About the Department
UAMS offers Arkansas’ only bachelor’s and master’s degrees in respiratory care, including an online degree advancement program for practicing registered respiratory therapists. Our mission is to develop practitioners of influence who demonstrate the value of the profession and lead it forward to meet the needs of a dynamic health care community. These programs cultivate a supportive culture of excellence, critical thinking and clinical competence.
Degree Programs
We offer a bachelor’s degree program with two enrollment options: a traditional on-campus program and an online degree advancement program. Additionally, we provide a Master of Science program!
See the ProgramsAbout the Profession
Respiratory therapists, also known as respiratory care practitioners, are the health care professionals specially trained for the treatment, management, care and education of patients with heart and lung diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis or sleep apnea.
Learn MoreDepartment of Respiratory Care News & Announcements
Respiratory Care Department Earns Apex Designation
For the third consecutive time, the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) has recognized the College of Health Professions Department of Respiratory Care program with its Apex Designation for 2027-2028.
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Respiratory Care Students Celebrated at Department’s First White Coat Ceremony
Students in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Health Professions Department of Respiratory Care marked a major transition into clinical practice during the department’s inaugural white coat ceremony.
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CHP Program Introduces Seventh Graders to Respiratory Care
The Department of Respiratory Care in the UAMS College of Health Professions (CHP) on Oct. 17 provided a hands-on learning experience to 15 seventh grade students from the Dr. Marian G. Lacey K-8 Academy in Little Rock. “I think it went really well. These students were really engaged, and obviously very bright. I knew they…
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UAMS Graduates 1,134 Health Care Professionals
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) on May 18 conferred degrees and certificates to 1,134 students in its five colleges and graduate school. UAMS awarded 175 degrees or certificates to students in the College of Medicine, 172 in the College of Nursing, 583 in the College of Health Professions, 78 in the College…
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Accreditation
Bachelor Degree Program
The baccalaureate (B.S.) degree program in Cardio-Respiratory Care (#200176) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas holds Continuing Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).
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.
View the CoARC Programmatic Outcomes Data on their website.
The UAMS Cardio-Respiratory Care program is proud to be a multi-year recipient of the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) credentialing awards — each year since 2009 — including:
- The Excellence in Respiratory Care Education Award: This award was CoARC’s first recognition of programs with outstanding credentialing success.
- The Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award: The primary criteria for this award requires an accredited program to achieve 90% or higher RRT credentialing success for the most recent three-year graduate cohorts, and to have met specific retention and job placement thresholds. We are proud to be the only bachelor of science degree program in the United States to receive this award each year since its inception.
- The President’s Award for Excellence in Credentialing Success: This award was instituted in 2021 and distinguishes programs which have 100% pass rates for credentialing exams, and recognizes the overall credentialing success rate of 100% for the previous years. UAMS has received the award in 2021 and 2022.
Degree Advancement Program
The Online Associate to Bachelor Degree Advancement Program, designed for practicing professionals who already have the registered respiratory therapist credential, does not require accreditation and is, therefore, not accredited by CoARC.
Master of Science Program
The Master of Science in Respiratory Care Program (#220176) in Little Rock, Arkansas holds Provisional Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. This status signifies that a program with an Approval of Intent has demonstrated sufficient compliance with the Standards (through submission of an acceptable Provisional Accreditation Self Study Report and any other documentation required by the CoARC, as well as satisfactory completion of an initial on-site visit), to be allowed to admit students. It is recognized as an accredited program by the National Board for Respiratory Care, which provides enrolled students who complete the program with eligibility for the Respiratory Care Credentialing Examination(s). The program will remain on Provisional Accreditation until it achieves Continuing Accreditation. www.coarc.com
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.
View the CoARC Programmatic Outcomes Data on their website.
Contact Information
Primary Contacts
General Information
Phone: 501-526‐4490
Fax: 501-526-4491
Tom Jones, Ed.D., RRT, CPFT
Program Director and Chair of the Department of Respiratory Care
Email: TJones4@UAMS.edu
Lynn Ellison
Executive Assistant I
Email: EllisonLynn@UAMS.edu
Mailing Address
Department of Respiratory Care
College of Health Professions
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
4301 W. Markham St., Slot 737
Little Rock, AR 72205