A new respiratory therapy degree program at the University of West Alabama launched this year and offers a Baccalaureate of Science.


RT’s Three Key Takeaways:

  1. New Degree Program – The University of West Alabama launched a Baccalaureate of Science in Respiratory Therapy in January 2025 to help address Alabama’s growing demand for respiratory therapists, particularly in rural and regional communities.
  2. Hands-On, Workforce-Focused Training – The 16-month program combines classroom instruction, labs, checkoffs, and extensive clinical rotations across Alabama, Mississippi, and beyond, preparing students for real-world respiratory care and national certification exams.
  3. Early Momentum and Accreditation – The program has already attracted motivated first students and received Provisional Accreditation from CoARC, making graduates eligible for CRT and RRT credentials through the NBRC.


The University of West Alabama launched a Respiratory Therapy degree program in January 2025 to help meet the state’s growing demand for respiratory therapists, according to a news post by the university.

The RT program received Provisional Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) in November 2025, the university reports. Graduates are eligible to take the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) and Clinical Simulation (CSE) exams leading to the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credentials through the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).

UWA’s program is led by respiratory therapist Jerry King, program director and associate professor of respiratory therapy. King says the number of respiratory therapists graduating from Alabama-based institutions isn’t meeting statewide demand, according to the university news release. To help fill that gap, he moved to Livingston to launch one of the state’s newest respiratory therapy programs at UWA. The respiratory track joins four others in UWA’s health sciences comprehensive major, including athletic training, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and physician assistant/associate.

An article on the university’s website profiles two students in the inaugural class: Malayasia Carlisle of Lafayette AL, and Amiracle Jones of Demopolis AL.

Read the profile at www.uwa.edu