Located in the heart of California's wine country, Napa Valley College offers limited entrance to 30 students into its respiratory therapy program each fall. This is a five-semester program and requires completion of college-level classes in algebra, chemistry and human anatomy as prerequisites to the program.
It's two-year, plus six-week summer session, program is not only accredited by the Commission of Accreditation for Respiratory Care---it is also approved by the American Medical Association. Upon completion of the program, students will receive an associate's of science degree and will be able to take the national exams to become a registered respiratory therapist, as well as the state exams for licensing.
Napa Valley College
2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway
Napa, CA 94558
707-253-3000
napavalley.edu
East Los Angeles College (ELAC) is located in southern California. Its respiratory therapy program provides a two-year associate's degree and is completely transferable to a state university for those seeking to further their careers in respiratory therapy. The career path is wide for respiratory therapists, and students may choose from specialties including adult, neonatal and pediatric care. At completion of the ELAC program, students will be able to take national tests and be licensed in the state as a registered respiratory therapist.
East Los Angeles College
1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez
Monterey Park, CA 91754-6099
323-265-8650
elac.edu
Students wishing to earn a bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy should consider Loma Linda University. Located near Los Angeles, the program's first two years focus on general education and science classes, such as microbiology and chemistry. The second half of the program focuses on critical care, pediatric respiratory care and pharmacology. Students will rotate into Loma Linda's medical center and its various clinics to gain hands-on experience. While there, students learn practical applications with state-of-the-art medical equipment. To be admitted to this program, students must have completed high school or a general education diploma, apply to the program and undergo a personal interview by faculty.
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, CA 92350
800-422-4558
llu.edu