NOTE: Currently there is a waiting list for admission into the Respiratory Therapy Technology (RTT) Program. The current waiting list is for Fall 2026. All potential RTT students must contact the department hlt@bmcc.cuny.edu with their name and address to be placed on the waiting list. You will not be able to apply directly to the program. However, you may apply as Undeclared Health-Respiratory Therapy to complete your pre-requisite courses.
The department will e-mail you back to confirm that your email was received and provide additional information regarding the program. Admission into the program does not guarantee you a seat in the actual Respiratory Therapy classes.
The Respiratory Therapy program is a day program only. There are no evening/weekend RTT courses.
Respiratory Therapist (RTs) are licensed healthcare professionals who treat people with conditions affecting the cardiopulmonary system. Respiratory Therapists treat conditions such as asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, cardiovascular disorders, and trauma.
The Respiratory Therapy Technology (RTT) Program will provide you with the necessary skills and experience to become competent respiratory therapists. You will receive specialized training in the clinical care of patients with cardio-respiratory problems. See the Respiratory Therapy Student Handbook for more information about the program.
Upon completing the requirements listed below, students receive the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree and are eligible to take the Certification and Registry Examinations given by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc.
The Respiratory Therapy Technology (RTT) Program is a two-year, 5 semester 73 credit full-time day program offered through the Allied Health Sciences Department at BMCC. The BMCC Respiratory Therapy Program (#200116) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). 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. See information regarding program outcomes.
Program Policies
Starting in the fall 2009 semester, in order to be admitted into the Program, students must provide documentation for one of the following categories:
- U.S. citizenship.
- Permanent Residency.
- International Student with F1 status.
- Granted Asylum, Refugee Status, Temporary Protected Status, Withholding of Removal, Deferred Enforced Departure, or Deferred Action Status by the U.S. Government.
In order to maintain eligibility in the program, students must attain an average of “C” or better in all RTT courses. Students who fail any Respiratory Therapy course may repeat such course only once. Students who have been academically dismissed must attain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or above in order to re-enter the Respiratory Therapy program. BMCC students wishing to transfer into Respiratory Therapy must also have attained a GPA of 2.0 or above.
NOTE: Admission to the RTT sequence occurs in September only. All students must complete any remedial requirements prior to admission to the RTT sequence. All students are required to show proof of physical examination, per New York State Department of Health requirements for hospital personnel.
Transfer Options
BMCC has articulation agreements with several four year colleges to allow you to seamlessly continue your education there without any loss of credits.
Explore Careers
BMCC is committed to students’ long-term success and will help you explore professional opportunities. Undecided? No problem. The college offers Career Coach for salary and employment information, job postings and a self-discovery assessment to help students find their academic and career paths. Visit Career Express to make an appointment with a career advisor, search for jobs or sign-up for professional development activities with the Center for Career Development. Students can also visit the Office of Internships and Experiential Learning to gain real world experience in preparation for a four-year degree and beyond. These opportunities are available to help BMCC students build a foundation for future success.
Related Communities
Requirements
Respiratory Therapy Academic Program Maps
Required Common Core
| English Composition | 6 |
| Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning | |
| MAT 109 Mathematics for Respiratory Therapy | 3 |
| Life and Physical Sciences | |
| CHE 118 Fundamentals of Chemistry | 4 |
| OR | |
| CHE 121 Fundamentals of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry | 4 |
| TOTAL REQUIRED COMMON CORE | 13 |
Flexible Core
| Scientific World | |
| BIO 425 Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| PSY 100 General Psychology | 3 |
| TOTAL FLEXIBLE COMMON CORE | 7 |
| TOTAL COMMON CORE | 20 |
Curriculum Requirements
- Students are given the knowledge, skills, and attitudes basic to all patient care, with special emphasis on the basic science principles applicable to medical gases, pressure breathing devices, gas exchange, artificial ventilation, and respiration. This course also involves the study and operation of basic respiratory therapy equipment such as cannulae, masks and tents, nebulizers, flowmeters and regulators, oxygen analyzers, and oxygen supply systems. Prerequisite: Matriculation in the RTT Program, Corequisites: RTT 101, MAT 109
- This laboratory course gives the student the opportunity for hands-on learning of equipment found in Respiratory Therapy departments of affiliated hospitals. The student observes, operates, disassembles and reassembles equipment until fully competent at setting up, operating, and trouble shooting. Students become familiar with equipment used in respiratory care prior to use in direct patient contact.
Corequisites: RTT 100, MAT 109
- This continuation of applied science principles is fundamental to Respiratory Therapy. Special emphasis is placed on the theory of airway management, respiratory diseases, introductory pharmacology, ventilators used in IPPB therapy, acid-base chemistry, and a knowledge of emergency care.
Prerequisites: RTT 100, RTT 101, CHE 118, Corequisites: RTT 202, BIO 426 - This is a supervised clinical experience in Respiratory Therapy hospital affiliations. Students work with patients utilizing equipment such as oxygen catheters and cannulae, masks, tents, nebulizers, flowmeters and regulators, oxygen analyzers, and oxygen supply systems.
Prerequisites: RTT 100, RTT 101, CHE 118, Corequisites: RTT 201, BIO 426
- This course is a 10-week, 40-hour-per-week practicum required of students registered in the Respiratory Therapy curriculum. The Respiratory Therapy Summer Clinical Practicum is a continuation of the clinical training and experience introduced during the second semester of the program (RTT 201 and RTT 202). The schedule is structured to rotate groups in the class through various participating clinical facilities where students will have patient bedside instruction and practice in oxygen therapy, aerosol treatment and ventilation, and bedside intensive care for adults and pediatric patients.
Prerequisites: RTT 201, RTT 202
- Skills in patient care are further developed and emphasis is placed on continuous ventilation and acid-base chemistry. The physiology of the cardio-pulmonary system, the ethical and legal implications, and responsibilities relating to Respiratory Therapy services are discussed.
Prerequisites: RTT 210, BIO 426, Corequisites: RTT 302, RTT 310, RTT 320 - This is a continuation of the supervised hospital Respiratory Therapy clinical experiences dealing with complex patient equipment such as ventilators, resuscitators, respirators, use of blood-gas analyzers, and aerosol apparatus.
Prerequisites: RTT 210, BIO 426, Corequisites: RTT 301, RTT 310, RTT 320 - This course exceeds the scope of Anatomy and Physiology I & II, and stresses physiological properties of the heart, blood vessels and lungs, particularly as they are interrelated and as they contribute to preserving the integrity of the human nervous system. The material is taught in a clinically-oriented manner to reinforce those aspects of cardio-pulmonary physiology most relevant to the care of patients. Prerequisites: RTT 202, BIO 426 or departmental approval Corequisites: RTT 301, RTT 302, RTT 320
- This course introduces students to the most common tests of pulmonary function in adults and children. Students will be required to perform these tests and interpret their significance.
Prerequisites: RTT 202, BIO 426, MAT 109 departmental approval, Corequisites: RTT 301, RTT 302, RTT 310
- Micro-organisms pathogenic to humans: their characteristics, pathogenicity and modes of transmission are studied. Instruction includes a study of the sterile technique and maintenance of the sterile field. Required in selected programs in the Health Sciences; available to other students through Departmental approval.
Prerequisites: BIO 426 and CHE 118, or CHE 121, or departmental approval
Course Syllabus - This two-semester course explores the human body as an integrated, functional complex of systems. Terminology, structure and function of each organ-system, with emphasis on their interrelationships, are explained. Required of students in the health services technologies; available to all other students for elective credit.
Prerequisite for BIO 426 is BIO 425. Two terms required. Prerequisite: CHE 118 or CHE 121, or departmental approval NOTE: BIO 425 and BIO 426 do not meet the science requirements in the liberal arts curriculum.
Course Syllabus - This course serves as an introduction to Physics, especially for students who are not science-oriented. A selected number of basic physical ideas are carefully examined and interpreted non-mathematically. The relevance of the scientist and his/her work to the lives of non-scientists is continually examined.
Course Syllabus - This course provides students with a knowledge of the various methods of sterilization, diseases and problems resulting in respiratory failure, cardio-pulmonary function testing and diagnosis, pediatric respiratory care, percussive therapy and postural drainage, and administrative responsibilities of the therapist. Preparation is included for the Credentialing Examinations.
Prerequisites: RTT 301, RTT 302, RTT 310, RTT 320, Corequisites: RTT 403, RTT 410 - This last course of supervised hospital Respiratory Therapy clinical experience continues emphasis on administration of respiratory therapy care to patients with additional work in hospital departmental operation, including patient record-keeping, reporting, and charting. Interdisciplinary team relationships are also stressed.
Prerequisites: RTT 301, RTT 302, RTT 310, RTT 320, Corequisites: RTT 401, RTT 410 - This course is an assimilation of the basic and clinical sciences from several areas of medicine, to help students develop a deeper understanding of the patho-physiological consequences of such diseases as asthma, atelectasis, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, infant respiratory distress syndrome, and others. Independent study and student participation in teaching are encouraged.
Prerequisites: RTT 301, RTT 302, RTT 310, RTT 320, Corequisites: RTT 401, RTT 403 or departmental approval - Fundamental principles and concepts in pharmacology are considered. Particular attention is given to drug action and interaction, and to the effect of drugs and toxic substances in the human organism. This course is required in selected programs in Allied Health Sciences; available to all other students for elective credit. It is recommended that students complete HIT 103, Medical Terminology I, before registering for this course.
Prerequisite: BIO 426 and CHE 118 or CHE 121, or permission of the department
Course Syllabus
