Principles of Statistics
Self-paced online Principles of Statistics course (Statistics 101). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Associate to bachelor's for respiratory therapists: the credits that transfer
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
A respiratory therapist with an associate degree usually brings 60 or more semester units to a bachelor's. The university decides which count. Respiratory care courses usually go to the major, and the gaps tend to be general education such as statistics, writing, social science and humanities. Ask the university in writing which courses remain.
What you already bring
California licensure today needs a CoARC-accredited programme and at least an associate degree under Business and Professions Code section 3740(a). An associate degree is usually about 60 semester units, half of a typical 120-unit bachelor's.
Degree-completion programmes in respiratory care or health science often place your respiratory care coursework in the major. The board's 2025 plan also calls for a streamlined bridge so associate-degree therapists can finish a bachelor's.
The usual gaps
Associate programmes in respiratory care are heavy on sciences and clinical work, so a bachelor's often asks for more general education.
- Statistics, often needed before a research course.
- A second writing course.
- Social science such as sociology or psychology.
- Humanities such as philosophy, art history or literature.
- US history or government, which California State University degrees include.
Which credits a university will consider
Each university sets its own rules on outside credit, including how much it takes and from where. Most will review units on a college transcript. ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit reaches a university via a college transcript: TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, and once a partner places it on its transcript, the university reviews that transcript.
Some universities limit outside credit or want certain courses taken with them. Ask before you study, not after.
A short email to the university
Write to the degree-completion advisor and keep the reply.
- Please review my associate transcripts: which general education requirements remain?
- Would you consider these ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses for those requirements, from a TESU or UoPeople transcript?
- Is there a limit on outside credit?
- Which courses must I take with you?
A sensible order of study
Start with the courses that open others. Statistics often has to come before a research or evidence-based practice course, and a second writing course helps with every paper after it. Social science and humanities can fill the gaps around shifts.
Keep each course to one at a time if you work full time. Finish it, send the result to your partner college, and check the credit shows on its transcript before you build too far ahead. That way an early surprise costs you one course, not four.
- First: Principles of Statistics and English Composition 2.
- Then: Introduction to Sociology or Introduction to Psychology.
- Then: Principles of Philosophy or another humanities course.
- Last: US History 1, if your university asks for it.
- After each course: confirm the credit on the partner college transcript.
Costs and what UPI Study cannot do
UPI Study PRO is $99 a month for every course, so four courses in two months is about $198. A California community college charges $46 per unit in semester-system districts, about $552 for 12 units, and the California College Promise Grant often waives it.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. UPI Study has no Microbiology, Organic Chemistry, Pharmacology or Nutrition, and no respiratory care or clinical courses. Sciences on UPI Study, such as Chemistry and Anatomy and Physiology, are NCCRS-recommended only.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the university that would grant your bachelor's, in writing, whether it would consider each course before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
How many units do I need to add for a bachelor's?
It depends on the university and your transcripts. A bachelor's is commonly about 120 semester units and an associate about 60, but some programmes count more of your respiratory care units than others. Ask for a written transcript review before you plan.
Can I study general education while working shifts?
Yes. UPI Study courses are self-paced, so you can study around twelve-hour shifts. PRO covers every course for $99 a month. Plan the order with your advisor so each course you finish is one the university already said it would consider.
Do I need a bachelor's to keep my California licence?
No. Under the board's plan, current licensees are not affected, and Business and Professions Code section 3740(a) still sets an associate degree minimum. A bachelor's is optional for licensed therapists, though it can help with leadership, education and specialist roles.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Principles of Philosophy
Self-paced online Principles of Philosophy course (Philosophy 200). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
US History 1
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Ask your university first; then study only the courses it said it would consider.
Sources
- Respiratory Care Board: Apply for a license (official)Minimum education: graduation from a CoARC-approved respiratory care program and a minimum of an associate degree, shown on official transcripts; $300 application fee. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Respiratory Care Board: Licensure Plan of Action (PQC agenda item 8a, 24 Oct 2025) (official)The board voted unanimously on 6 June 2025 to raise entry to a bachelor's degree minimum; the plan sets a timeline (Governor's action 12 Oct 2026, first BSRC entry cohort Jan 2029, final associate cohort graduates Oct 2031, enforced Jan 2033) and says current licensees will not be affected. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Respiratory Care Board: Accepted Respiratory Care Programs (official)Quotes Business and Professions Code section 3740(a): a programme accredited by CoARC and a minimum of an associate degree from a regionally accredited institution; programs approved by any other entity do not qualify. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.