Residential Respiratory Therapy Program
Prepare for an exciting career in respiratory therapy where you can play an integral role in the healthcare profession. With the Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy (BSRT) from Liberty University, you’ll get hands-on learning as you participate in seminars, engage in lab experiences, and perform clinical training in hospitals.
Choose between two pathways to your degree. Get the residential BSRT if you are new to the field, or the online BSRT (Post-Licensure) if you are already a practicing respiratory therapist with a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.
Here, you’ll learn from experienced and credentialed faculty and train with therapists, physicians, and nurses as you get your degree. This will prepare you to collaborate professionally with all members of the healthcare profession.
In addition to your core courses in respiratory therapy, you’ll also participate in clinical education courses. These courses incorporate a clinical component that includes practical experience, allowing you to develop as a competent professional under the supervision of a preceptor.
The B.S. in Respiratory Therapy degree is offered through the Department of Allied Health Professions.
Learn How To:
- Analyze breath and blood specimens
- Perform physical exams
- Respond to Code Blue and other urgent calls
- Help diagnose lung and breathing disorders
- Manage ventilators and artificial airway devices
- Provide inhalation medications
- Administer therapeutic inhaled gases such as oxygen, nitric oxide, and helium
- Educate patients and families about lung disease
- Perform airway clearance therapy
Degree Options
B.S. in Respiratory Therapy (BSRT)
With our BSRT residential degree, you’ll learn how to perform patient assessment, develop and monitor respiratory care plans, carry out disease management and rehabilitation, and serve as a physician extender to other healthcare professionals.
Once you graduate, you’ll be eligible to take and pass the national board exams for certification, become registered as an advanced-level respiratory therapist, and take specialty exams in perinatal/pediatrics and pulmonary function technology.
B.S. in Respiratory Therapy (BSRT): Post Licensure
Enhance your current career with our BSRT: Post-Licensure online degree. Qualify for a promotion or for positions in this field that require a bachelor’s degree, such as disease manager, case manager, clinical specialist, manager, or director.
Academics: Respiratory Therapy (BSRT)
Courses You Could Take
- Respiratory Care Equipment & Techniques (RESP 302)
- Neonatal Respiratory Care (RESP 320)
- Pediatric Respiratory Care (RESP 321)
- Respiratory Pharmacology (RESP 324)
- Critical Respiratory Care (RESP 400)
- Pulmonary Disease Management (RESP 408)
Admissions Requirements for Residential BSRT
Selection Process (Entry to Practice)
The residential Respiratory Therapy program is both competitive and selective. You’ll go through two application processes following the pre-professional phase of the program.
Initial acceptance will occur following the Freshman Spring semester. Full acceptance will occur after the Sophomore Fall semester. If you transfer to Liberty or change your major, your initial acceptance will be determined by the program director; while full acceptance is determined by the RT Program Admission Committee.
Criteria
Students must meet the following criteria:
- Be in good academic standing with the university
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
- Complete the provisional application form
- Provide a copy of all collegiate transcripts. Unofficial transcripts are accepted from Liberty University
- Provide a medical history form signed by a physician. The form shall include an endorsement by the physician stating that the student is physically able to meet the requirements of the program (See Essential Functions and Professional Expectations)
- Meet the Essential Functions for admission into the program
- Provide a copy of vaccination records, which must include up-to-date: rubella, tetanus, mumps, polio, chicken pox, and HBV vaccinations
- Successfully interview with RT Admissions Committee
Acceptance
Initial acceptance will only occur after final grades for the freshman Spring semester have been confirmed by the Registrar’s office. Due by April 15 to the RT Program Director
Full acceptance will be considered following our receipt of your final grades for the sophomore year.
To learn more about the requirements for all phases of acceptance please visit the Respiratory Therapy Admission Requirements page.
Career Opportunities as a Respiratory Therapist
- Generalist
- Neonatal/Pediatrics
- Adult Critical Care
- Transport
- Pulmonary Function Testing
- Sleep Medicine
- Pulmonary/Cardiac Rehabilitation
- Homecare
- Case Manager
- Disease Manager
- Clinical Specialist
- Researcher
- Supervisor
- Manager
- Director
Accreditation
The B.S. Degree Entry into Respiratory Therapy Practice, CoARC program number 200640, B.S. in Respiratory Therapy, in Lynchburg, Virginia, the program holds Provisional Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).
This status signifies that a program with an Approval of Intent has demonstrated sufficient compliance with the Standards (through submission of an acceptable Provisional Accreditation Self Study Report (PSSR) and any other documentation required by the CoARC, as well as satisfactory completion of an initial on-site visit, to be allowed to admit students. It is recognized as an accredited program by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), which provides enrolled students who complete the program with eligibility for the Respiratory Care Credentialing Examination(s). The program will remain on Provisional Accreditation until it achieves Continuing Accreditation.
The CoARC’s outcomes webpage https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/
CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, it utilizes an outcomes-based process. Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent to which the educational goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented.
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
State Licensure/Certification Disclosure
The Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy residential degree program is recognized as an accredited program by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (COARC). Upon successful completion of the program, students are eligible to sit for the Respiratory Care Credentialing Examination provided by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). The NBRC exam is recognized by Respiratory Therapy state regulatory agencies as satisfactorily meeting state exam requirements for entry to practice. Consequently, there are no additional educational requirements required for all 50 states.
It is important to note that individual states have the authority to require graduates to pass the NBRC exam and obtain a state license in order to practice as respiratory therapists. Students are strongly encouraged to review their state-specific regulations prior to enrollment for any non-educational requirements for their respective state such as license application qualifications, state fees, and character and fitness standards. For the most up-to-date information regarding respiratory therapy trainer state regulation for all states, please refer to https://www.nbrc.org/resources/#state-licensing
Prospective students should be aware that each state has different professional licensure and certification requirements governing various occupations. Liberty University works to confirm if its educational programs meet the educational prerequisites for professional licensure or certification outside the Commonwealth of Virginia and updates this information each year. Students who plan to pursue licensure outside the Commonwealth of Virginia should be aware that state licensure requirements are subject to changes. Students are ultimately responsible for verifying their individual eligibility for state licensure and satisfying any requirements imposed thereby. While a program may originally meet the educational requirements for licensure, changes in requirements could impact the program’s ability to meet any new educational requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to check with their state licensure board to confirm licensure requirements and obtain additional guidance as needed from the respective licensure board.
State Licensure/Certification
View the licensure/certification requirements for your state.
Location Change
At any time you may notify us of a location change that could affect your licensure disclosure information. We require that you provide us an official notification by completing the State Change Notification form. Any address changes done through your myLU portal will not be considered an official address change and will not generate an updated disclosure.
