Respiratory therapists are vital members of the health care team, especially in critical care settings such as emergency departments and intensive care units. They assess and treat patients who are having trouble breathing, whether from illness, cardiac arrest, trauma from an accident or chronic respiratory conditions.
CCBC’s accredited Respiratory Care Therapy program has been preparing skilled therapists since 1980. Our comprehensive training equips you to pass national board exams, earn your license and work confidently in a range of environments—from hospitals and sleep clinics to home health care. Whether you're managing ventilators or supporting patients with long-term conditions, you’ll make a meaningful impact every day.
Train in our state-of-the-art facility at CCBC Essex and gain hands-on experience through clinical rotations.
The field of respiratory care therapy has a projected 13% employment growth by 2032 and a competitive median annual salary ($77,960).
After graduating from CCBC, you can seamlessly transfer your credits to Towson University’s Bachelor of Technology in Allied Health program and continue toward your academic goals.
In addition to the thousands you'll save by choosing CCBC, students may be eligible for additional scholarship opportunities from national respiratory therapy organizations.
The Respiratory Care Therapy Program, number 200445, is accredited by CoARC, the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. The program received a 10-year accreditation award in March 2017 with the next scheduled review in March 2027.
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. Public information on the program outcomes can be found on CoARC’s outcomes webpage.
In addition to the numerous financial aid opportunities at CCBC, there are several external scholarship opportunities for respiratory care therapy students:
After earning your degree, you'll be eligible to take the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) exam and become licensed in the State of Maryland. For resources on Maryland state licensing for respiratory care practitioners, visit the Maryland Board of Physicians website.
What will you do after CCBC? There are several professional growth opportunities in this field, whether you wish to earn an advanced degree or specialize in a particular area of respiratory care therapy.
Ready to get started? So are we! Find admission requirements on our SHP admissions page or download the PDF packet.
Program Director, Respiratory Care Therapy
