Respiratory Therapy
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Program TypeMaster's
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SchoolSaint Gianna School of Health Sciences
Become a critical member of a health care team. Enhance your leadership, education, and research skills in this entry-level graduate program.
What You’ll Learn
You'll gain the knowledge and skills needed to provide therapies, develop care strategies, and offer education for your patients. From therapeutic interventions and diagnostic procedures to interpreting exams and establishing a care plan, you'll be able to serve as a highly sought-after, critical member of a health care team.
- Gain Hands-on Experience
With the University of Mary's Master of Science in Respiratory Therapy, you will learn in a supportive health care community — working with faculty and patients on-site in a health care facility.
- Benefit from Our Partnership with CHI St. Alexius Hospital
Our program is completed on-site at CHI St. Alexius Health in Bismarck, North Dakota and is offered through a partnership between the University of Mary and CHI St. Alexius Health.
- Earn Your RRT Credential
This is an entry-level program and our graduates are eligible to sit for state licensing and national credentialing examinations offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care, leading to the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.
Program Information
Please visit our catalog for admission requirements and a full list of our courses.
Accreditations
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![Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care logo]()
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
The University of Mary Respiratory Therapy program (CoARC #220133), Master of Science in Respiratory Therapy, located in Bismarck, ND, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).
Featured Faculty
Christine Sperle, PhD
Director & Chair of Respiratory Therapy, Associate Professor of Respiratory Therapy
I began my career working at St. Alexius Medical Center specializing in neonatal and adult critical care and respiratory therapy protocols. In 2002 I changed directions and began teaching for the University of Mary’s Respiratory Therapy Program as the Director of Clinical Education. I accepted the position of Program Director & Chair in 2015. I have been a member of the ND Society for Respiratory Care since 1997, serving several terms as treasurer and Director at Large, and currently as a ND Delegate for the American Association for Respiratory Care. I also serve as an editor for the Respiratory Care Annual.
Jessica Arndt
Clinical Coordinator of Respiratory Therapy, Assistant Professor of Respiratory Therapy
I graduated from the co-sponsored CHI St. Alexius/University of Mary respiratory therapy program in 2008. Upon graduation, I began working for St. Alexius Medical Center (now CHI St. Alexius Health), focusing on adult critical care. I began teaching part-time for the respiratory therapy department in 2013. Teaching became my full-time job in 2015 when I took on my current role of clinical coordinator for the CHI St. Alexius Health/University of Mary respiratory therapy program. I currently represent the North Dakota Society for Respiratory Care by serving as a delegate in the American Association for Respiratory Care’s House of Delegates.
Erin Haustveit, MEd, RRT, BSRT
Instructor of Respiratory Therapy
I graduated from the CHI St. Alexius/University of Mary respiratory therapy program in 2010. After graduation, I worked in numerous hospital settings, including rural and urban areas. For ten years, I worked in durable medical equipment and home respiratory therapy services as a therapist, manager, and business strategy advisor. In 2022, I began a new journey in educating students as part of the University of Mary/CHI St. Alexius respiratory therapy program, and feel so blessed to be here.
