Learn about Respiratory Care program prerequisites, application process, selection, financial aid and more.
Currently, job shadowing with a Respiratory Therapist is not required until you are accepted into the program. Potential students may shadow before applying to the program. We ask that you meet with Respiratory Care program personnel before we provide our clinic affiliate contacts. Please email rc-ndt@jccc.edu or call 913-469-2583 to schedule a time to talk with RC program personnel.
We highly recommend you meet with a JCCC counselor to review your transcripts before applying to the program. They will also provide information on prerequisites, registration, financial aid, and scholarships. To make a counseling appointment, email advise@jccc.edu or call 913-469-3809.
When transcripts are evaluated and a prerequisite course equivalent is not granted during the transfer process, a counselor can re-evaluate then submit the Course Substitution Request to that specific department for approval. Without the official Course Substitution, we may assume you did not successfully complete that prerequisite. Contact the program at rc-ndt@jccc.edu or 913-469-2583 with questions or to schedule a meeting with RC program personnel.
The application is available online in early December with a submission deadline of March 15 each year. Go to the RC Application Instructions webpage and click on the “Current JCCC Students” blue box to access the application. After applying, monitor your MyJCCC account, personal admission plan and student email for incomplete item notifications and application status.
You must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher, complete a JCCC application for admission, and have a reasonable plan for completion of all prerequisites before the start of the program. Sign the Disclosure and Consent for Background Check form, complete the questionnaire and all required information on the application. Official transcripts from all previous colleges attended need to be sent directly to JCCC. To be eligible for the program, the program application and all documents including transcripts, must be received by the application deadline.
All prerequisites must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher, and each can only be repeated once to achieve a minimum grade of “C” to be used in the program application. Pass or Fail grade options will not be accepted for prerequisites. The following program prerequisites total 16 credits:
- BIOL 144 Human Anatomy and Physiology OR BIOL 140 Human Anatomy AND BIOL 225 Human Physiology
- CHEM 122 Principles of Chemistry (NOTE: CHEM 124/125 General Chemistry I/Lab will satisfy the CHEM 122 requirement.)
- ENGL 121 Composition I
- MATH 116 Intermediate Algebra (or higher)
We require all prerequisites to be finished before the program starts. You may still apply with prerequisites outstanding. If you are accepted and cannot successfully complete the prerequisites, you will not be eligible for enrollment into the program and will need to re-apply after completing the classes.
Yes. The corequisites (Microbiology/BIOL 230, Social Science/Economics elective, and Humanities/Art elective) can be taken during the program and must be completed prior to graduation. Some students find that taking these courses, especially BIOL 230, concurrently with Respiratory Care program courses affects their ability to be successful in the program. It is highly recommended that Microbiology be completed prior to the start of the program.
Selective admission means that not everyone that applies is selected into the program. We have approximately 65 applicants each year but can only accommodate 16-18 based on clinical site availability. The selective admissions process for the Respiratory Care program consists of the program application with a questionnaire, academic performance review, and an interview with program personnel.
This varies by student and is based on need. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for assistance at 913-469-3840 or finaid@jccc.edu. Visit the Financial Aid web page for more information.
RC is a two-year program with the summer off between the first and second years. Classes vary by semester. First and second semester classes meet 2 days a week, about 14 hours each week (9 a.m.-4 p.m.). In the third and fourth semesters, students complete 24 hours of clinical time each week. In addition to clinical, students will have class all day Tuesday in the third semester and Tuesday morning in the fourth semester.
We interview twice as many applicants as we have clinical positions available. We interview up to 36 students to select the final 16-18 students for the cohort.
We will evaluate your completed application after the deadline, provided that you submit all required documentation. The following criteria will be used to determine your final ranking and selection:
- Cumulative GPA.
- Number of completed prerequisite courses by application deadline. Completion of prerequisite courses is not required for application to the program, but they must be completed by the start of the program.
- Academic record demonstrating ability to handle a significant course load successfully.
- Healthcare courses (e.g., Introduction to Healthcare Delivery, Medical Terminology, etc.) successfully completed beyond the minimum requirements.
- Completion of a healthcare certificate or degree with submitted proof prior to the application deadline (for example: CNA, EMT, Pharmacy Technician, or other approved healthcare certifications, AS, BS).
It takes about two weeks after the application deadline for us to score applications and notify applicants of their status. We conduct interviews and make our selections soon after. We contact all applicants by JCCC student email and ask that you monitor your JCCC stumail for any updates.
Prospective RC students invited to interview will participate in a Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI). The MMI is designed to assess communication skills, specifically verbal and nonverbal skills that cannot be measured by standardized exams or transcripts. Because students interact with multiple interviewers in multiple assessments over the course of the MMI, opinions of a single interviewer are not over-emphasized. Interviewees are given a real-life situation and asked questions about it.
The structure of the program is for four semesters of course work over two years. The classes, group work, study time and clinical rotations necessary do not allow for part-time enrollment.
The RC program is academically rigorous but is designed so students can work part-time. A lot of information is delivered in a short period of time, requiring for most students a period of adjustment during the first semesters of the program. We recommend that students not work full time during the program.
Submit your completed Intent to Accept form by the deadline. Once applicants are granted preliminary acceptance into the program, instructions will be emailed on how to initiate the required document management system, background check and drug screen, health record packet, Basic Life Support (BLS) certificate, Family Care Safety Registry (FCSR) verification, and job shadowing. For details on required tasks and contingencies, visit the Acceptance to the Program section on the JCCC Respiratory Care Admission Criteria webpage. Aug. 2 is the deadline to complete all onboarding tasks. Please contact us at rc-ndt@jccc.edu with any questions or concerns during this process.
