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Frequently Asked Questions About the Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care

Content on this page is provided as a quick reference for planning. All official course descriptions/degree requirements/admission standards/program learning outcomes/etc. are published on the Undergraduate Catalog site.

HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE ADMITTED? HOW MANY STUDENTS APPLY?

We admit between 26 students per year.  Since our cohorts are small, this allows us to have a 6:1 student/faculty ratio and gives students one on one attention from our faculty.  Admittance varies from year to year, we typically have between 35-60 students apply each year.

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE GPA OF AN ADMITTED CANDIDATE?

The average GPA is 3.2.

WHAT IS YOUR COMPLETION RATE?

The average completion rate is consistently above 90%, which is above the national average.

WHAT IS YOUR EMPLOYMENT RATE?

One hundred percent of our students who seek employment as a respiratory care practitioner have secured a job after graduation. In the final semester of our program, our students participate in an internship within one clinical site or facility. These rotations can be remote or local. Students often leave these internships with a job offer.

HOW LONG IS THE PROGRAM?

The program is five semesters with summers off, or about 2.5 years.

I HAVE TRANSFER CREDITS COMING IN FROM A DIFFERENT UNIVERSITY, HOW WILL I KNOW IF THEY TRANSFER?

Please take a look at our Transfer Equivalency System (TES). This will help you decipher which classes will transfer into Boise State. If you need further clarification, please contact a COHS advisor.

The College of Health Sciences has a team of advisors that assist with your transition to Boise State and are happy to meet with you to develop a plan for your academic journey at Boise State.   

DOES THE PROGRAM INCLUDE SUMMERS?

No, our program does not run through the summer months, but this is a great time for students to catch up on any university foundation classes they’re missing, or participate in summer clinical rotations.

WHEN SHOULD I APPLY TO THE PROGRAM? TO BOISE STATE?

The Respiratory Care Application Priority Deadline is March 1. You will need to apply to Boise State before applying to the respiratory care program.

WHAT IMPACTS APPLICATION ACCEPTANCE?

Grades and the interview portion have the biggest impact on the application.

WHO WILL BE MY ADVISOR?

Pre-BSRC students are advised through the College of Health Science Advising Office. Once admitted to the Respiratory Care program you will be assigned a faculty member as your advisor.

CAN A PERSON WHO EARNS A BSRC PRACTICE IN A DIFFERENT STATE?

Yes! Upon passing your National Board for Respiratory Care Exams, you can apply to work in any state. Licensure or registry rules vary state to state. You can find out more about state licensure requirements on our disclosure page. The National Board for Respiratory Care also has more information.

WHAT IS FERPA?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children’s education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records.  FERPA does not permit an advisor from discussing a student’s information with anyone besides the student. We are not able to discuss grades in front of the student’s parents. What we can do is talk in hypotheticals and leave any and all real grades out of the conversation. Or we can get a form that waives the right.

WHAT IF I AM NOT 100% SURE THAT I AM INTERESTED IN BEING A RESPIRATORY THERAPIST?

We recommend finding an opportunity to talk with or observe a respiratory therapist to see if respiratory therapy is the right fit for you. We also offer in person tours of our labs and classrooms conducted by one of our faculty members – who are registered respiratory therapists – so you can discuss the field with them as well.  Check out the American Association for Respiratory Care – Be an RT for more information on what being a respiratory therapist means.

WILL BEING ACCEPTED TO THE PROGRAM AFFECT MY NON-RESIDENT SCHOLARSHIP?

The Respiratory Care Program is eligible for non-resident scholarships such as the WUE. You can learn more about both scholarships on our scholarships page.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO WITH MY LICENSURE DOCUMENTS ONCE I COMPLETE THE PROGRAM?

We would be happy to fill out these documents for students who have graduated from our entry-to-practice program. You can send these directly to our Program Director at camillestover@boisestate.edu. PLEASE NOTE: We can only fill this out for students who graduate from our entry-to-practice program. Students that graduate from our degree advancement programs (RRT-BS and MSRC) will need to have their documents filled out by the institution where they completed their entry-to-practice program.