spring semester and $350 every summer semester of the program.

Upon completion of this program, the graduate is eligible to sit for their board examinations provided by The National Board for Respiratory Care. At least a Certified Registered Therapist credential is required before a Respiratory Care Technology graduate can seek a state license through the Texas Medical Board to be eligible to practice in the State of Texas. Certifications and licensures are separate mechanisms and are the responsibility of the individual student.

For more details about the program, visit our webpage at: http://alamo.edu/spc/respiratory/

Program Accreditation

The Respiratory Care Technology Program, 200423, AAS Degree Respiratory Care Technology, St. Philip’s College, San Antonio, Texas is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) (www.coarc.com). 

Commission on Accreditation
For Respiratory Care
1248 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX 76021-4244
(817) 283-2835

Students planning to transfer to a university-based Respiratory Care Program for a B.S. in Respiratory Care need to complete, Biology 2401 and Biology 2402 in lieu of the published A.A.S. prerequisite courses.

Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care Degree Advancement Program Admissions Requirements

Admission is on a competitive basis. In addition to non-academic factors, the applicant’s academic performance represented by coursework grades, load, trends, and degree of difficulty will be considered.  Application deadline is June 15 for fall enrollment. Requirements for admission to the professional phase of the program in respiratory care include:

Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care Degree Advancement  Program applicants must complete the Texas Core Curriculum (42 hours) and Professional courses with a grade of “C” or better. Certain professional prerequisite courses will apply towards meeting the Texas Core requirements as indicated below (*):

RRT’s admitted to the Degree Advancement program may be allowed to enroll while working to complete program and Texas Core requirements. Students must have all such required courses completed no later than their enrollment for the final semester in the Degree Advancement program.

Texas Core Curriculum Requirements

• English Composition I & II (6 semester credit hour)
• College Algebra or higher  (3 semester credit hours)
• Natural Sciences
  • (BIOL, CHEM, PHYS or other natural science)  (12 semester credit hours)
• Humanities
  • Any Philosophy, Language, Humanities, or English Literature course (3 semester credit hours)
• Visual and Performing Arts
  • Any Arts, Drama, Dance or Music course (3 semester credit hours)
• American History (6 semester credit hours)
• Government-Political Science (6 semester credit hours)
• Any Psychology or Sociology course (3 semester credit hours)

Application Requirements

• Completion of 60 or more semester credit hours from an accredited educational institution. 
• The Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential must be earned prior to matriculation.
• Completion of all required courses with a grade of “C” or better.
• Ability to complete all general education curriculum and program prerequisite courses by the semester the student is to graduate.
• Completion of the online Allied Health Centralized Application System (AHCAS), or Texas Common Application
• Payment of non-refundable $95 application fee when using the AHCAS application or a $60 application fee if using the Texas Common Application
• Submission of the following documents to AHCAS or Office of University Registrar contingent on which application system was used
  • All Official Transcripts from each college/university attended.  Applicants who are enrolled in college courses at the time of application should submit official transcripts showing courses in progress.  An updated transcript must be submitted upon completion of courses.
  • Note: Transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be evaluated by an acceptable NACES Members organization. For additional information - www.naces.org
• International Applicants only: Submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores.
  • This requirement may be waived for graduates from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution in the USA.  
•  Admission is on a competitive basis. In addition to non-academic factors that may be considered, the basis for inviting an applicant for an interview includes the applicant’s academic performance represented by coursework grades, load, trends, and degree of difficulty.
• Students applying to online programs who reside outside of Texas must live in a participating National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) state to be accepted into our program. To see if your state participates and get more information, visit the NC-SARA website.

If accepted to the Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care Degree Advancement program the following are required:

• Pay a non-refundable Tuition Deposit of $450.00 to the School of Health Professions.
• Completion of a background check. Directions for this process will be sent to accepted students.
• Proof of immunization: All enrolled students at the Health Science Center are required to be fully immunized with required immunizations prior to orientation and registration. Additional information is available on the Wellness 360 website.
• Evidence of current health insurance showing dates of coverage. Unless proof of proper insurance coverage is provided before the first day of classes, students will be charged for a health insurance policy through the university. 
• Final updated transcripts must be submitted upon completion of courses from each college/university to the Office of University Registrar. All Foreign transcripts must be also sent to include the original transcript and the NACES evaluated official transcript (course by course).

Additional University of Texas Health San Antonio Advising Notes

• Make an appointment with the academic advisor of the major, once accepted to the University of Texas Health San Antonio, in order to clarify department, college and university policies and procedures, to review course sequencing and to help with identifying resources for academic success. A current listing of academic advising centers can be found at https://students.uthscsa.edu/registrar/.
• Refer to the official source of information on specific courses within the University of Texas Health San Antonio requirements for this degree plan from the University of Texas Health San Antonio’s Undergraduate Catalog.
• Pay close attention to course sequencing and availability at the University of Texas Health San Antonio as it will affect the time it takes to complete the degree program.

Using this Transfer Advising Guide with the University of Texas Health San Antonio

This Transfer Advising Guide represents the University of Texas Health San Antonio degree plan and is subject to change at the university’s discretion. It is intended for advising purposes only so students know exactly which courses they can take at any of the colleges in the Alamo Colleges District and have the courses count towards degree requirements when they transfer to the University of Texas Health San Antonio. It is highly recommended that students meet with their assigned advisor to review all graduation and transfer requirements listed in the Transfer Advising Guide.

The ultimate goal is to provide students with accurate information for transfer pathways while minimizing loss of credits in transfer. Students are encouraged to review the University of Texas Health San Antonio’s degree requirements frequently.

Course numbers in italics are the University of Texas Health San Antonio’s degree course numbers.

This Transfer Advising Guide is based upon the University of Texas Health San Antonio’s 2020-2021 Catalog and is subject to change.

The Alamo Colleges District Advising

Students are encouraged to consult with an academic advisor about courses and other educational concerns if they plan to pursue a two-year degree program, transfer to another college or university, or simply take a few selected courses. In addition to course and degree requirements, policies and procedures are subject to change; stay informed by meeting with an academic advisor regularly.

Many students who plan to transfer to a university are advised to fulfill the lower-division requirements for the university. With appropriate planning, your Alamo Colleges District team can help make the transfer experience a seamless process. It is the responsibility of all students to ensure that they take courses at the Alamo Colleges District that will be accepted by the senior institutions they wish to attend.

For more information contact your Alamo Colleges District team.

Release Date:

Released on July 29, 2021