Major
	Radiation Sciences (BS) from the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
Competitive admission
	Approximately 20 students per year
Four-year Graduation Plan
	No
Links
	Web Site Courses General Catalog

Radiation sciences professionals work
with physicians to gather accurate patient information for diagnosis and treatment of disease and injury. They must possess knowledge, skill, and mature judgment in order to operate complex equipment safely and efficiently, to produce quality images using multiple sources of radiation energy, and to deliver quality patient care during diagnosis and treatment procedures.

• Why Study Radiation Sciences at Iowa?
• Course Work
• Admission
• Professional Titles
• Certification and Licensure
• Careers
• Scholarships

Why Study Radiation Sciences at Iowa?
Students in Iowa's Radiation Sciences Program develop competence in radiologic technology and in one of six specialties. The program has an excellent reputation and pass rate for certification exams.

The Radiation Sciences Program is sponsored by University of Iowa Health Care in cooperation with the University's Carver College of Medicine and the Department of Radiology. It is affiliated with University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC), one of the nation’s largest public university teaching hospitals.

These connections, and the program’s location on the University of Iowa health sciences campus, provide a wealth of world-class resources and learning opportunities for students.

Course Work
Students majoring in radiation sciences earn a Bachelor of Science degree that requires a minimum of 124 semester hours of credit. You'll complete specific requirements of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ General Education Program in addition to radiologic technology program requirements, advanced course work, and electives. In addition, you'll complete a specialty program in one of the following modalities:

• Nuclear medicine technology (NMT)
• Radiation therapy (RTT)
• Diagnostic medical sonography (DMS)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Cardiovascular intervention (CVI)
• Computed tomography (CT)

The two-year radiologic technology curriculum provides education in pathology, radiation biology, radiation protection, patient care, and ethics. Students also learn about radiographic anatomy and physiology, radiographic positioning, imaging equipment, and quality assurance. UIHC serves as the primary site for didactic and supervised clinical education. Students must pass a national board examination at the program’s end in order to practice in the profession.

See Radiation Sciences in the UI General Catalog to learn more about the major.

Admission
Admission to the radiation sciences major is competitive. Applicants must have completed a radiologic technology program and must provide evidence of American Registry of Radiologic Technologists national certification. A cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.50 in college course work is required.

Students who intend to complete the entire bachelor’s degree program at Iowa should apply for admission to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and declare a radiation sciences interest.

Admission to the modality programs is competitive. Each year, around 10 students are admitted to nuclear medicine technology, seven to radiation therapy, 10 to diagnostic medical sonography, six to magnetic resonance imaging, four to cardiovascular intervention, and six to computed tomography.

Requirements, deadlines, and other information vary for the modality programs. Visit the Radiation Sciences Program web page or contact the individual modality programs directly for more details.

Professional Titles
Radiation sciences professionals have titles that refer to the types of examinations they most commonly perform. The titles include:

Radiographer, RT(R)—produces X-ray images of the body for interpretation by a radiologist.

Radiation therapist, RT(T)—uses ionizing radiation for the treatment of cancer patients.

Nuclear medicine technologist, CNMT—performs diagnostic exams using small amounts of radioactive materials.

Diagnostic medical sonographer or ultrasonographer, RDMS—creates images using high-frequency sound waves.

Cardiac interventional technologist, RT(CVI)—assists in diagnostic and therapeutic exams using X-radiation for exams of the blood vessels and anatomy of the heart.

Vascular interventional technologist, RT(VI)—assists in diagnostic and therapeutic exams using X-radiation for exams of the blood vessels (vascular) and nonvascular organs.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologist, RT(MR)—images the body in cross sections using a strong magnetic field and radio waves.

Computed tomography (CT) technologist, RT(CT)—produces cross-sectional images of the body using X-rays.

Certification and Licensure
Students who complete the radiologic technology and modality programs are eligible to take national certification exams given by the appropriate national agency. Licensure laws for radiographers vary by state. Iowa is a licensing state, requiring radiographers to have a permit to practice. Passing the national exam is a criterion used to issue a permit to practice.

Careers
The career outlook for radiation sciences graduates is bright. The majority of students are employed shortly after graduation. Graduates generally find jobs in hospitals, clinics, and physicians’ offices. With experience, and sometimes additional education, they may find related jobs in management, sales, education, or as application specialists. Most radiation sciences professionals with full-time jobs work 40 hours a week and may have holiday, weekend, evening, night, and on-call hours.

According to the American Society of Radiologic Technologists' 2007 wage and salary survey, the median Iowa salary for the profession was $50,073 and the national mean salary was $58,673. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook reports $53,240 as the national median wage estimate for May 2009.

Scholarships
Consult multiple sources for scholarship information, including the Office of Admissions, the Office of Student Financial Aid, and departmental web sites.