Respiratory Therapy Program Admission Guidelines

Applications for Fall 2026 entrance through Fall 2028 entrance (RESP)

Admissions Guidelines

Minimum requirements to apply to the Respiratory Therapy program:

• CCRI Application for Enrollment into General Studies with a pre-Respiratory Therapy (RESP) concentration.

• Official copy of a high school transcript, GED® transcript or baccalaureate transcript from an accredited institution, including date of graduation or completion.

• CCRI uses a multiple measures approach to determine admission into Health Science programs (For example: High School GPA/GED® transcripts, SAT, ACT, HESI A2, Accuplacer scores or ENGL 1002 Critical Reading with a grade of A- or better [see below for points system]). Placement can also be determined by taking college level English and Math courses. Anyone with a degree from a regionally accredited higher education institution may have this requirement waived following submission of the official college transcript. 

• Complete the following required prerequisite courses with a grade of "C" or better:

  • BIOL 2201: Anatomy & Physiology I 

  • MATH 1200: College Algebra

    (MATH 1025 and MATH 1175 also meet this requirement)

  • RESP 1000: Introduction to Respiratory Therapy

• A minimum overall cumulative grade point average of 2.5 is required to apply to the program and be maintained while enrolled in Respiratory Therapy.

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  All the above requirements must be met satisfactorily BEFORE submission of the Performance-Based Health Science (PBHS) application and does not guarantee acceptance.  Students declining acceptance into the program for the semester must resubmit a PBHS application for the program and meet current requirements.  Once accepted into the program, the student must attend a mandatory orientation conducted by the Allied and Rehabilitative Health Department.

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• Complete and submit an online PBHS application here.

  Deadlines are listed on the form.

Conditionally accepted students are required to complete the following:

• When directed by notification from the Office of One Stop Student Services, students must submit a background check

  Results of BCI may prevent admission due to clinical agencies' requirements.

• Applicants must have a physical examination and the required immunizations completed prior to beginning the Respiratory Therapy program.

• Students also must have a current CPR card (American Heart Association, Healthcare Provider level) obtained through an AHA-recognized community training center. This course is also available at CCRI through the division of Workforce Partnerships (https://www.ccri.edu/workforce/programs/healthcare/BLSCPR.html). CPR must be documented prior to the start of the Respiratory Therapy program.

Final acceptance is based upon the completion of the above criteria.

Please note: Requirements are subject to change.
For more clarifying information regarding any of the above please contact the Office of One Stop Student Services at:

• Ms. Lauren Ventetuolo, Providence Campus,  401-455-6195, or via email at [email protected]
• If more specific information is needed, contact Amy Chaves, the Respiratory Therapy Program Director, at 401-333-7024 or via email at [email protected]

Respiratory Therapy Program Admission Criteria Point System

The performance‐based acceptance process is based on the performance indicators identified for the program. A point system based on the admissions guidelines has been assigned to the performance criteria.

The criteria for the incoming class will include:

• Grades in MATH 1200 (or MATH 1025 or 1175) and BIOL 2201 
• Number of general education courses required for program completion:
  • BIOL 2202
  • BIOL 2210
  • CHEM 1010 (or CHEM 1030)
  • PSYC 2010
• Selected Multiple Measure

In the event of a tie, grades for the required general education courses will be considered. Students will receive points based on the following scale:

Credits granted through AP, CLEP, challenge exams or assessment of prior learning will be recognized as satisfying course requirements and will be assigned points equivalent to a grade of "B."

Please review the Department of Health website to learn about licensing requirements for the health sciences professions.

Please note: A Social Security number is required to begin the certification process for the health sciences professions.

For all potential applicants to the Respiratory Therapy Program:

Because we are constantly discovering new ways in which the human body works, BIOL 2202 or Anatomy & Physiology II MUST be taken within the five (5) years before your application to the program.  To put it more simply, if you have taken BIOL 2202 more than five years prior to admission into the Respiratory Therapy Program, you will be required to repeat the course.

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