Offered by Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup in Rivière-du-Loup, Canada, Diploma in Respiratory Therapy is a diploma in Health Sciences programme. The programme runs for 3 years. Tuition for international students is CAD 11,740 per semester (CAD 0 per semester for local students).
This three-year technical diploma (DEC 141.A0) trains inhalotherapists to manage cardiorespiratory care for patients ranging from newborns to adults, working alongside physicians and other clinicians in emergency, critical-care and surgical settings. The six-semester program begins with anatomy, physiology, chemistry and microbiology as applied to respiratory care, then advances through pathology, pulmonary function testing, cardiac monitoring, mechanical ventilation and anesthesia techniques, paired with clinical internships in respiratory medicine and critical care. In the final semesters, students choose a clinical specialization track, either respiratory medicine and critical care across neonatal, pediatric and adult populations, or pulmonary physiology and anesthesia, before completing integrative coursework. The program suits students interested in acute and critical patient care who want to work as part of a medical team. Graduates practise in hospital intensive-care, emergency and operating-room settings, CLSCs, private clinics, sleep clinics and home-care services, at one of the few colleges in the province offering this technical program.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission to Respiratory Therapy requires, alongside Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup's general admission conditions, one of three science pathways: Secondary 4 Technico-sciences (TS4) alone; Secondary 4 Sciences naturelles (SN4) together with Secondary 5 Chemistry (CHI534); or Mathématique 436, Sciences physiques 436, and Chimie 534 together. The general conditions require a Quebec Secondary School Diploma (DES) from the youth or adult sector, or a Diploma of Vocational Studies (DEP) with the three mandatory Secondary 5 subjects, or equivalent training and experience for candidates who have interrupted full-time studies for at least 24 months, with conditional admission for candidates missing up to six DES units. The program is non-contingenté (no fixed quota), though the Cégep notes that selection criteria may apply if application volume is high. No language-proficiency test scores, immunization, or criminal-record requirements are stated on the program page.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through SRACQ (Service régional d'admission au collégial de Québec) for programmes starting in 2027: the Fall 2027 intake has a first-round deadline of 1 March 2027, with further rounds on 1 May, 1 June and 1 August 2027 filling remaining seats; the Winter 2027 intake closes its first round on 1 November 2026, then 1 December 2026 and 2 January 2027. International applicants outside France apply through SRACQ from 1 September 2026 and must complete their file by 1 February 2027 for Fall 2027 entry, after which no international candidate can be admitted; Winter entry is offered only to French citizens, who may apply until 1 May 2027 for Fall or between 15 May and 15 October 2027 for Winter 2028. Admission is not indefinitely rolling: each round carries a firm cut-off, though later rounds absorb whatever seats remain. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
