Degree Advancement Standards

CoARC 2023 DA Standards
(revised November 2024)

CoARC 2023 DA Standards-with changes
(revised November 2024)

At its July 2024 Board meeting, the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) proposed to add Programmatic Outcomes to the Accreditation Standards for Degree Advancement (DA) Programs in Respiratory Care.

The CoARC is now conducting a second Call for Comments to encourage broader participation in the Standards revision process and requests that any member of the community of interest* please provide their feedback.

DA Programmatic Outcome Proposed Threshold
ESLO Mastery: Continued Professional Practice Competencies
4.4 Practice-Related Knowledge
4.5 Professional Attributes
4.6 Interpersonal and Interprofessional Communication
4.7 Practice-Based Research
4.8 Professional Leadership Before graduation, 100% of students obtain mastery for each identified Expected Student Learning Outcome (ESLO)

Programs must also report what type of summative measure is required for program completion (Capstone project, specialty examination, or other).

Graduate Survey- Overall Satisfaction At least 80% of returned graduate surveys rated overall satisfaction three or higher on a 5-point Likert scale.

RRT Credential Attainment/Confirmation 100% of enrolled DA students obtain the RRT credential before graduation, OR the program confirm that 100% have already obtained the RRT upon admission to the program.

DA Thresholds FAQ

Deadline for Written Comments:
Comments must be received by Monday, November 10, 2025, and should be addressed to Shelley Christensen (shelley@coarc.com)

Submitting Written Comments:
Written comments must:

• Be related to the Proposed Degree Advancement DA Programmatic Outcomes
• Include the commenter’s full name, affiliation or relationship to the profession (e.g., student, educator, employer, clinical preceptor, community member), and contact information (email and phone)
• Be signed (typed signature acceptable if submitted electronically)

The CoARC Degree Advancement Programs Committee will review feedback, and revisions will continue until final approval.

*CoARC’s communities of interest include:

• Matriculated and prospective students of RC programs
• Respiratory care educators (PDs, DCEs, Medical Directors, faculty)
• Individuals associated with RC educational program (CEOs, Deans, Advisory Committee members)
• Individuals involved in the accreditation process (CoARC employees, site visitors)
• Professional organizations associated with CoARC
  • American Association for Respiratory Care, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Thoracic Society, the Society for Critical Care Medicine, the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, and the National Board for Respiratory Care
• Practitioners
• Employers of graduates of CoARC-accredited programs
• Respiratory care department supervisors
• Consumers (patients)
• Regulators (licensure boards, state and federal higher education agencies)
• Recognition bodies (Council for Higher Education Accreditation)
• Accreditors (regional, national, and specialized accreditors)
• Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors
• Other health care professionals and organizations.

If you have any questions regarding this Call for Comments, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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ELIGIBILITY

To become accredited by the CoARC, degree advancement programs must be established either in accredited postsecondary institutions, by a consortium of which one member must be an accredited postsecondary institution, or in facilities sponsored by the U.S. military (as defined in Standard DA1.1). As outlined in Section 2 of the CoARC’s Accreditation Policies and Procedures Manual, Sponsors must apply for accreditation.

All degree advancement students must be graduates of a CoARC-accredited Entry into Respiratory Care Professional Practice degree program before entry into the program.

PROGRAM REVIEW

Accreditation of degree advancement programs is a voluntary process that requires a comprehensive review of the program relative to these Standards. While the process is voluntary, it provides programs with external validation of their educational offering. Additionally, the process offers prospective degree advancement students one means by which they can judge the quality of the educational experience offered by the program.

Accreditation decisions are based on the CoARC’s assessment of the information contained in the accreditation application and self-study report, the report of site visit evaluation teams and the Annual Report of Current Status, as well as a review of reports or documents submitted to the CoARC by the program during each accreditation cycle. To clarify submitted information additional data may be requested at any time during the review process.

HOW TO APPLY FOR ACCREDITATION

For any inquiries related to this announcement or the review process, please contact Shane Keene, Chief Operating Officer
at shane@coarc.com
(817) 283-2835 ext. 107

“The Value of CoARC Accreditation for Degree Advancement Programs in Respiratory Therapy” written by Joseph Coyle, M.D., FCCP, Senior Lecturer, Boise State University.