Degree and Certificate Programs

Health Care

Radiation Therapy Program (2163)

Associate in Science or Associate in Applied Science

Mission Statement: Creating competent, ethical, confident entry-level healthcare practitioners committed to professional development through life-long learning in a positive, non-discriminatory and supportive learning environment.

The Career: The radiation therapist assists in the treatment of cancer patients. Working as part of a health care team, supervised by a radiation oncologist, the radiation therapist positions the patient for treatment, performs the necessary mathematical calculations to determine the radiation dosage and delivers the radiation treatments utilizing highly sophisticated equipment.

The demand for skilled, registered radiation therapists is nationwide and expected to increase in the future. With advanced training/education, radiation therapists also have opportunities to pursue careers in dosimetry, medical physics, teaching and administration.

The Program: This limited access program is designed for individuals who wish to become certified in radiation therapy. Upon completion of this two-year degree program, graduates are eligible to sit for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist board examination in radiation therapy. Graduates of the program are prepared to function as entry-level practitioners. Students are strongly advised to complete as many of the general education courses as possible before applying for the program. A minimum grade of "C" must be maintained in all radiation therapy courses in order to continue in the program.

Prerequisites: Three courses should be completed prior to submitting an application to the program:

BSC 2085C Human Anatomy and Physiology I
CGS 1060 Introductory Computer Concepts or
CGS 1570 Microcomputer Applications
*Mathematics

Note: Students have two degree alternatives in this program: The associate in science (A.S.) and the associate in applied science (A.A.S.). If you intend to pursue further education at the university level, you should enroll in the A.S. option. If you intend to go directly to work after completing your associate's degree, consider the A.A.S. While the A.A.S. will not provide you with the articulation benefits of the A.S., the A.A.S. will provide you with the skills required to begin working in the field immediately upon graduation. If you are unsure of which option is best for you, please see an advisor for further counseling.

Required Courses:

The following is a list of courses required for this program presented in a recommended sequence of completion. The sequence is only a suggested guide, and there is no requirement to follow the sequence precisely. Students in this program may register for any course as long as the student has met any prerequisites for that course.

Course Number and Title	Credits
BSC 2085C Human Anatomy and Physiology I	4
CGS 1060 Introductory Computer Concepts	3
OR
CGS 1570 Microcomputer Applications
*Mathematics	3
RAT 1001 Introduction to Radiation Therapy	3
RAT 2614 Radiation Physics	3
RAT 2241 Radiation Biology and Safety	3
HSC 1531 Medical Terminology	3
SLS 1932 Student Life Skills	2
RAT 2123 Patient Care in Radiation Therapy	3
BSC 2086C Human Anatomy and Physiology II	4
RAT 1804 Clinical Education I	4
RAT 2618 Radiographic Physics II	3
RAT 2832 Clinical Education B	4
ENC 1101 English Composition I	3
*Humanities	3
RAT 1021 Trends in Radiation Therapy	2
RAT 2242 Oncology I	3
RAT 2833 Clinical Education C	6
*Social and Behavioral Sciences	3
RAT 2651 Dosimetry and Treatment Planning	3
RAT 2243 Oncology II	3
RAT 2834 Clinical Education D	6
RAT 2061 Seminar: Registry Review	3
Total Credit Hours	77

*Refer to A.S. degree General Education Requirements.

Note: Students earning an A.S. degree must take MAC 1105, MGF 1106 or a higher level mathematics course. Students earning an A.A.S. degree must take MAT 1033 or a higher level mathematics course.