Online RT Prerequisites That Transfer- the most common worry about taking respiratory therapy prerequisites online is not whether you can pass them — it is whether they will transfer. It is a fair concern, and the answer comes down to one factor most applicants have never had to think about: the type of accreditation behind the course. Get that right and transferable respiratory therapy prerequisites taken online count exactly like campus credit. For the full requirement list, see the complete respiratory therapy prerequisites guide.
Colleges distinguish between institutional (regional) accreditation and other forms. Coursework from a regionally accredited institution — recognized by accreditors such as the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — is the credit that respiratory therapy programs expect and that transfers cleanly between accredited schools. When a program says prerequisites must come from “an accredited college or university,” this is what it means. PrereqCourses.com delivers its credit-bearing courses through a regionally accredited university partner, so your completed course appears on an official, transferable transcript.
The word “accredited” causes most of the confusion. Institutional accreditation — historically called “regional” accreditation and granted by bodies such as HLC — is the standard traditional colleges hold, and it is the type whose credit transfers most reliably. Some providers instead hold only programmatic or national career-school accreditation, whose credits frequently do not transfer into degree programs. For prerequisite purposes, institutional (regional) accreditation is what you want. The better question than “is it accredited?” is: “Is it institutionally (regionally) accredited, and will it appear on an official transcript?”
A few avoidable missteps account for most rejected credits:
Confirm before you enroll. Transfer is never automatic, and policies differ by program. Before you register, ask your target program’s registrar whether a regionally accredited online course with a lab will satisfy the requirement, and keep the syllabus on file in case they ask for a course-by-course match.
These self-paced, regionally accredited courses are built to transfer into RT and other allied-health programs: Anatomy & Physiology I (BIO 270), Anatomy & Physiology II (BIO 275), Microbiology (BIO 210), General Chemistry (CHEM 151), and College Algebra (MATH 107).
Most do, provided the course is from a regionally accredited institution, posts to an official transcript, and includes a lab where required. Always confirm with the specific program.
Regional (institutional) accreditation is the type whose credit transfers most reliably between colleges. It is what RT programs typically require for prerequisites.
Often yes, but some programs scrutinize the lab format. Confirm your program accepts the course’s lab before enrolling.
Not on its own. What matters is institutional accreditation, an official transcript, matching content and credits, a lab where required, and a qualifying grade within the recency window.
They can, but gen-ed courses usually carry far longer windows than sciences — often seven to ten years, sometimes none. A&P and microbiology are the credits to watch.
Continue with how to refresh expired A&P for RT school, the complete respiratory therapy prerequisites guide, and all allied health prerequisite courses. Accreditation reference: the CoARC accredited-program directory.
