Respiratory Care-Professional Phase, Two-Year Track Option, MS

Master of Science Program

The Master of Science degree in Respiratory Care requires a minimum of 117 quarter hours of credit for graduation. This is an integrated program, requiring 29 quarter hours of program preprofessional prerequisite requirements prior to admission to Rush University for the professional phase (21 months). The preprofessional phase requirements may be completed at any accredited college or university and include the successful completion of a baccalaureate degree. Dedicated to clinical and academic excellence, the professional phase includes more than 1,200 hours of in-hospital clinical practice.

As a leadership program in respiratory care, this course of study aspires to provide graduates with the foundation needed to assume professional leadership roles in clinical practice, clinical specialty areas, research, education and management. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible for the national board examinations in respiratory care as well as state licensure.

Program Prerequisites

All program prerequisite courses must be taken prior to entry into the first year of the regular professional program (alterations in the student’s planned program require written approval by the Department Chair/Program Director). Registration for the first sequence of professional courses in the program requires:

• Admission into the program
• Completion of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, Physics, Microbiology, Psychology, Computer Science and Statistics with a grade of “C” or better
• Consent of the Committee on Progress and Promotions for Respiratory Care

Please note: Individuals holding the RRT credential may be admitted to the program prior to completion of all program prerequisites.

Master of Science

All professional courses (RC-prefix) in the Department are taught in a sequential manner. Each professional course in the program serves as the prerequisite for the subsequent course. Consequently, professional courses must be taken in sequence. Withdrawing or failure to successfully complete a professional course with a letter grade of “C” or better may result in the student being placed on the three-year track, given a leave of absence (LOA) and academic probation or dismissed from the program after review by the Committee on Progress and Promotions. Students readmitted to the program at times other than the fall quarter of the second year will pick up the course sequence as prescribed by the Chair/Program Director or Committee on Progress and Promotions for Respiratory Care.

Standards of Performance for Respiratory Care and Major Field-Related Courses

90 - 100 = A

80 - 89 = B

75 - 79 = C

70 - 74 = D

Below 70 = F

Unless otherwise described in a given course syllabus, the minimum satisfactory grade for course credit is a letter grade of “C” and all stipulated segments of a course must be passed by this standard. Students must demonstrate proficiency in all clinical skills presented in order to pass clinical courses. For all clinical courses, the final exam must be passed at the designated cut score AND a grade of “C” or better must be maintained in order to successfully complete each clinical course to continue in the program.

Students are expected to maintain an overall GPA in the program of at least 3.0.

Failure of the student to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 will subject the student to a review and may result in the student being placed on probation, given a LOA, or dismissed from the program after review by the Committee on Progress and Promotions.

If dismissed and the student wishes to reenter the program, he or she must reapply and will be considered on the same basis as any new applicant. Students who voluntarily withdraw from the program, either passing or failing, have no guarantee of reinstatement to the program. Students requesting readmission to the program should submit a letter to that effect to the Committee on Progress and Promotion for Respiratory Care. Students readmitted to the program will pick up the course sequence as prescribed by the Chair/Program Director or Committee on Progress and Promotions for  Respiratory Care.

The three-year track option may be used to remediate students that fail to earn at least a grade of “C” in each respiratory care course or maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.0. While on this three-year track, withdrawing or failure to complete a respiratory care professional course with a letter grade of “C” or better may result in the student being placed on academic probation, given a LOA or dismissed from the program after review by the Committee on Progress and Promotions.

Clinical Final Examinations

All students are required to pass the clinical final examination after completing Clinical course to continue in the program. In the event a student fails the clinical final examination, the student is allowed to make ONE more attempt to pass. In the event the student passes the clinical final exam on the second attempt the student will continue in the program. The grade earned on the first attempt will be used to calculate the final clinical grade. In the event the student does NOT pass the clinical final exam on the second attempt the student will be placed in remediation. The student will be given a third attempt to pass the final by the end of the next quarter. In the event the students does not pass on the third attempt the student will earn an “F” in the clinical course and may be suspended or released from the program.

Comprehensive End-of-Program Competency Assessment Examination

Before graduating, the student will successfully pass the SAE therapist multiple choice examination and SAE clinical simulation examination (CSE). The SAE therapist multiple choice examination will be taken during the winter session of the second year as a part of RC 421 , Clinical Practice II. The SAE clinical simulation examination (CSE) will be taken during the spring session of the second year as a part of RC 431 , Clinical Practice III. A passing score on both examinations are required to successfully complete RC 421  and RC 431 . Students who do not successfully complete these examinations will receive an Incomplete (“I”) for RC 421  and RC 431  and will retake the examinations. Those failing the examination twice may be enrolled in RC 421  or RC 431  as a directed Independent Study for remediation. Those failing the examination after multiple attempts will be subject to dismissal from the program. Those students may reapply to the program (see Procedures for Readmission). 

Conduct and Ethics

Each student is expected to conduct oneself at all times in a dignified manner. This manner conforms to the ethics of the profession and instills patient confidence in one’s abilities as a health care practitioner. Each student is expected to conform to the professional code of ethics as outlined in this handbook and policies outlined in the university catalog.

Irresponsible, unprofessional or unethical behavior as determined by the instructor or failure to follow the instructions of a clinical instructor during clinical practice may result in dismissal from the program. All hospital regulations are to be followed by students when undergoing clinical training in a facility.

Scholastic Dishonesty and Cheating

The Department will not condone cheating in any form. Plagiarizing or copying others writing or work is considered cheating. Any allegations of cheating will be reviewed by the Committee on Progress and Promotions for Respiratory Care and if merited, dealt with in a strict manner, including immediate dismissal from the program.

Any student found to be cheating on an examination, test, quiz or assignment will automatically receive a “0” for the grade and will be subject to dismissal from the program at the discretion of the Committee on Progress and Promotions for Respiratory Care. Failure to report incidents involving scholastic dishonesty on the part of another student will be considered unprofessional conduct on the part of the student and may result in disciplinary action.

Examination Administration \All examinations given by the department will be monitored by faculty or staff at all times. Students will be seated in such a manner as to minimize the opportunity for observation of other students’ examination papers. No breaks will be allowed once an examination period has begun, and students may not leave the room during an exam until they are finished taking the examination, except in the event of an emergency, which will be judged by the faculty or staff monitoring the exam on a case by case basis.

If a student turns in an examination without answering all questions, he or she will NOT be given an opportunity to finish the examination after leaving the room.

Only marks made on the Scantron sheet will be used to compute a grade on all Scantron-graded examinations. Even if a student marks the answer correctly on his or her examination, but does not mark it correctly on the Scantron, only the Scantron answer will be used to compute the grade, not the answer marked on the examination.

Programmable calculators will NOT be allowed during examinations.

Examination Review

At the discretion of the course instructor, during review of any examination given within the curriculum, no other papers or books will be allowed on the student’s desk. No writing implements of any kind will be allowed. NO note-taking or recording of any kind will be permitted. This includes written note-taking and/or recording with audiotape, videotape or any other form of electronic or mechanical recording. Violation of this policy will constitute academic dishonesty and will be referred to the Committee on Progress and Promotions for review and possible disciplinary action.

Preprofessional Phase - Program Prerequisites

The preprofessional phase (lower-division college-level coursework) requires a minimum of 29 quarter hours of prescribed study as outlined below.

General Education Requirements

Successful completion of a bachelor’s degree to include general education coursework in mathematics (college algebra or above), communications, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences as outlined below:

Professional Phase - Respiratory Care Professional Courses