Respiratory Therapy Associates Program

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Application Process

The Los Angeles Valley College Respiratory Therapy Program accepts applications once a year for the Clinical Internship, which starts in spring each year and consists of RT 15, 3,4,5,6,7,8, and 11.
If students have completed or are currently enrolled in RT 1 and 2, they may submit applications beginning in September of each year. Applications and all transcripts must be submitted no later than November 1st.

In order to apply to the Program the following steps must be completed by 5:00 PM on November 1st each year.

All students must have a current LAVC Application on file with the Admissions Office before their application is considered. International students must first apply to the International Student Program.

All U.S. transcripts that are not from Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) must be mailed directly from the college attended to the LAVC admissions Office. Hand carried transcripts of any kind are NOT acceptable as official transcripts. Students are also responsible for verifying with the Admission’s Office that all transcripts have arrived by the Nov.1st, 5 PM deadline. Students must also confirm with the Admissions Office that transcripts have arrived prior to making a counseling appointment for evaluation of domestic transcripts and verification of program prerequisites.

All transcripts from outside of the U.S. must be evaluated according to the following procedures:

    • Foreign academic or medical degrees are not recognized by the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC). An Associate of Science in RT must be completed to obtain a Respiratory Care Practitioner ( RCP) license and credential
    • Students must have completed 12 units with a “C” average within LACCD prior to submitting petition for credit.
    • Submit foreign transcripts to an LAVC-approved foreign transcripts evaluation service to obtain credit recommendations towards completion of RT program prerequisites.
    • Submit by mail or in person directly to the Graduation Office for the LAVC’s Petitions Committee consideration, a sealed copy of the evaluation service’s credit recommendations along with a petition for approval of credit. Credit approval is NOT automatic; see a counselor for details.
    • Translated foreign transcripts must be received and on file to LAVC Admissions Office by November 1st.
  1. After completing steps 1-3, students must schedule an appointment with a counselor to evaluate all transcripts before enrolling in RT 2. The counselor will provide students with a verification of prerequisites. Any disputes over course equivalency will be handled by the appropriate Department Chair or Program Director.
  2. RT program enrollment is limited by the number of clinical positions available at each of the medical centers that serve as Clinical Training Centers for the LAVC RT Program.
  3. Any late applications or transcripts submitted after November 1st and before the beginning of the spring RT15 class will be considered only if there are available clinical internship spaces. These late applicants will only be considered after all students who submitted applications and transcripts by the deadline of 5:00 PM November 1st have been evaluated and accepted.
  4. Applications for the Respiratory Therapy Program will be provided by the RT Program Director at the beginning of the RT 2 class each fall semester. Both the RT application form & the Respiratory Therapy Prerequisite Verification form completed & signed by a LAVC counselor must be submitted directly to the RT Program Director by 5:00 PM November 1st.

  • All applicants must have completed or be currently enrolled in all prerequisite or co-requisite courses for RT 2.
  • All applicants must have completed or be currently enrolled in RT 1 and RT 2.
  • All prerequisites and co-requisites for RT 2 must be completed with a grade “C” or better.
  • The Respiratory Therapy Program Director may ask students to provide written proof of grade “C” or better in any currently enrolled prerequisite course.
  • Priority of acceptance; Qualified applicants who have completed the necessary requirements by 5:00 PM November 1st will be admitted based on their active application date to LAVC (provided by LAVC Admissions office) without any significant lapse in enrollment. Lapse is defined as absence for two or more consecutive semesters, fall and spring only). The active college application must be made directly through the LAVC Admissions Office. Application dates from other LACCD campuses will not be considered.
  • Priority is for 1st time applicants. Applications from returning students who dropped or failed out of a LACCD RT program will be considered only if there are any open spots after all new applicants have been accepted. (LACCD policy 6701; Students must petition if they wish to repeat a course more than three times in which substandard grades “D, F”, or NC” were awarded in the district).
  • Applications from students who enrolled and completed RT 2 or subsequent RT courses at another college will be considered only if there are open spots after all first time applicants have been accepted.
  • Any falsification of transcript or application information is grounds for admission denial into the RT Program and possible investigation for student disciplinary action.
  • The Respiratory Therapy Program Director will notify all applicants in writing of admission or denial during the last scheduled class session of RT 2.
  • Admitted students must declare their intent to enroll either by writing or by emailing the RT Program Director before the last day of the fall semester.
  • Accepted students who do not respond by the specified deadline will be dropped. Their clinical position will then be offered to another qualified applicant.
  • If a student applies and is denied because of limited class size or voluntarily does not accept entrance into the RT program, he or she may reapply the next year.
  • All prior applications will be destroyed; students will need to re-submit applications if they wish to reapply to the program.

In order to graduate from the college and receive an Associates of Science degree in Respiratory Therapy, the student is strongly encouraged to contact a counselor well in advance of completion of the RT program. The California Respiratory Care Board requires completion of an approved Respiratory Therapy Program, passing the National Respiratory Care Board’s Certification Respiratory Therapist (CRT) Exam, as well as an AS degree or higher in order to obtain a license.

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Class Schedules and Student Handbook


Student Handbook

For program information and policies download the Student Handbook 


Class Schedules

RT 15 = 1st rotation 4weeks – May 3 – May 26th
Two 12 hour shifts Wednesdays and Thursdays ( UCLA may be Thursdays and Fridays)
---- No 1st year students will attend CHLA or Barlow Clinics (Total hours are 96.)

RT 3 Second Rotation – 4 weeks Mid July – August – 7/18-8/11
Four 8 hour shifts – Tuesday through Friday (UCLA, Barlow , St Joe’s, St John’s 3 days 2 12 hrs and one 8 hour Tues – Thursday & UCLA Wen – Friday (Total hours are 128)

RT 4 = 3rd Rotation – 11 weeks 9/27 – 12-7
Two 8 hour shifts per week & 16 hours TBA – Wens and Thursday ( total hours are 192) – UCLA Thursday & Friday

Starts early – after 3 week winter break

RT 5 = 4th Rotation 8 weeks Jan – March
Wens and Thurs 12 hour shifts except (UCLA Thur Friday)
CHLA students will attend 3 8 hour shifts Tues – Thursday (Total hours are 192)

RT 11 = 5th Rotation 7 weeks March – April h
Wens and Thursday 12 hour shifts except & 24 hrs TBA
CHLA students will attend 3 8hour shifts Tues – Thursday (total hours are 192)

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Start by contacting our counseling Department for any
    questions or to verify the requirements or apply for an A/S in RT: contact the Career Technical Counselor Ashley Du @email (818) 947-2600 ext. 4200, Andres Cruzalegui @email or Joyce Romero, at (818) 947-2644 or at @email. Or any other counselor can assist you.
  • Apply directly to LAVC at www.lavc.edu for an Associates Degree in Respiratory Therapy.
  • Take your English and Math Placement test in the Assessment Center in the Student Services Building, Room 242 (no appointment is necessary).Hours are posted at www.lavc.edu/admissions/assessment-center.
  • Attend a first semester educational planning session in person or do an online orientation at www.lavc.edu. The Counseling Department provides first semester advisement during the orientation. Appointments for orientation are made in the Assessment Center.
  • Review the requirements for application to the RT Program on the LAVC RT website at www.lavc.edu/restherapy/.
  • If you have transcripts from outside of the Los Angeles Community College District you must have them mailed from your previous school to the LA Valley College Records Office. Once you have confirmed that the transcripts have been received, call the Counseling Office at (818) 947-2600 Ext. 4200 to set-up a one hour transcript evaluation appointment.

  • ASAP – the earlier your application date the better your chances of getting into phase 2 without having to wait a year.
  • You apply to phase I prerequisites by just applying to and registering for classes at LAVC.
  • You must meet with a counselor to have your prerequisites verified before you can enroll in RT 2.
  • The counseling department has a RT perquisite form that you and your counselor must complete.
  • Applications to the RT program for Phase II are issued and accepted each fall when students are enrolled in RT 2.
  • Applications are distributed to RT 2 students by the RT Program Director.

  • Depending on your schedule – approximately 3 years including 3 semesters of prerequisites for phase I, and 3 semesters plus summer for phase II clinical training.

  • Yes we can take 56 students into RT 2 each fall
  • we accept 30 students into phase II RT 15 and have had 10 – 20 applicants each year that needed to reapply a year later to get into phase II
  • Class size is limited by the number of students we can train in the hospitals – we put 3-5 students into 9 hospitals
  • Each student will train at 5 hospitals for 5- 12 weeks at a time
  • See Hospital affiliates

  • No – you must contact the RT program director to submit a new application each year in fall before November 1st.

  • See RT application requirements on the RT web page

  • See the RT schedule of classes section on the RT web page

  • Some phase 1 prerequisites are offered at night.
  • RT 1 is offered in fall and spring in evening.
  • RT 2 is only offered in the fall evening and afternoon.
  • All classes are Monday – Friday no weekends.

  • Complete an A/S in RT
  • Obtain an RRT credential from the NBRC by passing the Associative Science Degree NBRC RRT ( TMC) exam and NBRC Clinical Simulations exam (Effective Jan 2015 Entry Lever CRT exam Credential is no longer sufficient to obtain a RCP License in California)
  • Apply for the license with California Respiratory Care Board http://www.rcb.ca.gov/

  • All RT grads must take and pass the RRT pass rate for Therapist Multiple Choice (TMC) Exam.
  • Following the TMC exam you will be eligible to take the NBRC Clinical Simulation exam. Completion of both exams will earn the graduate the NBRC RRT credential.
  • LAVC RT program is an Associative Science Degree RRT eligible program.
  • Exams and requirements are issued through the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) http://www.nbrc.org/.
  • See Accreditation section on LAVC RT Web site.

  • The NBRC and California Respiratory Care Board require that your transcripts from LAVC list that you have “met the requirements for an A/S degree in RT”
  • If you have a B/S or higher in science, then typically you do not need to apply for an A/S at LAVC as long as your transcripts have the above statement.
  • Foreign medical or respiratory therapy degrees are not recognized by the NBRC.

  • After you have completed 12 units within the Los Angeles Community College District you can submit an evaluation of your foreign coursework done by an approved transcript evaluation agency along with a petition for credit to be awarded towards meeting program requirements. To challenge prerequisite requirements, please see the RT Program Director.
  • These forms are available at the LAVC Counseling Department.

  • Yes except RT 2 or higher RT courses.
  • If you take RT 2 or higher RT courses you will be considered a transfer student, and we can only accept you if we have an opening after ALL other LAVC RT applicants have been reviewed.

  • RT 1 yes.
  • RT 2 or higher see above statement.

  • Long term is excellent.
  • Short term employment is tight however most graduates are employed within 12 months of graduation.
  • The medical centers usualy receive a large number of applications for any posted positions.
  • LAVC employment rates are posted with the program NBRC passing rates at CoARC website http://www.coarc.com/

  • E-mail Gregory Morrison @email any time
  • Office hours are usually Mondays 3 – 5 or Thursdays after 2:00 p.m. with an appointment when classes are in session.

  • Currently we do not penalize for this, but our application process is revised every year so this could change.

  • We do accept Physics 12.
  • We also typically accept any college level general survey physics classes as long as they cover gas laws and fluidics in the course curriculum.
  • Do not take an engineering based physics class. These require a much higher math requirement and do not cover gas laws.

  • No, however this class fills quickly. You will need to apply as soon as possible. Students who have enrolled at LAVC and maintained continuous enrollment (not missing a consecutive fall and spring semester) will have priority over new and returning students.
  • If the class is full you may show up on the first day of class to try to obtain an Add Card from the instructor.

  • No, however the last 4 years we have more the 30 students apply to the RT 15 Clinical Phase 2. We can only take 30 students into RT 15.
  • Students who complete RT 2 but are not accepted into Rt 15 need to reapply the following year by contacting the RT Program director in the fall before November 1st – (see RT program application requirements).

  • Contact the RT Program Director to obtain an application to review all RT classes and prerequisites
  • Make an appointment to meet with the Career Technical Education (CTE) counselor to review and verify all prerequisites for RT and general education for the A/S Degree
  • The other RT program’s classes and prerequisites must be from a regionally accredited school. Community Colleges or University based programs such as East Los Angeles/Santa Monica Community college are courses that can be used for our program.
  • Most private (proprietary) schools such as Concord or American Career College courses are not transferable. The Counseling Department can provide further information to assist you.
  • Advanced Placement or Transfer students can only be considered if they have met prerequisite requirements, and if there is clinical space available in our LAVC RT Phase 2 classes.
  • If you are an entry level CRT we do not have a specific advance placement fast track program to become an RRT. Contact the RT Program

  • No. It is violation of CoARC accreditation standards 5.02 to use employed hours for patient care duties as credit for clinical internship / training.
  • Director to obtain an application to have your RT courses and transcripts evaluated. You will also need to make an appointment with our CTE
  • Any CRT would have to have come from a transferable program and have their prerequisites evaluated, or start from Phase I.

  • Yes but transcripts need to be mailed from the school where the prerequisites were completed and students need to set up a transcript evaluation appointment to have the courses evaluated by an LAVC Counselor.
  • The RT program Director can also approve perquisites but you must contact the Counseling Department first.

Accreditation

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.

The LAVC Respiratory Therapy program, CoARC number 200210, awards an associate's in science degree. The program is located in the San Fernando Valley in California and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).