Master of Sciences
Candidates for the Master of Science degree in Radiological Sciences must complete a thesis based on their own research and must complete the following courses: RADI 5024, 5222, 5824, 6864, 6874, and 6884. The required number of semester hours for the M.S. degree is 32 with no more than six hours to be earned in RADI 5980, M.S. Thesis Research. The remainder of program requirement may be completed with graduate level courses from Radiological Sciences or graduate studies in appropriate academic areas which have been approved by the advisor or advisory committee.
Every student in the graduate program of the Department is required to present a seminar every year. Entering students shall complete prerequisite courses with a grade of B or better within the first 12 months of enrollment or prior to enrollment. Completion of this requirement will not be given graduate credit in the Radiological Sciences Graduate Program.
Doctor of Philosophy
Candidates for doctoral degree must complete a minimum of 90 post-baccalaureate semester credit hours. Doctoral students are required to complete the Radiological Sciences core courses (or their equivalents ) for the master's degree described above.
All doctoral students are required to complete 10 additional hours beyond the core courses required for the masters students. They consist of (1) BMSC 5001 (Integrity in Scientific Research) or equivalent, ( 2) RADI 5303, (3) a 3 credit hour graduate course from one of the three area, mathematical physics/advanced statistics/numerical modeling, and (4) a 3 credit hour medical imaging course, currently offered as RADI 6960.
Two tracks of study, namely, diagnostic and radiation therapy, are available for doctoral students. Doctoral students are expected to complete 6 credit hours in their track specialization. For the diagnostic track this consists of RADI 5643 and a 3 credit hour course in MRI/CT/PET or a course recommended by the advisory committee. For the radiation therapy track, this consists of 3 hours selected from RADI 6823, Radiobiologic modeling / Monte Carlo modeling/ advisory committee recommended course, and another 3 credit hours selected from Proton Therapy / IMRT / IGRT / advisory committee recommended course. Apart from the advisory committee recommended courses, the other courses are currently offered as RADI 6960.
A maximum of 30 semester hours for enrollment in RADI 6980, Doctoral Dissertation Research, count towards the total requirement of 90 hours. The remainder of program requirement may be completed with graduate level courses from Radiological Sciences or graduate studies in appropriate academic areas which have been approved by the advisory committee. Every student in the graduate programs of the Department must present a seminar every year.
Doctoral students must pass the departmental General Qualifying Examination before they can be admitted to candidacy. This examination consists of a written and an oral portion and may contain questions on any aspect of the Radiological Sciences. The General Examination consists of six subjects: production and absorption of radiation, radiation detection and measurement, physics in diagnostic radiology (including magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound), physics in nuclear medicine, physics in radiation therapy and radiation biology. Questions on radiation safety will be included. The General Examination should be satisfied within 3 years of enrollment into the program. Once a student becomes a candidate, the student will be expected to complete original research which represents a significant contribution to the field of Medical Radiological Sciences (Research for the Doctoral Dissertation).
For a doctoral student who has failed the General Examination, does not hold the master's degree in medical physics, but has otherwise met all the departmental and graduate college requirements for the master's degree, the following option is available: if the student has achieved satisfactory performance in at least four subject categories in the written portion of the general examination and has achieved grades of B or better in the graduate courses of the remaining subjects, he or she may request to be considered for a non-thesis master's degree in Radiological Sciences.
Courses in Radiological Sciences
RADI 5024 Radiation Detection and Measurement
The physical characteristics of principal types of detection and measurement systems used for charged particle and photon beams. Experimental laboratories involve use of the systems for standardization, calibration and energy analysis. Laboratory included.
RADI 5102 Radiation Protection and Shielding in Medical Installations
This course will cover radiation protection, dose managements and shielding designs in medical physics: diagnostic radiological imaging, nuclear medicines and radiation therapy.
RADI 5222 Introduction to Radiation Biology and Chemistry
Effects of ionizing radiation on chemical and biological systems. Covers effects on water and biological macromolecules, acute and chronic effects on germ cells, embryo and adult tissues. These data are then used to develop a scientific basis for radiation therapy and the rationale for current radiation protection practices.
RADI 5303 Clinical and Radiological Anatomy
Comprehensive discussions of the general structures and functional principles of the human body. Introduction to sectional anatomy and pathology will be provided. Discussions relating human anatomy to sectional and volumetric anatomy and pathology observed on images from commonly used modalities will be held.
RADI 5533 Decision Theory In Radiological Sciences
Signal detection theory, bayesian methodology and information theory, and their applications in the radiological sciences.
RADI 6990 Special Studies
May be repeated with change of subject matter; maximum credit eight hours. specialized topics in radiological sciences, such as: thermoluminescent dosimeters, kinetics of cell populations, applications of image theory, pulse radiolysis products
RADI 5543 Pattern Recognition and Image Processing
Pattern recognition and image processing techniques and their applications to problems in the radiological sciences. The emphasis is the definition of a background for analyzing images, particularly for diagnostic radiology.
RADI 5643 Radiological Physics of Magnetic Resonance
Fundamentals of physics for magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy as applied to radiology. Includes the magnetic resonance phenomenon, T1 and T2 relaxation mechanisms, Bloch equations, pulsing sequences, paramagnetic agents, biological effects of electric and magnetic fields, and site planning for magnetic resonance equipment. Applications of this methodology to radiological practice will be presented.
RADI 5693 Radiation Oncology
Radiobiological basis of radiotherapy, modifiers of radiation response, common techniques of irradiation, combined therapy, clinical considerations in treatment of malignant neoplasms, basic anatomy and pathology.
RADI 5783 Diagnostic Radiology I
Diagnostic x-ray methods, including imaging methods, contrast media, tomography, special procedures, neuroradiology, normal and abnormal roentgen anatomy.
RADI 5824 Production and Absorption of Ionizing Radiation
Radiation shielding, x-ray generators, accelerators, charged particle attenuation in matter, ionization, excitation, scattering and radioactive processes. Radiation dosimetry and calibration of photon and electron beams.
RADI 5971 Seminar in Radiological Sciences
All graduate students are required to present a seminar annually and participate in the seminars. Departmental colloquium for communication among disciplines on current research and on relevant topics from current literature.
RADI 5980 Research for Masters Thesis
Maximum of six hours allowed as part of the total hours for an M. S. in Radiological Sciences.
RADI 6623 Principles of Nuclear Medicine
The physical and physiological principles underlying the procedures of nuclear medicine. Instrumentation, radiopharmaceuticals, dosimetry, quality assurance, and evaluation of the function procedures.
RADI 6642 Ultrasound
The principles of generating ultrasound, of the interaction of ultrasound or ultrasound with materials (with special emphasis on the tissues of mammals), and the detection techniques and instrumentation.
RADI 6864 Radiological Physics I
Lecture and laboratory relevant to the physics of radiation therapy with special emphasis on exposure and dose measurements, isodose information, radium applications, and treatment planning techniques. The aim is to enable the student to work effectively with the physician in cancer therapy.
RADI 6874 Radiological Physics II
Lecture and laboratory relevant to the physics of nuclear medicine with special emphasis on dose standardization, mird dose systems, information from scans, camera characteristics, and NRC licenses. The aim is to enable the student to work effectively with the physician in nuclear medicine.
RADI 6884 Radiological Physics III
Lecture and laboratory relevant to the physics of diagnostic x-ray and protection with emphasis on diagnostic generator characteristics, quality assurance, modulation transfer function of systems, radiation protection criteria and facility design. Provides the student adequate background to attack problems arising in diagnostic x-ray.
RADI 6823 Subatomic Physics for Medical Physicists
Lecture course covering the nuclear physics processes involved in the creation and interaction of radiation. The atomic model, basic quantum theory, competing nuclear models and nucleon interaction kinetics are the general focus of this course.
RADI 6950 Research Methods in Radiological Sciences
May be repeated with change of subject matter; maximum credit eight hours. Research on a problem in radiological sciences mutually agreed upon by student and instructor.
RADI 6960 Directed Reading in Advanced Topics
May be repeated with change of subject matter; maximum credit six hours. Advanced topics in radiological sciences, such as: advanced dosimetry, quantum chemistry, molecular physics, theory of imaging systems, medical physics, advanced radiobiology, physiological kinetics, solid state systems, cell dynamics.
RADI 6980 Doctoral Dissertation Research
Credit hours vary.