Licensure and Certification

Successful completion of the Cardio-Respiratory Care program prepares students to sit for the national credentialing exams and obtain a state license for practice.  The UAMS program has an exceptional, nationally-recognized credentialing success rate.  However, completion of the program does not itself insure certification, registration, or state licensure. Each student is responsible for familiarizing himself/herself with the applicable requirements, including the examination schedules.

Licensed Respiratory Care Practitioner (L.R.C.P.): Successful completion of professional course work in the Bachelor Degree program satisfies the academic requirements to apply for a license in the State of Arkansas.  State licensure also requires successful completion of the NBRC credentialing examination.

NBRC RRT: Graduates of the Bachelor of Science degree program are eligible to apply for the Therapist Multiple Choice Examination (TMC) offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). Successful candidates who exceed a lower threshold score earn the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential.  Candidates who exceed an upper threshold are eligible to sit for the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE).  Candidates who pass both the TMC upper threshold score and the SCE exam are awarded the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.