OneMSU's Distance Learning Solution

Thanks to the OneMSU Network, you can now get a two-year AAS degree in respiratory therapy from Great Falls College MSU and experience everything distance-learning education has to offer. Through the OneMSU Network you can:

  • Take prerequisites locally from your nearest OneMSU college.
  • Enroll in the Great Falls College respiratory therapy program, take academic courses online, and take labs and clinicals locally or with minimal travel.
  • Get your AAS degree in respiratory therapy.
  • Start your healthcare career while staying connected to your friends, family, and community.

Respiratory Therapy Career 

Similar to nurses, respiratory therapists attend to patients’ bedside care, but these healthcare professionals will likely tell you their work is much more specialized.

As experts in the cardiopulmonary system, respiratory therapists often serve on critical care teams, supporting critically ill patients whenever breathing problems occur. They might also work with anesthesiologists to monitor patients' breathing after surgery, operate life-saving mechanical ventilators, attend high-risk births, or help diagnose sleep disorders like sleep apnea, among many other job functions.

Most people take breathing for granted, but for the thousands of people who suffer from breathing problems, each breath is a major achievement. Those people include heart-attack and trauma victims; patients with chronic lung problems such as bronchitis, asthma, and emphysema; premature infants; and people with lung cancer, AIDS, and cystic fibrosis. In each instance, patients will likely work with a respiratory therapist under the direction of a physician.

Jobs in the respiratory therapy field are expected to grow much faster than average, and respiratory therapists in Montana earn a median annual wage of $65,060.

Respiratory Therapy Program Overview  

Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Respiratory Care, the Great Falls College Respiratory Therapy Program is designed to help you develop the skills required for a successful career as a respiratory therapist. Upon completion of the AAS degree in respiratory therapy, graduates will be prepared for a career as a respiratory therapist. Graduates are eligible to take the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) Certification and Registry practitioner examinations.

Program Requirements

Explore prerequisites, a sample course plan, costs and more on the Great Falls College website.

Start Your Career

Contact an advisor from your nearest OneMSU Network college to get important instructions on how to take the next step toward a career in respiratory therapy.