Course description
The program is a partnership between Santa Monica
College and East Los Angeles College (ELAC). Graduates earn
a joint “certificate of completion” awarded by both colleges, as
well as an Associate degree in Respiratory Therapy. The possession
of the Associate degree and certificate of completion from
the program allows the graduate to sit for the California licensure
exam to become a licensed Respiratory Care Practitioner
(RCP). Graduates are also eligible for the Advanced Practitioner
exams offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care
(NBRC), which leads to the awarding of the nationally recognized
Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.
All coursework for the major must be completed with a
grade of C (2.0) or higher.
All of the first-year classes are offered on the SMC campus
(except Respiratory Therapy 2). Students must have taken one
year of HS algebra and chemistry or they must take the college
equivalent courses (Math 31 and Chemistry 10). Physiology
3 and Microbiology 1 must be completed within 7 years of
start of RES TH 1. Students accepted into the clinical phase
of the program, starting with the second-year summer session
(RT 15) enroll in a combination of lecture, laboratory, and
clinical courses offered on the ELAC campus, and taught by a
combination of ELAC and SMC faculty. Clinical training occurs
in some of the most respected medical facilities in the United
States (e.g., UCLA Medical Center and USC University Medical
Center) A typical sequence of courses is demonstrated below.
All coursework for the major must be completed with a
grade of C (2.0) or higher.
ASSOCIATE IN ARTS DEGREE – 69-71 UNITS
First Year (33-35 units)
SUMMER SESSION (6 units )
Two General Education Courses (6)
Summer Session Unit Subtotal: 6
FIRST SEMESTER (13-15 units )
MCRBIO 1, Fundamentals of Microbiology (5) or [ELAC]
MICRO 20, General Microbiology (4)
RESP TH 1, Introduction to Respiratory Therapy (2)
or [ELAC] RESP TH 1, Introduction to Respiratory Therapy (1)
RESP TH 29, Neonatal/Pediatric RT (4) or [ELAC] RESP
TH 29, Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Therapy (4)
RES TH 60, Respiratory Physiology (4) or [ELAC] RESP
TH 6, Respiratory Physiology (4)
First Semester Unit Subtotal: 13-15
Adult Critical Care Monitoring (3) or[ELAC] RESP TH 30, Adult critical Care Monitory and Diagnostics (3)
PHYSCS 12, Introductory Physics (3) or [ELAC] RESP TH
21, Physics of Respiratory Care (3)
Second Semester Unit Subtotal: 14
* General education requirements may vary according to math and
English placement results. General education courses may be completed
before, during, or after the Respiratory Therapy Program. Students
should consult the appropriate college’s catalog or college counselor for
specific general education program planning.
**RESP TH 2 offered only at ELAC (East Los Angeles
College) campus
Second Year (36 units)
All second year courses are East Los Angeles College courses
and are offered only on the ELAC campus
SUMMER SESSION (4 units )
RESP TH 15, Introduction to Clinical Experience (4)
Summer Session Unit Subtotal: 4
THIRD SEMESTER (17 units )
RESP TH 3, Application of Respiratory Therapy and
Clinical Experience I (5)
RESP TH 4, Application of Respiratory Therapy and
Clinical Experience II (5)
RESP TH 27, Physician Clinical Rounds, Critical Thinking
Lab 1 (1)
Two General Education Courses* (6)
Third Semester Unit Subtotal: 17
WINTER SESSION (1 unit )
RESP TH 31, Neonatal Resuscitation (1)
Winter Session Unit Subtotal: 1
FOURTH SEMESTER (14 units )
RESP TH 5, Application of Respiratory Therapy and
Clinical Experience III (5)
RESP TH 11, Application of Respiratory Therapy and
Clinical Experience IV (5)
RESP TH 28, Physician Clinical Rounds, Critical Thinking
Lab 2 (1)
General Education Course* (3)
