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.
Four-Year Plan: Click here to view the Four-Year Plan for this specific program. To find out more about Four-Year Plans, visit the Policies and Procedures page.
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 August 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:
· BIO 208 /BIO 208L : Human Anatomy and Physiology
· PHY 110 : Introduction to Physics with Laboratory
· MAT 119 or MAT 129 : Pre-Calculus or Calculus
· ENG 101 and BIO 209 /BIO 209L can be in progress at the time of application.
Shadowing a radiation therapist in the clinical setting 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
Conditional acceptance into the program can be given to students enrolled in any of the prerequisite courses by the priority application date of February 15. Successful completion of these courses with a grade of C or better must be documented at the end of the term for final program admission.
English Proficiency: A certain level of English proficiency is necessary for academic success in radiation therapy courses as well as for patient and client safety. For this reason, applicants whose native language is other than English must demonstrate an established level of English proficiency by taking the Internet-based TOEFL as part of the application process and must have a minimum cumulative score of 90 with minimum individual scores of 26 in speaking, 22 in listening, 20 in writing, and 22 in reading. Only official scores will be accepted and the testing must be within two years of application to the program. Only the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) will be accepted. Students must register for the iBT using the school code for Northern Kentucky University which is #1574. Students must take the test early enough to ensure that the results are reported to the university by required application deadlines. “Official language” is defined as an individual’s first acquired language and the language of educational instruction. For a complete list of NKU approved countries with English as the “official language,” please contact the International Student & Scholar Services at 859-572-6517 or https://inside.nku.edu/internationalstudents.html. The Test of English as a Foreign Language is offered by the Educational Testing Service and may be taken at various test centers throughout the world.
The TOEFL requirement may be appealed under extenuating circumstances. The appeal should be made in writing to the Radiation Therapy program director, who may request that the applicant have an interview with the director or designee.
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: RTT 320 , RTT 321 , and RAD 310 .
♦ Indicates prerequisite
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