Health Sciences (Respiratory Therapy) (BHSc)
Breathe life into healthcare with specialized respiratory care.
Why choose this program?
Respiratory Therapists work one-on-one with patients of all ages in a variety of settings. A crucial part of the health care team, respiratory therapists improve quality of life by evaluating, treating, and maintaining heart and lung function.
Our program is fully accredited, and graduates are eligible for membership in the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists. We also offer a 2-year post-diploma option designed to meet the needs of practicing Respiratory Therapists that want to enhance their knowledge and expand career opportunities.
Admission requirements
Minimum admission requirements
To be considered for admission to this program, you must meet minimum academic criteria:
- Completion of secondary school (Grade 12)
- Achievement of the minimum average for your program of choice.
- Completion of Grade 12 English (or equivalent course).
Admission to many Dalhousie programs is competitive. This means that meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Program-specific admission requirements
Bachelor of Health Sciences (Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound) Admissions requirements:
Minimum overall average: 75%
Academic English 12: Minimum 70%
Academic Math 12: Minimum 70%
Academic Chemistry 12: Minimum 70%
One of: Academic Biology 12 or Academic Physics 12: Minimum 70%
One additional academic subject
This program may employ a competitive average for admission purposes; meeting minimum posted requirements does not guarantee admission.
Priority consideration for admission to the BHSc program in the School of Health Sciences will be given to permanent residents of the Maritime provinces. Due to residency restrictions and limited capacity, international students are not eligible for admission to this program.
The School of Health Sciences (SHS) Admissions Committee gives special consideration to applicants who are permanent residents of the Maritime provinces from the following historically under-represented and underserved groups: Indigenous peoples (e.g., Mi’kmaq) and members of racialized minority groups (e.g., African Nova Scotians). Accordingly, students who belong to one of these groups are invited to self-declare at the time of their application. Candidates who do so will be considered individually according to SHS's requirements.
In addition to completing the Dalhousie application process, you will need to submit the following supplementary documents to be considered for admission to this program. Assessment of your non-academic performance will account for 20% of your overall total application score.
All supplementary information should be attached to the Application Portal.
Letter of intent
Your letter must address each of the following questions:
Why did you choose this professional discipline as your area of study?
What qualities, skills, and assets make you a good candidate for this profession?
What is your understanding of the duties and responsibilities of a person working in this profession?
How did you research this field before making your choice?
Please use the following instructions when drafting your letter:
Answer questions in paragraph form.
Organize your letter clearly and concisely, and demonstrate proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Limit your answers to 250 words per question.
Applicants will be assessed on the following non-academic criteria:
Demonstrated knowledge of the selected health profession
Leadership
Community involvement
Teamwork
If you're applying to more than one professional discipline within the Bachelor of Health Science program, please write a separate letter for each discipline.
Resume and References
Submit a copy of your resume outlining your education, work, and volunteer experiences. Please include the names, addresses, and phone numbers of two references.
Requirements of the profession
Before applying to this program, it’s important to understand the intellectual, physical and mental demands of a career in radiological technology. These include:
Working long shifts covering several areas throughout the hospital.
Being on your feet for extended periods of time.
Lifting and transporting patients to various sites in the hospital while maintaining ventilation with manual equipment.
Cleaning and moving ventilators from one area of the hospital to other areas on a regular basis.
Transporting specialty gas cylinders from one area of the hospital to another.
Using physical strength and dexterity to attach metering devices to gass cylinders with a wrench.
Manipulating artificial airway equipment, needles for arterial puncture and application of certain types of oxygen equipment.
Ability to hear equipment alarms from a distance and distinguish subtle changes in air entry and breath sounds in the lungs and airways.
Patients are often observed from a distance and heart monitors must be accurately read from at least the end of the patient’s bed, approximately six feet away.
Exposure to Latex gloves, cleaning chemicals, and biological or chemical hazardous materials.
Capacity to work in high pressure and emergency situations.
For more infomation please visit our Health Sciences non-academic requirements page.
If you have any questions or concerns about these requirements, please contact the School of Health Sciences (health.sciences@dal.ca).
Bachelor of Health Sciences (Post-Diploma) Admissions requirements:
Visit the Bachelor of Health Sciences program page to learn about the requirements for the post-diploma option.
Financial information
A university education is a significant financial investment. Every student is unique, and so are their financial circumstances. We offer competitive tuition, a robust scholarship and bursary program, and resources and support to help you explore financial options and develop a plan that works for you.
Program options
As a Radiological Technology student, you will have many opportunities to do hands-on clinical work. During the 8-week summer clinical practicum after years 1, 2 and 3, you’ll put the knowledge learned in the classroom to real-life use in the hospital setting. You may choose to stay in Halifax to complete the practicums, or travel to locations elsewhere in the Maritimes or across Canada.
The post-diploma program option is equivalent to 2 years of full-time university study (60 credit hours). To accommodate working professionals, the post-diploma program is available on a full time or part-time basis and most of the courses are delivered online.
The following Health Sciences program options are offered by Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Health. Connect with an academic advisor after you start your studies to explore options such as:
Bachelor of Health Sciences with Discipline
Bachelor of Health Sciences (Post-Diploma)
What you will learn
As a Respiratory Therapy student, you will take core professional development courses with a concentration on respiratory therapy specific knowledge and skills. The program curriculum will prepare you to write the Canadian Board for Respiratory Care (CBRC) national certification examination.
At Dalhousie, interprofessional collaboration starts in the classroom. Throughout your degree, you will work with students in other health programs to learn from each other, enable effective collaboration and improve patient outcomes.
Sample courses may include:
Cardiopulmonary Physiology
Respiratory Therapy Clinical Assessment
Respiratory Therapy Instrumentation and Techniques
Foundations of Health Care Practice
Human Pregnancy and Fetal/Newborn Development
Respiratory Disease and Therapeutics
Principles of Mechanical Ventilation
Health Practice for Respiratory Therapy
Anaesthesia Instrumentation and Clinical Techniques
Neonatal and Pediatric Therapeutics
Cardiac and Pulmonary Diagnostics
Critical Care Instrumentation and Clinical Techniques
Health Law for non-Lawyers
Canadian Health Care Delivery
Critical Research Appraisal and Practices
This degree will prepare you to work professionally and ethically in our changing health care system, contribute to evidence based decisions and develop effective communication skills.
Careers
Respiratory therapists work in a variety of hospital and community settings including emergency departments, outpatient clinics and sleep labs. They may also treat patients in their homes.
Respiratory therapy is an evolving profession with excellent employment opportunities across Canada.
Future studies could include programs at the graduate level in science or health, or study in a related field, such as nursing, medicine, or pharmacy.
