Respiratory Care

As a Respiratory Therapist, you will use a variety of sophisticated equipment and techniques to measure how a patient’s lungs and circulatory system are working in order to evaluate and monitor a patient’s respiratory health. Doctors and nurses rely on Respiratory Therapists’ specialized knowledge in areas such as use of oxygen and oxygen mixtures, and aerosol medications.

You will work with a variety of patients, from premature infants whose lungs are not fully developed, to elderly people who suffer from injury, severe illness, emphysema, chronic asthma, and other diseases. The other health care professionals on your team, as well as your patients, will depend upon you daily for the information you gather and the technical expertise you bring.

Quick Links

Admission Requirements Accreditation & Licensure National Board Exam Results Respiratory Care Student Handbook (PDF)

Why GCC?

At GCC, you can complete the Associate in Applied Science Degree Program (A.A.S.) in Respiratory Care in as little as two years of full-time study. After passing the National Board Examination, you will be able to move into the workforce, where we have 100% job placement.

GCC began the Respiratory Care Program in 1995 and is fully accredited by CoARC, the Committee for Accreditation of Respiratory Care. Our classroom and laboratory facilities are the best in New York State, providing an exciting learning experience.

The program occupies its own wing which contains a laboratory that looks like a hospital room, with working piped in oxygen and compressed air. The equipment is up-to-date, with educational grants and donations continuing to bring in modern equipment. This will allow you to be prepared with a working knowledge of the equipment you will use in your first work experience.

GCC is located half way between the major Western New York cities of Rochester and Buffalo. Because of our location, you will have access to over 20 different clinical sites, assuring the most complete clinical education in the area. In our program, you will complete almost 900 hours of clinical experience.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for fall acceptance, the following processes must be completed by March 1st:

Submit a GCC Admissions Application.
Submit high school transcripts or GED information to GCC Admissions.
Submit all college transcripts to GCC Admissions.
Submit your Program Application directly to Maureen Welch, Director of Respiratory Care or you may fax your Program Application to 585-345-6934

For a complete list of the requirements to apply to the Respiratory Care program, please see the Admissions Procedure.

Program Information

Accreditation and Licensure

The Respiratory Care Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). The 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. Outcomes Data for programs accredited by the CoARC are available on the Programmatic Outcomes Data page at the CoARC website (search for program #200435).

Reporting Requirement for Licensure or Certification for Respiratory Therapists

Effective July 1, 2024, federal regulation requires institutions of higher education to make a determination whether a Title IV eligible academic program that leads to professional licensure or certification meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the U.S. State where the institution is located and the U.S. States where “distance education” students are located at the time of initial enrollment in the program, as well as U.S. States where the program is advertised as meeting such requirements, and if applicable, the U.S. State where students attest they intend to be licensed/certified.

The Respiratory Care, AAS program at Genesee Community College is registered by the New York State Education Department and thus meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification for New York State.

The Respiratory Care program at Genesee Community College requires in person attendance to our campus in Batavia, NY in order to complete the program. If you reside outside NY state and/or are planning to be licensed in a state other than NY after completing your degree, please reach out to your program director to determine whether our program meets the standards of the chosen State.

National Board Exam Results

The National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) offers credentialing exams that graduates of this program may be eligible to sit for. Effective January 15, 2015 a single written exam entitled, “Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination” (TMC) is required to earn the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential while a series of both the TMC and the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE) is required to earn the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential. Individuals who pass the TMC at the NBRC determined “Low Cut” score earn the CRT credential. Individuals who pass the TMC at the NBRC determined “High Cut” score are eligible to sit for the CSE. Successful attainment of the TMC at the High Cut score AND a passing score on the CSE earns the RRT credential. Additional information about these credentials and the associated examinations can be found online at the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).

Note: credentialing is required to be eligible for licensure in New York State. Credentialing does not, however, guarantee licensure. Additional information about obtaining a license to practice Respiratory Therapy in NYS can be found online at the New York State Office of the Professions.

The following information compares our most recent graduates’ performance to the national average of all candidates attempting these exams. This data is from the NBRC school summary reports and is accurate as of 4/19/17. This information is also reported to the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) on an annual basis.

Genesee Community College Respiratory Care Program Class of 2015 Graduates Tested

Exam	GCC Total Passing	National Avg	GCC 1st-Time Passing	National Avg
TMC Low	100%	68.12%	92.86%	82.92%
TMC High	100%	52.52%	88.09%	73.79%
CSE	87.80%	50.25%	41.46%	56.16%

Degree Types

Associate In Applied Science (AAS)

AAS Program Learning Outcomes (PLO)

Upon completion of the program, the graduate will:

Demonstrate professional behavior consistent with employer expectations for advanced‐level respiratory therapists as documented by an employer survey with 90% of employers rating the graduate as acceptable or higher.
Demonstrate knowledge of professional behavior consistent with advanced‐level respiratory therapists as documented by a graduate survey with 90% of graduates rating the program as acceptable or higher in preparing them to display professional behavior in the workplace.
Demonstrate knowledge of the field of respiratory therapy consistent with advanced‐level respiratory therapists by passing the National Board for Respiratory Care’s Certified Respiratory Therapist and Registered Respiratory Therapist exams with a pass rate equal to or above the national average.
Demonstrate knowledge of the field of respiratory therapy consistent with employer expectations for advanced‐level respiratory therapists as documented by an employer survey with 90% of employers rating the graduate as acceptable or higher.
Demonstrate knowledge of the field of respiratory therapy consistent with advanced‐level respiratory therapists as documented by a graduate survey with 90% of graduates rating the program as acceptable or higher in preparing them to display the knowledge needed in the workplace.
Demonstrate the technical skills consistent with employer expectations to fulfill their roles as advanced‐level respiratory therapists as documented by an employer survey with 90% of employers rating the graduate as acceptable or higher.
Demonstrate the technical skills consistent with advanced‐level respiratory therapists as documented by a graduate survey with 90% of graduates rating the program as acceptable or higher in preparing them to display the technical skills needed in the workplace.
Demonstrate that the program prepared the graduate consistent with employer expectations to fulfill their roles as advanced‐level respiratory therapists as documented by an employer survey with 90% of employers rating the graduate as acceptable or higher.
Demonstrate that the program prepared the graduate to fulfill their role as advanced‐level respiratory therapists as documented by a graduate survey with 90% of graduates rating the program as acceptable or higher in preparing them to fulfill their roles as Advanced‐level respiratory therapists in the workplace.

Download the 2024-2025 Curriculum Worksheet for AAS [PDF]

College Students walking on outside on campus

Career Outlook

GCC graduates are prepared to take the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) exams to earn the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credentials. These credentials qualify graduates to apply for a state license to practice Respiratory Therapy. The program utilizes approximately 30 different clinical rotations in western NY and the majority of graduates are offered jobs at these locations upon graduation.

View Career Services

Contact Us

Quick Links

Why GCC?

Admission Requirements

Program Information

Accreditation and Licensure

Reporting Requirement for Licensure or Certification for Respiratory Therapists

National Board Exam Results

Degree Types

Associate In Applied Science (AAS)

AAS Program Learning Outcomes (PLO)

Career Outlook

Next Steps

Learn about Admissions

Experience Campus Life

Pay for College

Discover Transfer Pathways

Main Campus