Respiratory Therapy Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Respiratory Therapy Program, the following items must be received in the Admissions Office by April 1:

(Contact (740) 351-3240 about possible late application options)

• Application to Shawnee State University
• Health Science Program Application
• Official High School Transcript -or- Official GED Score Transcript and Partial H.S. Transcript
• Official College Transcripts
• Proof of Algebra, Biology and Chemistry with "C" or Above
• Completed Respiratory Therapy Program Application
• ACT Score with "18" in Science Reasoning and comprehensive scores
• Overall GPA 2.0 or greater
• The curriculum in the SSU Respiratory Therapy program meets the requirements for licensure in all states.

To further understand these requirements, please read the following information completely.

If you have questions regarding these requirements, please contact the Health Sciences Administrative Assistant, at (740) 351-3236.

1. You must first apply for admission to SSU.
2. Fill out the Health Science Program Application.
3. The application must be received in the Admission's Office by April 1, (but contact Director (740) 351-3240 about possible late applications options).
4. Students should request that official copies of high school and college transcripts be sent to the Admission's Office at Shawnee State University. Transcripts should be sent after application to Shawnee State has been made to avoid confusion. If the transcript was under a different name, please request that they include your current name and/or social security number. Transcripts sent under other names may not be traceable and may not be credited to your file.
   High School Transcripts:
   Final, official transcripts can be submitted by the following methods:
   1. Mailed directly from the high school
   2. Hand carried in an envelope with the high school guidance counselor or high school official's signature across envelope seal
   3. Sent via FAX from the high school accompanied with a signed transmittal form by the guidance counselor or high school official
   4. Sent by electronic transfer by the guidance counselor or high school official.
   Previous College/University Transcripts:
   Official transcripts must be mailed directly from the college/university. Hand-carried or faxed copies will not be accepted as official transcripts. The University reserves the right to verify the final, official authenticity of any student's transcript. Any transcript document found to be fraudulent becomes the student's responsibility and the University reserves the right to withdraw admission acknowledgment and/or approval of acceptance.
5. All applicants to the Respiratory Therapy Program must have completed high school or college level Algebra, Biology and Chemistry with a grade of "C" or above by April 1 to be considered for admission. (NOTE: A "C-" is not accepted and Pre-Algebra is not accepted.) The only exception is if you are currently a senior in high school and are currently enrolled in one of these classes, you must have your counselor send us a transcript at the end of the first semester showing your current grade average in the course. All applicants must have completed the ACT test with a minimum score of "18" in the Science Reasoning area. (Applicants with 20 hours of college credit are required to have a GPA of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale, to substitute for a low or absent ACT.)
6. Applicants must be eligible to enter MATH 1200 and ENGLISH 1102 as the program curriculum describes. Therefore, students should take Shawnee State's mathematics and English placement tests as early as possible.
7. All applicants will be notified by email when the above criteria have been met and the file forwarded to the department for consideration. It is your responsibility to make sure all requirements are submitted before the deadline.

Final Decision

Final decisions regarding admission to the Respiratory Therapy Program will be made using an objective point ranking system. Factors in this ranking system include the following:

1. Grade received in algebra, biology, and chemistry
2. Level of algebra, biology, and chemistry taken by the student (i.e. high school, college remedial, or college)
3. ACT Science Reasoning and Comprehensive scores
   Applicants with 20 hours of college credit are required to have a GPA of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale, to substitute for a low or absent ACT.
4. Number of college credit hours completed with a "C" or higher.
5. Overall GPA
   If under 20 hours of college, score HS GPA
   If over 20 hours of college, score college GPA
   NOTE: If under 2.0 when applied, folder should not be considered
6. Repetition of Coursework
   Points are to be subtracted for any repetition of the following courses: Biology 1130, 1131, 3750 Math 1020, 1200 Chemistry 1121

Admission Status

Students will be notified of admission status with the Respiratory Therapy Program. Those admissions will be in one of the following categories:

1. Full Admit - These applicants have been admitted to the Respiratory Therapy Program and are included in the class for the following Fall Semester
2. Alternate - These applicants will be considered for positions in the class beginning the following Fall Semester if positions become available (Applicants in this category, if a position does not become available, may work to improve their applicant status [point ranking] and apply the following year. It is strongly recommended that these applicants contact the Chair of the Respiratory Therapy Program to determine how to improve their status for the following year.)
3. Non-admit - These applicants may reapply to the Respiratory Therapy Program for the following year and will be considered a new applicant (These applicants should work to improve their applicant status [point ranking] if they plan to apply the following year. It is strongly recommended that these applicants contact the Respiratory Therapy Program Leader to determine how to improve their status for the following year.). It is important to note that the Respiratory Therapy Program does not maintain a waiting list and that each year applicants are given an equal opportunity to compete for positions in the Program.