The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Radiography prepares the student for an entry-level position as a radiographer, or radiologic technologist, in hospitals and other health care agencies. The radiographer administers radiation in the form of x-rays to create diagnostic images which aid the physician in the diagnosis and treatment of injury and disease. Responsibilities of the radiographer include adjusting equipment to the correct settings for each radiographic procedure, positioning the patient, manipulating equipment for proper imaging and ensuring radiation protection. The radiographer understands radiation and knows how to conduct high quality diagnostic examinations safely. The radiographer must apply knowledge of physics, anatomy and physiology, patient care and other related radiographic principles. Individuals interested in a career as a radiographer need a strong science and math background and possess a genuine interest in providing direct patient care with professionalism, compassion and a high degree of accuracy. The curriculum consists of on-campus didactic and lab instruction as well as off-campus clinical rotations at affiliated healthcare institutions. The program admits twice yearly (fall and spring semesters) for the daytime track and once yearly (fall semester) for the evening/weekend track. While credit hours vary each semester, the time commitment required for student success demands the equivalent of a full-time commitment. Graduates of the program are eligible for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists Certification Examination.
The Radiography Program is accredited by:
The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
20 N. Wacker Dr., Suite 2850
Chicago, IL 60606-3182
312-704-5300
www.jrcert.org
Program contact: Learn more
Related Degrees and Certificates
Program Admission Requirements
An application may be submitted to the Health Careers Enrollment Center after meeting the following admission requirements:
- 2.50 GPA in program admission requirement courses and a 2.00 cumulative college GPA . These GPA's reflect minimum admission requirements. Students are strongly advised to strive for higher GPA's. Students achieving higher grades in admission requirement courses are better prepared academically for the rigors of the program and are more likely to successfully complete the program.
- GPA of 2.50 or above in the following program admission required courses with a grade of "C" or above earned in each course:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO-1221 | Anatomy and Physiology for Diagnostic Medical Imaging 1 | 4 |
| DMS-1351 | Patient Care Skills | 1 |
| MATH-1410 | Elementary Probability and Statistics I (or higher Approved Ohio Transfer 36 Mathematics course) 2 | 3 |
| MA-1020 | Medical Terminology I | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Honors College Composition I | ||
| College Composition I | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| General Psychology | ||
| Honors General Psychology | ||
- 1
Note: BIO-2331 Anatomy and Physiology I and BIO-2341 Anatomy and Physiology II together will be accepted in place of BIO-1221.
- 2
MATH-1240 Contemporary Mathematics taken prior to Fall 2024 will be accepted to meet mathematics requirement for this program.
Other Information
- 56 to 64 students are accepted per year.
- Due to regulations pertaining to radiation dose limits and the use of ionizing radiation (x-rays) in the radiography lab and clinical sites, a student must be 18 years of age in order to begin the program. Students who have completed program admission requirements but who are younger than 18 may apply and can be accepted and placed on the program's delayed entry (waiting) list, but they will not be permitted to begin the program until they turn 18.
- Admission requirement courses may be repeated only once to improve a grade below "C." A grade of "withdrawn" (W) does not count as an attempt.
- There is no time limit on admission requirement courses. However, applicants are advised that they will be held accountable for the content of those courses when they begin the radiography program. Students are strongly advised to review math and skeletal anatomy prior to beginning the program.
- Students are expected to enter the program with college-level reading, math, critical thinking, study, note-taking and test-taking skills. Students needing to improve these skills should meet with a counselor to learn about the many resources available through the college. GEN-1022 Strategies for Success (3 credits), is highly recommended.
- Students eligible for accommodations through Student Accessibility Services are strongly advised to have their accommodations in place prior to beginning the radiography program. It is also recommended that they meet with the Radiography Program Director to learn how accommodations apply in the various program components (lectures, labs and clinicals).
- A background check which includes fingerprinting and a court search will be required prior to final program admission. The results of the background check may prevent a student from being admitted into a healthcare program. 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]).
- Applicants are encouraged, but are not required, to obtain exposure to the healthcare environment prior to application to the program. This can be accomplished through volunteering or working at a healthcare facility. Radiography requires extensive, direct patient care and radiography students must be able to handle the physical, emotional and psychological demands of this type of work.
- The radiography program admits biannually (fall and spring semesters) for the daytime track and annually (fall semester) for the evening/weekend track. Refer to the application packet at www.tri-c.edu/radiography for detailed information about the program and for daytime and evening/weekend track schedules.
- Mandatory Radiography Program Information Session. Students are required to attend a Radiography Program Information Session prior to entering the program. Attendance at an information session does NOT need to be completed prior to applying but must be completed prior to program entry. Sessions are held once each semester and are posted on the program’s webpage: www.tri-c.edu/radiography. Students are encouraged to bring a support person. Students must sign in to document their attendance and attend the entire session.
- Courses used as prerequisites, program admission requirements and all radiography specialty courses must have a traditional letter grade. The Pass/No Pass (P/NP) grading option for prerequisites, admission requirements and specialty courses will not be accepted to meet program graduation requirements.
- BIO-2200 Radiobiology and PHYS-2250 Radiographic Physics and Quality Control are considered radiography program courses and must be taken after program acceptance and along with the RADT courses listed in the Program Sequence. They cannot be completed while a student is waiting to start the program.
- Documentation of good health, immunizations, CPR certification and health insurance 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 radiography student and/or constitute a hazard to the health or safety of patients.
- Students in the radiography program must achieve a grade of "C" or better in all RADT courses as well as BIO-2200 and PHYS-2250 in order to remain in good academic standing and progress through the program.
- All applicants must complete DMS-1351 Patient Care Skills. Direct patient care work experience and/or healthcare certification (e.g. nursing assistant, medical assistant, etc.) cannot substitute for this course. The program must document students’ completion of specific patient care competencies required for credentialing and this is accomplished through DMS-1351.
Program Outcomes
In accordance with accreditation standards and terminology established by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology, the radiography program has two types of outcomes:
- Student Learning Outcomes
- Program Outcomes (expressed as Program Effectiveness Data)
Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the radiography program will:
- Operate radiographic equipment to produce quality images.
- Practice patient care, including radiation safety, for a diverse patient population.
- Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
- Demonstrate the ability to adapt to non-routine procedures.
- Relate and apply learned concepts to formulate correct responses.
- Accept personal responsibility for ethical, technical and professional performance.
- Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the medical imaging profession.
Program Outcomes (Program Effectiveness Data)
- Program Completion Rate
- Credentialing Examination Pass Rate
- Job Placement Rate
Current program effectiveness data can be viewed at http://www.tri-c.edu/programs/health-careers/radiography/program-effectiveness-data.html or https://www.jrcert.org/resources/program-effectiveness-data
Suggested Semester Sequence
| Program Admissions Requirements Semester | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| BIO-1221 | Anatomy and Physiology for Diagnostic Medical Imaging 1 | 4 |
| DMS-1351 | Patient Care Skills | 1 |
| MA-1020 | Medical Terminology I | 3 |
| MATH-1410 | Elementary Probability and Statistics I (or higher Approved Ohio Transfer 36 Mathematics course) 2 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| Honors College Composition I | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| General Psychology | ||
| Honors General Psychology | ||
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| First Semester | ||
| BIO-2200 | Radiobiology | 2 |
| RADT-1300 | Fundamentals of Radiography | 4 |
| RADT-1400 | Radiographic Positioning | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Clinical Radiography I (Option A (7 credit hours)) 3 | ||
| Clinical Radiography I (Option B (5 credit hours)) 4 | ||
| Clinical Radiography I-A and Clinical Radiography I- B (Option C (7 credit hours)) | ||
| Credit Hours | 0 | |
| Summer Session | ||
| RADT-1351 | Image Acquisition and Evaluation | 3 |
| RADT-1410 | Intermediate Radiographic Positioning | 3 |
| RADT-2401 | Imaging Systems | 2 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| College Composition II | ||
| Honors College Composition II | ||
| Credit Hours | 11 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Clinical Radiography II (Option A (7 credit hours)) | ||
| Clinical Radiography II (Option B (7 credit hours)) | ||
| Clinical Radiography II-A and Clinical Radiography II-B (Option C (7 credit hours)) | ||
| Credit Hours | 0 | |
| Fourth Semester | ||
| PHYS-2250 | Radiographic Physics and Quality Control | 4 |
| RADT-2350 | Radiographic Pathology | 3 |
| RADT-2362 | Interventional Radiography and Pharmacology | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 8 | |
| Summer Completion | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Clinical Radiography III (Option A (5 credit hours)) | ||
| Clinical Radiography III (Option B (7 credit hours)) | ||
| Clinical Radiography III (Option C (5 credit hours)) | ||
| Credit Hours | 0 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 45 | |
- 1
BIO-2331 Anatomy and Physiology I and BIO-2341 Anatomy and Physiology II together will be accepted in place of BIO-1221 Anatomy and Physiology for Diagnostic Medical Imaging.
- 2
MATH-1240 Contemporary Mathematics taken prior to Fall 2024 will be accepted to meet Mathematics requirement for this program.
- 3
Students beginning program in fall semester (daytime track) must take RADT-1911 Clinical Radiography I, RADT-2911 Clinical Radiography II and RADT-2921 Clinical Radiography III. Students beginning in spring semester (daytime track) must take RADT-191S Clinical Radiography I, RADT-291S Clinical Radiography II and RADT-292S Clinical Radiography III. Students beginning in the fall semester (evening/weekend track) may take modular courses RADT-191A and RADT-191B in place of RADT-1911 and must take RADT-291A, RADT-291B, and RADT-2921. RADT-191A & RADT-191B are accepted in place of RADT-1911; RADT-291A & RADT-291B are accepted in place of RADT-2911.
- 4
Students beginning program in fall semester must take RADT-1911 Clinical Radiography I, RADT-2911 Clinical Radiography II and RADT-2921 Clinical Radiography III. Students beginning in spring semester must take RADT-191S Clinical Radiography I, RADT-291S Clinical Radiography II and RADT-292S Clinical Radiography III. Students in the evening/weekend track may take modular courses RADT-191A Clinical Radiography I-A and RADT-191B Clinical Radiography I- B in place of RADT-1911 and must take RADT-291A, RADT-291B, and RADT-2921. RADT-191A & RADT-191B are accepted in place of RADT-1911; RADT-291A & RADT-291B are accepted in place of RADT-2911.
Options
(A) Fall Start - Daytime Track
Students beginning the program in a fall semester (daytime track) will complete the following clinical courses: RADT-1911 Clinical Radiography I, RADT-2911 Clinical Radiography II and RADT-2921 Clinical Radiography III.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| RADT-1911 | Clinical Radiography I | 7 |
| RADT-2911 | Clinical Radiography II | 7 |
| RADT-2921 | Clinical Radiography III | 5 |
| Additional program courses | 45 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 64 | |
(B) Spring Start - Daytime Track
Students beginning the program in a spring semester (daytime track) will complete the following clinical courses: RADT-191S Clinical Radiography I, RADT-291S Clinical Radiography II and RADT-292S Clinical Radiography III
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| RADT-191S | Clinical Radiography I | 5 |
| RADT-291S | Clinical Radiography II | 7 |
| RADT-292S | Clinical Radiography III | 7 |
| Additional program courses | 45 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 64 | |
(C) Fall Start - Evening/Weekend Track
Students beginning the program in a fall semester (evening/weekend track) will complete the following clinical courses: RADT-1911 Clinical Radiography I or RADT-191A Clinical Radiography I-A and RADT-191B Clinical Radiography I- B; RADT-291A Clinical Radiography II-A and RADT-291B Clinical Radiography II-B; and RADT-2921 Clinical Radiography III.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| RADT-191A & RADT-191B | Clinical Radiography I-A and Clinical Radiography I- B | 7 |
| RADT-291A & RADT-291B | Clinical Radiography II-A and Clinical Radiography II-B | 7 |
| RADT-2921 | Clinical Radiography III | 5 |
| Additional program courses | 45 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 64 | |
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.