The short-term certificate in mammography provides an opportunity for radiologic technologists registered in radiography to obtain education and clinical training in mammography. The mammographer specializes in imaging the breast to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of breast disease. The curriculum consists of online instruction, as well as off-campus clinical rotations at affiliated health care institutions. Those successfully completing the short-term certificate will be eligible for advanced level certification in mammography through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). The online courses fulfill the "structured education" requirement as defined by the ARRT.
The mammography curriculum is accepted for professional continuing education credits for radiologic technologists. With departmental approval, technologists may register for individual online courses with the exception of RADT-2930 Mammography Applications. However, the certificate can be obtained only after completing the entire course sequence in the order listed.
Program contact: Learn more
Financial Assistance funds cannot be applied towards this program.
This certificate will be automatically awarded when the certificate requirements are completed. If you do not want to receive the certificate, please notify the Office of the Registrar at RegistrarOffice@tri-c.edu.
Related Degrees and Certificates
Program Admission Requirements
Applicants to the mammography program must first complete the general admission application to Cuyahoga Community College. Former Cuyahoga Community College students should contact the Admissions & Financial Services office at (800) 954-8742 to reactivate their student record or reapply, if advised. Applicants to the program must be registered and licensed radiographers as evidenced by ARRT certification and an Ohio radiographic license.
Applicants should contact the program director at Elizabeth.Gildone@tri-c.edu to express interest and submit a copy of their American Registry of Radiologic Technologists certification card and a copy of their Ohio radiologic license. Students are admitted on a rolling basis. The program admits, on average, 20 students each fall semester. The number of students admitted is determined by the number of available clinical spaces. Meeting the admission requirements does not guarantee immediate admission to the program because the number of applicants may exceed clinical space availability.
Other Information
- 20 - 24 students accepted per year.
- Criminal background check required.
- Acceptance into the mammography short-term certificate program is contingent upon the results of the required background check. The College's determination of acceptable background check results for the purposes of acceptance into the educational program does not guarantee a similar determination by other entities (i.e. clinical affiliates, future employers, and/or professional certifying organizations [i.e. American Registry of Radiologic Technologists]).
- Courses taken MUST have a traditional letter grade. The Pass/No Pass (P/NP) grading option will NOT be accepted to meet certificate completion requirements.
- Documentation of good health, immunizations, health insurance and CPR for the healthcare provider through the American Heart Association is required prior to clinical assignment. Students accepted into the program will be notified by the program when they should begin collecting and submitting this documentation. Students will be dismissed from the program if significant limiting health conditions are present which prevent the student from performing the normal functions of a mammography student and/or constitute a hazard to the health or safety of patients.
- Students in the mammography program must achieve a grade of "C" or better in all mammography coursework in order to remain in good academic standing and progress through the program.
Program Learning Outcomes
This program is designed to prepare students to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:
- Solicit and record patient's clinical history relevant to the examination including the documentation of anatomical characteristics.
- Elicit patient cooperation and provide patient comfort, psychological support and education regarding the procedure and radiation safety.
- Select and utilize equipment appropriate to the patient and examination to produce diagnostic images.
- Select exposure factors specific to the patient and examination using appropriate markers to document breast(s) imaged and projections.
- Position the patient to produce images specific to department protocol and physician's orders.
- Evaluate the images to ensure proper identification and diagnostic quality.
- Meet requirements for mammography certification eligibility through American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.
Suggested Semester Sequence
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| RADT-2610 | Introduction to Mammography | 1 |
| RADT-2620 | Anatomy and Pathology of the Breast | 1 |
| RADT-2630 | Positioning Techniques for Breast Imaging | 1 |
| RADT-2640 | Physics of Mammography | 1 |
| RADT-2670 | Mammography Quality Control | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 5 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| RADT-2650 | Interventional and Special Imaging Procedures | 1 |
| RADT-2660 | MQSA and ACR Regulatory Standards | 1 |
| RADT-2930 | Mammography Applications | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 5 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 10 | |
MATH-1140, MATH-1141, MATH-1200, MATH-1270, and MATH-1280 can no longer count towards fulfilling the college-level mathematics requirement. These courses were re-classified as developmental mathematics by the state of Ohio in 2016. Tri-C established a 5-year transitioning window for students who had completed these courses prior to 2016 to apply them towards meeting graduation requirements, which expired in Summer 2021. It is highly recommended to see a counselor to determine the appropriate math required for your current major.