Skip to main content.

As the only university in Kansas offering a four-year bachelor's degree in respiratory care, KU can prepare you for employment in a field projected to grow by 23% between 2020 and 2030.

Our bachelor's degree in respiratory care offers you the option to specialize in pulmonary rehabilitation, neonatology, adult critical care, management, education, sleep disorders, cardiopulmonary diagnostics and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. A professional license is required to provide clinical services in this field.

You can enter the respiratory care bachelor's degree program after completing your sophomore year of undergraduate study or after two years of study at a community college. See the prerequisites. If you're a biology or pre-pharmacy major, you have a great opportunity to enter respiratory care because of existing undergraduate prerequisites overlapping admission requirements for the program.

The program is taught by highly regarded KU faculty with experience in academia, clinics, hospitals and management at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Your studies also include a semester-long clinical assignment during senior year in your area of specialization and the opportunity to perform clinic rotations with affiliate hospitals in the Kansas City Metro Area. Upon graduation, you'll be well prepared to enter the workforce having received practical applications in diverse clinical settings.


Lambda Beta Society – KU Chapter

Lambda Beta Society logoThe University of Kansas is a member of the Lambda Beta Society. Students in our program have the opportunity to be nominated for membership if their GPA ranks in the top 25 percent of their class.

This national honor society for respiratory therapists also offers scholarships to respiratory care students, recognizes students in its permanent "Roll of Excellence," and provides honor cords for graduation, in addition to other benefits. Learn more at lambdabeta.org.


Accreditation Statement

Logo of the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory CareThe University of Kansas respiratory care program at KU Medical Center is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com), program number 200080.

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. View the programmatic outcomes data at coarc.com.


Graduates of KU's bachelor's degree program in respiratory care are eligible to take the national registration examination which provides eligibity for licensure in this field in all U.S. states. Licensing for employment in the state of Kansas is provided by the Kansas Board of Healing Arts. The National Board for Respiratory Care provides information on specific state licensure requirements.

Documents relating to accreditation status are available at the department office by request. Information for students.

Advising and Questions

photo of Alex LopezWe're here to answer questions and provide assistance as you explore the field of respiratory care! It is very important to contact us for advising as early as possible in your college career.

High school students, counselors and those in their early years of college study may contact Alex Lopez, our school's outreach and recruitment specialist, with questions at alopez12@kumc.edu or 913-588-1743 (711 TTY).

photo of Larry SteinIf you're interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree in respiratory care at KU, please complete the program advising worksheet and then contact Lawrence Stein, M.S., RRT, clinical assistant professor and on-campus program coordinator, to schedule an advising session.

KU School of Health Professions

University of Kansas Medical Center
Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Science
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Mailstop 1013
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-4630 • 711 TTY