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If you’d like to learn more about the Respiratory Therapy program, we’d love to talk with you.
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Financial Aid Available
Program Transfers
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Program Overview
The Respiratory Therapy program at Madison College is an intensive full-time, two-year program leading to an Associate in Applied Science degree.
This program is designed to prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRTs).
The program includes classroom and lab instruction, simulation experience, and clinical practice at local hospital affiliates.
Respiratory Therapists work in a wide variety of clinical settings to evaluate, treat and manage patients with respiratory illnesses and other cardiopulmonary disorders.
Respiratory Therapists perform respiratory care procedures, such as patient evaluation, treatment selection and assessment of treatment, and are involved in clinical decision-making and patient education.
As a student in the Respiratory Therapy program, you will learn to:
- Assess cardiopulmonary status
- Draw blood samples and perform blood gas analysis
- Modify prescribed respiratory care and cardiopulmonary procedures
- Perform pulmonary function testing
- Evaluate and monitor patient response to treatment
- Provide patient, family and community education
- Participate in life support activities
Please note: upon admission to this program, you will be required to complete a background check and provide documentation of current required-immunizations and current Healthcare Provider CPR certification.
Program Details
Wisconsin law requires background checks for persons who provide care for others or have access to people who receive care. This law applies to students in many School of Health Sciences programs. Please review the Caregiver Background Check information on the School of Health Sciences Forms and Policies.
Students in the Respiratory Therapy program must attend full time.
Classes are offered Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Assigned clinical hours may vary between 6 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.Respiratory Therapy classes are offered at the Madison Truax campus.
Careers in Respiratory Therapy
As an advanced-level respiratory therapy program, graduates are eligible to become Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRT).
- Respiratory Therapist
- Certified Respiratory Therapist
- Registered Respiratory Therapist
With additional education and/or work experience, graduates may find employment as:
- Acute Care Respiratory Therapist
- Pulmonary Function Technologist
- Respiratory Care Manager
- Neonatal/Pediatric Therapist
- Sleep Disorder Therapist
- Home Care Therapist
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation Therapist
- Respiratory Care Practitioner
Program Resources
The Respiratory Therapy Program at Madison College, CoARC number 200154, Associate Degree in Applied Science, located at 1701 Wright Street, Madison, WI 53704 - Truax campus, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com). Find the Report on Accreditation in Respiratory Care Education here. Get programmatic outcomes data here.
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.
Respiratory Therapy Program Faculty:
Program Director, Patty Montgomery BS, RRT
Director of Clinical Education, Chris Becker MSE, RRT
Program Instructor, Lauren Kante, BSHM, RRT-ACCS
Program Instructor, Amy Setchell BSRT, RRT
Program Instructor, Joe Punzel BS, RRT
The Respiratory Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care -
Curriculum and Experience
Prospective program students, the information below reflects the basic requirements for students admitted for the 2025-2026 academic year. To learn more about Madison College, visit us.
Current and newly admitted program students, go directly to your Degree Progress Report to view:
- Progress toward your specific requirements
- Alternative (in lieu of) courses to meet specific requirements
If you have questions after reviewing your degree progress report (advisement report), please see Advising Services.
Pre-Program CoursesThe following courses should be taken during the petition process, prior to program acceptance.First SemesterSecond SemesterSummer TermThird SemesterFourth Semester -
Admission
To Apply
Students need to complete the petition process to get into core-program classes for this program. Before submitting an application, it’s important to review the Petition Process webpage which also includes estimated wait times for each program.
- View the admission requirements for application deadlines, materials, and requirements
- There is currently 0-1 year between acceptance into pre-program and the start of core classes. The estimated time to enter the core program is subject to change based on the variable number of students ready to petition each semester.
- During the course of the program, you must demonstrate the ability to perform these essential functions safely, reliably and efficiently within the scope of practice. If you need accommodations to help you perform these functions, contact our Disability Resource Services office.
- Learn more about the Madison College experience and get help with the admissions process
After Acceptance
Once you have been accepted in a pre-program status, your next step is to complete the Petition Requirements. See the Petition information in the next section.
Additional Notes
Students are required to meet the current admission and petition requirements. Requirements are subject to change based on updates to accreditation requirements or Madison College program assessment data.
Questions?
Contact Enrollment Services at EnrollmentServices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.
Get Started!
Apply to Madison College and take the first step towards your Respiratory Therapy career.
- View the admission requirements for application deadlines, materials, and requirements
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Petition
After Admission (Petition Requirements)
Run a Degree Progress Report to confirm which pre-program requirements are satisfied/not satisfied and specific ways to satisfy requirements.
Complete the Petition Requirements for Respiratory Therapy. Courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. A grade of C- will not be accepted.
Mandatory workshop in BlackBoard
Prerequisites:
- Algebra (testing, college coursework or bachelor’s degree in a related biological science)
- Chemistry (high school or college coursework)
- English and Reading (testing, college coursework or bachelor’s degree)
Course Requirements:
- Written Communication or English 1
Petitioning
This program petitions for entry into the following term:
- Fall - Petition window opens on April 1
Review the Petition Process for details on how and when to petition.
After Petitioning
If awarded a seat, you will receive instructions regarding the below required items. If you do not complete the required items, it may result in losing your seat and starting the application process from the beginning.
- Healthcare Provider CPR Certification
- Health Screening Form
- Background Information Disclosure Form (Criminal Background Check). An acceptable background check is required prior to starting clinical courses.
- Enrollment in core program courses. Students who are awarded a seat are expected to start the core program courses for the awarded term. Students who choose not to begin the core program courses or are not able to begin core program courses may be discontinued from pre-program status.
Questions?
Contact Enrollment Services at EnrollmentServices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.
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Transfer Opportunities
UW System Schools
The terms of the B.S in Human Services Leadership agreement are limited to students who complete selective A.A.S degrees and are admitted to the Human Services Leadership at UW-Oshkosh. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higherThe terms of the B.S in Leadership & Org Studies agreement are limited to students who complete selective A.A.S or A.A.A. degrees and are admitted to the Organizational Studies emphasis at UW-Oshkosh. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higherWisconsin Private Schools
Students with an AA, AS or AAS are Advanced Core. Advanced Core requires students to have earned at least 60 credits. Students transferring prior to completion or with less than 60 credits are standard core and credits are evaluated course by course.Student who earn an Associate Degree from Madison College can transfer a minimum of 60 credits and a maximum of 72 credits to Lakeland College to be applied to the requirements of the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences degree.Completion of an A.A.S. Degree at Madison College after 2015, and meeting admission requirements for the Rader School of Business (RSOB) at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) can earn a B.B.A degree in Technical Sales at MSOE.Wisconsin Technical College System
Universit of Mary will accept a maximum of 62 credits from the sending program. Remaining credits, as specified in the appended degree plan tables, will be completed at the receiving institution. Courses will transfer as described in the appended degree plan tables. Admission and Graduation Requirements: a) The receiving institution's admission and program admission requirements apply to both direct entry students and to students who transfer under this agreement. b) Students must fulfill the graduation requirements at both institutions. c) Students must complete the entire sending program and meet the receiving institution's admission requirements for the agreement to apply. d) Each institution shall determine the modality for delivering its courses, whether seated, online, or blended.Out-of-State Schools
Students who complete any associate degree at Madison Area Technical College will have no additional general education core curriculum requirements to meet but must satisfy the Kirkpatrick Signature Series requirement.Per the agreement, students must complete the associates of arts, associates of science or associates of applied science with an overall GPA of a 2.0 prior to transferring.Students graduating with an associate degree from MATC with a 2.0 GPA or higher are guaranteed admissions into CSU-Global and can transfer up to 64 semester credits from MATC to be applied toward earning a Bachelor’s Degree at CSU-Global.Franklin University will guarantee acceptance of Madison College graduates with an AA, AS, or AAS. Madison College graduates will have junior standing at Franklin University and may transfer up to 94 additional credits toward their baccalaureate degree. -
Career Outcomes
After completing the Respiratory Therapy program at Madison Area Technical College, you will be prepared to:
- Apply respiratory therapy concepts to patient care situations.
- Demonstrate technical proficiency required to fulfill the role of a respiratory therapist.
- Practice respiratory therapy according to established professional and ethical standards.
Graduates are qualified to sit for the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) examinations.
Find the Report on Accreditation in Respiratory Care Education here. Get programmatic outcomes data here.
Madison College's Respiratory Therapy program has a WTCS transfer agreement with Cardinal Stritch University, to earn your Bachelor of Science degree in Respiratory Therapy.
For further information regarding Madison College's Respiratory Therapy program, please contact Program Director, Patty Montgomery.
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Graduate Summary
Graduate Report Summary Overview
2022 2023 2024 Number of Program Graduates 17 21 19 Number of Surveys Sent 17 21 19 Number of Surveys Returned 12 19 17 Percent of Surveys Returned Available for Employment 12 19 17 Percent Available for Employment 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Not in Labor Market Percent Not in Labor Market 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Available for Employment
2022 2023 2024 Graduates Employed 12 18 17 Percent of Graduates Employed 100.0% 94.7% 100.0% Employed in Related Occupation 12 18 17 Percent Employed in Related Occupation 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Employed in Unrelated Occupation 0 0 0 Percent Employed in Unrelated Occupation 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Employed - No Response 0 0 0 Percent Employed - No Response 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Seeking Employment 0 1 0 Percent Seeking Employment 0.0% 5.3% 0.0% Reaction To Training at Madison College
2022 2023 2024 Student satisfaction Mean (Out of 4) 3.9 3.6 3.9 Number of Satisfaction Responses 12 19 17 Very Satisfied (4) 11 12 15 Percent Very Satisfied 91.7% 63.2% 88.2% Satisfied (3) 1 7 2 Percent Satisfied 8.3% 36.8% 11.8% Unsatisfied (2) 0 0 0 Percent Unsatisfied 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Very Unsatisfied (1) Percent Very Unsatisfied 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Primary Reason for Attending Madison College
2022 2023 2024 Number of Primary Reason Responses 12 19 17 Preparation for Getting a Job Percent Preparation for Getting a Job Career Change Percent Career Change Improvement of Existing Skills Percent Improvement of Existing Skills Preparation for Further Education Percent Preparation for Further Education Personal Interest Percent Personal Interest Other Percent Other 8.3% 0.0% 0.0% When Employment was Obtained
2022 2023 2024 Number of When Employment Obtained Responses 12 18 17 Before Enrollment 1 1 1 Percent Before Enrollment 8.3% 5.6% 5.9% While Attending the College 4 5 4 Percent While Attending the College 33.3% 27.8% 23.5% After Training at the College 7 12 12 Percent After Training at the College 58.3% 66.7% 70.6% Location of Employment (related and unrelated)
2022 2023 2024 Number of Employment Location Responses 12 18 17 In College District 5 14 14 Percent In College District 41.7% 77.8% 82.4% In Wisconsin, Not in District 6 2 1 Percent of In Wisconsin 50.0% 11.1% 5.9% Outside of Wisconsin 1 2 2 Percent Outside Wisconsin 8.3% 11.1% 11.8% Employer Location Unknown 0 0 0 Percent Location Unknown 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Salary Trend 2022 2023 2024 Full Time Employment (Related Job) Full Time Salary Count 11 15 16 Average Monthly Wage $4,527 $5,381 $5,321 Average Hourly Wage $26.32 $31.29 $30.94 Average Work Hours per Week 36.8 37.5 37.9 Part Time Employment (Related Job) Part Time Salary Count 3 1 Average Hourly Wage $32.44 $33.00 Average Work Hours per Week 32.0 30.0 -
Graduate Employers
Graduate Employers for academic year: 2024 Employer(s) Job Title City* State** Positions American Family Children's Hospital Respiratory Therapist 2 Meriter Hospital Registered Respiratory Therapist Meriter Hospital Respiratory Therapist Saint Anthony Medical Center Respiratory Care Practitioner Rockford IL Saint Joseph Hospital Respiratory Therapist Houston TX SSM Dean Health Respiratory Therapist Janesville St Mary's / Dean Ventures Respiratory Care Practitioner St Mary's / Dean Ventures Respiratory Therapist Unity Point Health-Meriter Respiratory Therapist UW Health Hospital & Clinics Registered Respiratory Therapist UW Health Hospital & Clinics Respiratory Therapist 6 * - Only cities outside of Madison will display.
** - Only states outside of Wisconsin will display.
*** - If you have a position to post, please contact Career and Employment Services at jobpostings@madisoncollege.edu