Interested in saving lives? Want to become a lung and breathing expert? A St. Kate’s respiratory care major will teach you how to administer oxygen, medication and breathing/life support for patients of all ages and conditions.
You’ll also learn to assume a leadership position, promote disease prevention and participate in life-support decision-making.
What can I do with a degree in Respiratory Care?
With St. Kate’s respiratory care degree, you will be prepared to:
- Provide ethical, advanced-level respiratory therapy to patients of all ages
- Assume a leadership position in the profession
- Promote cardiopulmonary wellness, disease prevention and disease management
- Offer patient, family and community education
- Participate in life-support activities and clinical decision making
Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible to take the Entry-Level Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) Examination through the National Board for Respiratory Care. When you pass this exam, you earn the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) certificate, which enables you to apply for a license from the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice to work as a respiratory therapist.
Since the beginning, 100 percent of St. Kate’s graduates have passed this exam. Among them, 100 percent are employed—largely within the Twin Cities metro area.
The Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential, signifying advanced professional achievement, is an optional next step after earning your St. Kate’s degree and CRT. The rate of St. Kate’s graduates pursuing this credential is also well above the national average.
what will I study?
The St. Kate’s major in respiratory care blends liberal arts courses, such as philosophy and arts, with specialized topics from mechanical aids to emergency cardiovascular care, and healthcare ethics. All St. Kate’s classes include an ethics component.
Clinical experiences are another essential component of St. Kate’s respiratory care major. Students gain advanced-level knowledge and holistic patient-care skills by completing approximately 900 hours of clinical work.
These experiences — in settings such as neonatal, pediatric and rehabilitation — are a definite plus in a job interview, and increase your competitiveness for future job openings and graduate school.
St. Kate’s is a longtime leader in educating respiratory therapists. We’ve been training students for more than 45 years. St. Kate’s respiratory care program is one of the first in the United States.
Did you know?
- Respiratory Care is offered as a major and a second bachelor's degree.
Learn more
why St. Kate’s?
At St. Catherine University, you will grow as a leader who engages with intention, acts with justice and serves with compassion. You will build personal relationships with faculty and students alike, while you become immersed in active and collaborative methods of learning to achieve your goals.
Program Accreditation
The St. Catherine University Respiratory Care Baccalaureate Degree Major (St Paul, Minnesota) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).
Learn more about Accreditation for this program
