Application Process
The Respiratory Therapy Program at Grossmont College accepts a limited number of students
each year as dictated by staffing, laboratory and instrumentation availability, and
the number of clinical sites available for student assignment.
To apply to the Respiratory Therapy Program, the following steps must be taken:
Complete the following prerequisite courses with a "C" grade or higher. A&P or Microbiology
must be within seven years of applying to the program.
- Anatomy & Physiology with labs (Biology 140, 141 & 141L or Biology 144 & 145 or equivalent): 8 units
- Fundamentals of or Chemistry (Chemistry 115 or equivalent, or one year of High School Chemistry): 4 units
- Microbiology with lab (Biology 152 or equivalent)
Effective fall 2015, Microbiology must be completed prior to applying to the program.
Complete the Respiratory Therapy Program Application and submit the following in person with the application.
- One (1) set of official college transcripts for all college credit earned. (When you apply to the program you need to also apply to Grossmont College and send
official college transcripts for all college credit earned directly to the Respiratory Therapy Office, Building 34 Office 256 at Grossmont College: 8800 Grossmont College Drive, El Cajon, CA 92020). If your pre-requisites have been completed at Grossmont-Cuyamaca Colleges, an official
transcript is not required of the student, as that information is accessible to the
program staff. In addition, for each pre-requisite not listed on the Equivalency Grid
of San Diego Area Community College, please include a copy of the course description copied out the appropriate college catalog from the year you took the course. A syllabus
may be requested if course description is not sufficient.
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Equivalency Grid: 2024 - 2026
Equivalency Grid
RT Program - Region X Community Colleges
This prerequisite grid is designed to be used as an advising tool, only, and not a
guarantee of course equivalency for prior course work
*SDCCD includes: San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, and MiraMar College
Grossmont |
Cuyamaca |
Southwestern |
SDCCD |
Miracosta |
Palomar |
IVC |
SDSU |
CSUM |
BIO 140, BIO 141 & 141L, BIO 144 & 145, BIO 152 |
BIO 140, BIO 141 & 141L, BIO 152 |
BIOL 260, BIOL 261, BIOL 265 |
BIOL 230 & BIOL 235, BIOL 205 |
BIO 210, BIO 220, BIO 230 |
BIOL 210, BIOL 211, BIOL 212 |
BIOL 204, BIOL 206, BIOL 200 & BIOL 202, BIOL 220 |
BIOL 212, BIO 261, BIO 211/+ |
BIOL 175, BIOL 176, BIOL 160 |
CHEM 102, 115 or higher w/ lab |
CHEM 102 or higher w/ lab |
CHEM 100 or 102 |
CHEM 100 & 100L or CHEM 152 & 152L or CHEM 103 (Miramar only) |
CHEM 112, 115 or 115H |
CHEM 100 or 104 |
CHEM 100 |
CHEM 100 or 102 |
CHEM 105, CHEM 105L |
ENGL 120 or ENGL 124 or ESL 122 |
ENGL 120 or ENGL 124 or ESL 122 |
ENGL 115 or ENGL 115H or ENGL 116 or ESL 115A |
ENG 101 or ENG 105 or ENG 205 |
ENGL 100 or 100H or ENGL 201 or 201H or ENGL 202 or 202H |
ENG 100 or ENG 202 or ENG 203 or ESL 110 |
ENG 110 or ENG 105 or ENG 201 |
RWS 100 or LING 100B RWS 200 |
GEW 101 or LTWR 115 |
COMM 120 or COMM 122 |
COMM 120 or COMM 122 |
COMM 174 or COMM 103 or COMM 104 |
COMS 135 or COMS 103 |
COMM 101 |
SPCH 115 or SPCH 100 |
COMM 100 |
COMS 245 or COMM 103 |
GEO 102 or any CSU A1 course |
Grid Notes
Equivalency Grid Notes
The Respiratory Therapy (RT) program does not accept 1-semester Anatomy and Physiology
(e.g. SWC BIO 190) courses designed for other specialized health programs. If you
have taken the equivalent to CHEM 115, the RT department may grant a modification
of major for this requirement (1 year of high school chemistry is considered equivalent).
Students are encouraged to meet with a Counselor to review program prerequisites and
degree requirements. Current students can schedule an appointment by visiting the
Counseling “Online Appointment System”. Alternatively, current students can get quick questions answered by using the “Email a Counselor” service. Students should visit the Respiratory Therapy Program website to review
FAQs regarding admission to the program.
***Every effort has been made to ensure this information is accurate. However, the
official college document is the Grossmont College Catalog for years 24-26
**If you have documents that are required to enter our program that were completed
out of the country, you will need to have them evaluated by National Association Credential
Evaluations Services
www.NACES.org
On the home page Click “How to Find a Member”. You’ll be able to scroll to see a
list of all current NACES members which Grossmont & Cuyamaca have begun accepting
foreign credential reports from, beginning July 1, 2017. You will also notice at
below current member is a list of former member which we will not accept.
2. Proof of the following completed immunizations:
- MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) or a test for positive immunity
- Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, accelular pertussis), within the last 10 years
- Hep B (Hepatitis B), 3 vaccinations and a test for positive immunity
- Varicella (Chickenpox), 2 vaccinations or a test for positive immunity.
- COVID-19 Initial vaccination Plus Booster.
(The Hepatitis B series and test for immunity takes approximately 7-8 months to complete.
Please plan accordingly. 3 doses at 0, 1, 6 months. Sero 30 days after 3rd round.)
3. Proof of High School diploma, GED or higher degree
Applications must be submitted in person to the Grossmont College Respiratory Therapy
Health Professions Office in the Health & Sciences Complex, Building 34, Room 256.
If you live outside of San Diego County you may mail in your completed application.
Please write "Attention: RT Program" on the front of your envelope.
Grossmont College Respiratory Therapy Program
Building 34, Room 256
8800 Grossmont College Drive
El Cajon, CA 92020
(619) 644-7550 Office
Applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Incomplete applications
will be not accepted.
Post Acceptance
Once you have been officially invited and have accepted a seat into the Respiratory
Therapy Program you will be given further instruction and deadlines on the following:
- Complete all admission requirements according to the Grossmont College catalog. Admission Information - College Catalog
- A satisfactory physical examination report, a current negative TB (Tuberculosis) test
or clear chest xray from a previous positive test, current American Heart Association
CPR for Healthcare Providers card and evidence of malpractice insurance. Background
check and drug testing is required prior to entering the RT Program.
Prospective Students
Prospective applicants are encouraged to attend one of the free Respiratory Therapy Program Preview Informational Meetings held monthly during the Academic year. More information on the times and dates of
our program preview meetings can be found here:
Applications are accepted all year and there is no fee to submit your application.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the all official transcripts
for previous education has been received by the Admissions & Records office.
Current Students
Applicants who are currently enrolled at Grossmont or Cuyamaca College are also encouraged
to meet with an Academic counselor in the Counseling Office, at 619-644-7208, to discuss
your general education requirements to receive your AS Degree upon completing your
2-year Respiratory Therapy Program. The RT Department does not advise students on
degree status, or if additional units are necessary for your AS Degree. We must refer you to counseling for this service.