Advanced College Diploma - Respiratory Therapy

The Respiratory Therapy advanced diploma is a three-year accredited program leading toward registration as a Registered Respiratory Therapist in Ontario.

The curriculum covers cardiopulmonary anatomy and physiology, respiratory pathophysiology, oxygen therapy and airway management, mechanical ventilation across adult, paediatric and neonatal populations, arterial blood gas sampling and interpretation, pulmonary function testing, anaesthesia assistance, critical care and emergency resuscitation, neonatal and paediatric intensive care, home oxygen and chronic disease management, and pharmacology relevant to respiratory practice. Extended clinical rotations run through intensive care, emergency, operating room and paediatric settings.

Respiratory therapists manage ventilators and airways in critical care, which is high-acuity work with genuine clinical responsibility. Demand across Ontario hospitals is strong and was reinforced by respiratory care staffing pressures in recent years.

Clinical placement is a mandatory, graded component. Placements require immunisation records, a police vulnerable sector check, CPR certification and mask fit testing — students who cannot complete these cannot progress, so arrange them early.

This is a regulated health profession in Ontario. Graduating from the program is not the same as being licensed to practise: registration with the relevant Ontario college and a certification examination follow graduation. Confirm the current registration pathway for internationally educated applicants before you apply.

Humber Polytechnic — formerly Humber College — is Ontario’s largest public college and a Designated Learning Institution (DLI O19376943122). The North campus in Etobicoke is its main site, running technology, engineering, health science, business and skilled trades programs in purpose-built labs and shops rather than lecture halls, with three intakes a year and the deepest employer network in the Greater Toronto Area.

Its field maps to CIP 51.0908 (Respiratory care therapy). Important: this is a college credential rather than a degree, so it is not exempt from the November 2024 PGWP field-of-study restriction — eligibility depends on this CIP field appearing on IRCC’s eligible list when you apply. Humber publishes a PGWP-eligible program list with CIP codes; check it, and confirm with an Apply Study Visa counsellor before committing. IRCC makes the final decision.