Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care

The Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care (BSRC) program provides credentialed Respiratory Care Practitioners (RCPs') a pathway to complete a four-year degree.

The program provides skills needed to enhance RCPs' performance and professional advancement in today’s healthcare environment. The BSRC program at Skyline College is designed to provide graduates of entry into respiratory care professional practice degree programs with additional knowledge, skills, and attributes in leadership, management, education, research, and advanced clinical practice that will enable them to meet their current professional goals and prepare them for practice as advanced degree respiratory therapists. 

Offered entirely online, the BSRC Program is structured to support the needs of working professionals. It promotes academic independence while providing structured guidance from experienced and dedicated faculty.

The BSRC program is fully aligned with the degree standards established by Education Code Section 78040 et seq. (2014), the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the California Community College Baccalaureate Degree Program (CCC-BDP) Committee; and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), ensuring full compliance with both state and regional accreditation requirements.

The program consists of a total of 120 semester units, distributed as follows:

  • At the Associate's Level, this includes:
    • 46 units of Respiratory Care major coursework
    • 34 General education units fulfilling Cal-GETC (California General Education Transfer Curriculum) requirements
  • At the Bachelor's Level, this includes:
    • A minimum of 40 semester units, which consist of the BSRC upper-division major coursework and upper-division general education

See the Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care degree for further requirements.

Associate's in Respiratory Care to Bachelor's in Respiratory Care Pathway

A pathway to Skyline College’s Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care degree for students who have already achieved an Associate Degree in Respiratory Care from a Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) approved college.

Students who wish to pursue a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Respiratory Care at Skyline College, who have already been awarded an Associate Degree in Respiratory Care from a CoARC accredited college or university in the United States, will be exempt from the Bachelor’s Degree lower division major coursework requirements with the exception of three prerequisite courses (RPTH 450, RPTH 485 and RPTH 490). The evaluation of these three prerequisite courses will be done individually by SMCCCD Transcript Evaluation Services*.

For more information, visit the District Transcript Evaluation Services website.