Ball State’s Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy prepares you to become a respiratory therapy professional.
As a graduate of our program, you’ll be equipped for a unique and fulfilling career working one-on-one with patients of all ages, from tiny premature infants to the elderly, in a variety of settings to manage cardiopulmonary diseases.
Our program’s mission is:
- To prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists and
- To prepare leaders for the field of respiratory care by including curricular content related to the acquisition of skills in management, education and research.
Program graduates are eligible to apply for the national certification exam administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). Individuals who pass the exam are known as Registered Respiratory Therapists, RRT. Licensing is also required in most states to work as a respiratory therapist. Many states, including Indiana, use the NBRC Respiratory Therapy credentialing exam as part of the state licensing process.
What You Will Learn
In our program, you’ll learn to become an entry-level respiratory
therapist. These are highly skilled professionals qualified by education to help
evaluate, treat, rehabilitate and educate to prevent and manage cardiopulmonary
diseases.
The responsibilities of a respiratory therapist can include:
- performing drug therapy, bronchopulmonary clearance and administration of medical gases
- providing ventilator support, pulmonary rehabilitation and CPR
- providing airway maintenance
- procuring and analyzing arterial blood gas samples
- performing pulmonary function tests
Program Requirements
This baccalaureate degree program is divided into two phases and takes a minimum of 4 years to complete. The Ball State University respiratory therapy program is offered in cooperation with IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
- The first, or prerequisite, phase and University Core Curriculum (UCC) takes place on the Ball State campus and includes course work in the sciences and the University Core Curriculum.
- The second, or professional, phase takes place in Indianapolis where medical, technical and clinical courses are taught at IU Health Methodist Hospital and other clinical settings.
Credits
Total: 121 - 122
- Prerequisite Phase and University Core Curriculum: 51 or 52
- Professional Phase: 70
Courses
The core component of our respiratory therapy program involves 23 specialized, hallmark courses in respiratory therapy that will prepare you for a wide variety of real-world work experiences in the profession. As one of our students, you will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in healthcare facilities working with patients of all ages. Program faculty present a variety of learning experiences in a laboratory environment that will enable you to learn the skills you need to care for patients. Carefully structured clinical assignments provide you with approximately 1,000 patient contact hours of real-world experience under the supervision of skilled preceptors.
Some of the professional phase courses you will take include:
- AHSC 311 Cardiorespiratory Physiology
- AHSC 315 Cardiorespiratory Assessment and Patient Care
- AHSC 333 Cardiorespiratory Pharmacology
- AHSC 405 Neonatal – Pediatric Respiratory Care
- AHSC 451 Cardiorespiratory Monitoring and Special Techniques
For a complete list of all the courses you will take and their descriptions, please see our Course Catalog.
What Can You Do with a Degree in Respiratory Therapy?
Respiratory therapists can work in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing care facilities, rehabilitation hospitals, home care, physicians’ offices, clinics and companies that manufacture and distribute medical supplies and equipment and in education and management.
Ready to Apply?
You will need to be admitted to both Ball State University and the professional phase of the program to complete this degree.
APPLY TO BALL STATE
Please review the university's admission criteria and apply online. Admission is competitive, so apply early!
APPLY TO THE PROFESSIONAL PHASE
Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to the professional phase of the respiratory therapy program.
Admission Requirements
- Students may complete the required respiratory therapy prerequisite and UCC courses upon admission to the university. Admission to the professional phase requires a separate application and is competitive. Admission to the university, satisfactory completion of the prerequisite and UCC courses and fulfillment of program admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the professional phase of the program. The respiratory therapy program designates the number of students admitted to the professional phase each year based on clinical setting capacity.
- All accepted students to the professional phase of the program must provide documentation of BLS and required immunization/tests and successfully complete a background check and mandatory drug testing performed by IU Health.
- To participate in the professional phase of the program, no accepted student may appear on specific Federal exclusion lists.
To apply for admission to the professional phase students must:
- Meet with the Respiratory Therapy Major Advisor.
- Be a current Ball State student by December 1 of the year immediately prior to the professional phase application deadline. All transfer credits must be evaluated and appear on the official BSU transcript.
- Successfully complete 28 of the 51 or 52 hours of respiratory therapy prerequisite and UCC courses.
- Earn a minimum of 2.5 overall GPA.
- Disclose any termination from a healthcare facility.
- Meet the following requirements for the math/science courses (ANAT 201, BIO 113, CHEM 101, MATH 112 OR MATH 114, MATH 181, PHYC 110, PHYS 215):
- Complete 10 hours of the required math/science courses.
- Earn a grade of C or higher for all required math/science courses.
- Read the most current Respiratory Therapy Program documents posted on the BSU website at www.bsu.edu/respiratorytherapy: Respiratory Therapy Program Instructions and Application, Respiratory Therapy Prospective Student Information; Respiratory Therapy Check Sheet.
- Be a minimum of 18 years of age by the first day of the professional phase of the program to meet legal clinical setting policies.
Retention Requirements
To maintain admission and participate in the professional phase of the Respiratory Therapy Program students must:
- Successfully complete all 51 or 52 hours of the respiratory therapy prerequisite and UCC courses by the end of summer semester prior to beginning the professional phase.
- Earn a grade of C or higher for all required math/science courses.
- Earn a minimum of 2.5 overall GPA.
- Earn a grade of C or higher in all professional courses.
Application
Go online to Respiratory Therapy Prgram Instructions and Application to obtain the most current respiratory therapy program application and instructions. Only the most current application will be accepted. Complete the application, follow the instructions and attach the required documentation. All information must be received in the Department of Nutrition and Health Science office (HB 530) no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (EST) on the first business day of February. Incomplete and late applications may not be considered.
Selection
Qualified applicants will be ranked based on their cumulative GPA. All undergraduate college credit attempted will be included in the computation of the GPA, including all attempted transfer hours. Preference in admission will be given to applicants who are residents of the State of Indiana. The number of non-resident applicants accepted into the program will be limited to a maximum of 10% of each class.
Want to Learn More?
The best way to get a true feel for Ball State is to spend some time here, so we encourage you and your family to schedule a campus visit. Take a tour, attend an information session, meet with a professor in our area, and ask plenty of questions. Or if you’d rather speak to someone directly by phone or email, please feel free to contact us.