Radiation Therapy, B.S.

The Bachelor of Science in Radiation Therapy at NKU provides students the opportunity to enter into a rapidly advancing healthcare field that uses state-of-the-art equipment and offers a fulfilling and promising future. The Radiation Therapy program has been is fully accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) for 3 years.

Radiation therapists are healthcare professionals who administer highly focused forms of radiation to treat cancer and other diseases as prescribed by a radiation oncologist according to established practices and standards. Duties include reviewing prescription and diagnosis; acting as a liaison with the physician and supportive care personnel; preparing equipment, such as immobilization, treatment, and protection devices; Irradiating and imaging patients; and maintaining records, reports, and files.

Special admission requirements: Due to the limited number of clinical placements and the competitive and appealing nature of the program, the radiation therapy program has a selective admission process. The annual application deadline is February 15 for the class that will begin in July of that year.

Students are admitted into the professional portion of the program (Years 2, 3, 4) through a selective admission process.  Students with the highest ranking based on the following criteria are accepted into the professional portion.

A minimum 2.8 GPA in all college work attempted, based on a 4.0 scale in the last 30 hours.

Satisfactory completion of the following courses with a grade of C or better for each course:

·         / :  Human Anatomy and Physiology

·         :  Introduction to Physics with Laboratory

·          or :  Pre-Calculus or Calculus

·          and / can be in progress at the time of application. 

·         Shadowing is highly recommended.

Additional points are earned in the selection process for:

• Current student or alumni of NKU
• Health care experience
• Shadowing experience in Radiation Oncology
• Previous application to Radiation Therapy

Student criminal background check: Healthcare agencies are charged with providing care and protecting the safety of vulnerable populations including children and the aged. Agencies used for clinical placement require students to undergo criminal background checks and may deny clinical access to those convicted of felonies and certain misdemeanors. Conviction of these offenses may result in a student’s denial of admission to, or dismissal from, the College of Health and Human Services. Students admitted to the radiologic science program are required to submit to criminal background checks as identified by the College of Health and Human Services. Failure of the background check will result in the inability to be placed at a clinical site and subsequent dismissal from the program.

The student is responsible for notifying the College of Health and Human Services of any change in the status of this record. Note that successful completion of a criminal background check does not ensure eligibility for certification, licensure, or future employment.

Education for the radiation therapy student is an integrated plan of classroom, laboratory, and clinical education. In addition to regular classroom coursework, students spend an average of 20 hours per week practicing their skills at an area clinical site. Please note that the following courses are offered in an online only format:  ,  , and  .

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