Radiation Therapy program

MUndergrad major

Combine high-precision treatment and empathetic support to help cancer patients.

If you are interested in a healthcare career that allows you to see your patients daily, while using the latest technological equipment to provide treatment, then radiation therapy might be the field for you. Radiation therapy is all about using "technology with a human touch."

UWL's Radiation Therapy program is nationally-accredited and is the only bachelor’s degree radiation therapy program in the UW System. Since the program started in 1997, graduates have held a perfect, first-time pass rate on the national certification exam. In cooperation with local and regional cancer centers in Wisconsin and Illinois, students gain hands-on experience with courses and rotations at clinical internship sites during their final year of training.

What is Radiation Therapy?

Radiation therapy is one of several ways to treat cancer. Often combined with chemotherapy and surgery, radiation therapy is effective at targeting specific cancerous areas within a patient’s body. While not all patients are curable, radiation also offers control of disease and relief of symptoms, improving a patients’ quality of life.

What is it like to be a radiation therapist?

Radiation therapists find that work with cancer patients, while sad at times, is more uplifting than depressing. They have the opportunity to get to know people whose strength and courage shine through their difficulties. Because radiation therapists see patients daily, they can develop relationships with them that are unique and satisfying. Radiation therapists work with a team on the patients' behalf. This team often includes other therapists, physicians, nurses, social workers, medical dosimetrists and physicists. The same characteristics that make ionizing radiation valuable in killing cancer cells can be a safety concern for radiation therapists. Because of this, radiation therapists monitor any potential exposure and are shielded when the treatment beam is on.

Job opportunities are prevalent for radiation therapists in hospitals and freestanding radiation therapy facilities. Radiation therapists enjoy mostly daytime and weekday hours and excellent compensation. Additionally, radiation therapists may further their education and specialize. 

Radiation therapy jobs

  • Radiation therapist
  • Simulation therapist
  • Lead therapist
  • Proton therapist
  • MRI therapist

Further development

  • Medical dosimetry
  • Medical physics
  • Education
  • Management and leadership
  • Sales/applications
  • Quality improvement

What distinguishes UWL's Radiation Therapy program?

Perfect pass rate

Graduates of UWL's Radiation Therapy program have had a 100% first time pass rate on the The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) national certification exam since the program began in 1997. ARRT is the world’s largest organization offering credentials in medical imaging, interventional procedures, and radiation therapy. 
Outstanding job placement rate

Graduates of UWL's Radiation Therapy program have a 100% job placement rate for those actively seeking employment within six months of graduation.
Nationally-accredited program

UWL Radiation Therapy is nationally-accredited by The Joint Review Committee of Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), the only agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), for the accreditation of traditional and distance delivery educational programs in radiography, radiation therapy, magnetic resonance, and medical dosimetry. 
High-rank nationally

The program is No. 2 on the Best Value Schools list. The rankings highlight tuition and enrollment, while listing notables such as UWL’s 13-month internship program and its national accreditation. 
Student involvement opportunities

Students have opportunities for involvement on campus through the Radiation Therapy Club & Lambda Nu Honor Society- Alpha Chapter. They can also join state and national professional organizations such as Radiation Therapists of Wisconsin-RTOW and The American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT).   
Professional clinical experience

Students in the program have a 13-month clinical internship with supervised, clinical experiences working with real patients and equipment in tandem with a rigorous professional curriculum. Students are able to learn and apply skills and concepts in a supervised setting with real patients. The program seeks to foster in its students, professional development, resiliency, critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and leadership skills needed for current, future and diverse health care environments.
Hands-on, innovative approach to education

Students learn through real-life scenarios that aim to teach patient safety and critical thinking. Experience with these situations helps student to think on their feet when they have similar experiences in clinical internships and their future career.

Areas of study

Radiation Therapy

View a sample plan for Radiation Therapy

Radiation Therapy Emphasis

MUndergrad major View a sample plan for Radiation Therapy Emphasis

Radiologic Technology Emphasis

MUndergrad major View a sample plan for Radiologic Technology Emphasis

Diagnostic Medical Sonography with Echocardiography/Vascular Emphasis

MUndergrad major View a sample plan for Diagnostic Medical Sonography with Echocardiography/Vascular Emphasis

Diagnostic Medical Sonography with General/Vascular Emphasis

MUndergrad major View a sample plan for Diagnostic Medical Sonography with General/Vascular Emphasis

Sample courses

RT 310 Pathophysiology This course focuses on the pathophysiologic disorders that affect healthy systems across the life span. Theories of disease causation are introduced. Areas of emphasis include cellular and systemic responses, clinical manifestations and the response of tissue to radiation damage. Acquired, immune, infectious, carcinogenic and genetic alterations in body systems are included. Prerequisite: BIO 312, BIO 313; admission to RT. Offered Fall.

RT 330 Professional Issues in Radiation Therapy This course will provide students with knowledge related to the professional issues pertinent to the field of radiation therapy. Course topics will include: professional development, career advancement/options, radiation therapist scope of practice and practice standards, certification and licensure, radiation therapy professional organizations, legislative issues in radiation therapy, as well as ethics and introductory law in radiation therapy. Prerequisite: admission to Radiation Therapy Program. Offered Fall.

RT 350 Patient Care Issues This course will prepare students to work directly with patients in a health care setting. It will cover such topics as: communication and patient education, assessment, examination and monitoring of patients, body mechanics and patient handling skills, infection control, management of medical emergencies and CPR, nutritional counseling. Prerequisite: admission to Radiation Therapy Program. Offered Spring.

RT 390 Medical Imaging This course will provide radiation therapy students with theory and information regarding medical imaging procedures. Radiation therapists play a crucial role in imaging for treatment planning and treatment field verification. The course will provide instruction on analog and digital imaging, as well as various imaging modalities. Prerequisite: PHY 386; admission to Radiation Therapy Program. Offered Spring.

RT 401 Introduction to Radiation Therapy This course, the first in the clinical internship, will provide the student with an overview of the profession of radiation therapy and its role in health care delivery and cancer management. Students will be oriented to the academic and administrative format of the internship site as well as safety practices of the hospital and radiation therapy department. The radiation therapy process will be identified and discussed along with critical steps in treatment procedures. Students will be prepared for working with patients by learning about charting and documentation as well as appropriate patient/therapist interactions. Prerequisite: RT 310, RT 350; admission to Radiation Therapy Program; assignment to a clinical internship site. Offered Summer.

RT 421 Cross Sectional, Topographic and Radiographic Anatomy This course, taught during the clinical internship, revisits anatomy specifically from an imaging perspective. Students will learn to identify structures and pathology on x-rays, CT and MRI scans and locate topographic landmarks on diagnostic and simulation films. Prerequisite: BIO 313, RT 390, RT 401; admission to Radiation Therapy Program; assignment to clinical internship site. Offered Fall.

RT 431 Radiation Therapy Physics This course, taught during the clinical internship, expands the student's understanding of physics related to radiation therapy. Topics include the components and operation of linear accelerators and other treatment machines, brachytherapy, specification and modification of beam quality and characteristics, measurement of absorbed dose, treatment machine calibration, beam geometry and treatment with particles. Prerequisite: PHY 386, RT 401; admission to Radiation Therapy Program; assignment to clinical internship site. Offered Fall.

RT 435 Dosimetry and Treatment Planning This course, taught during the clinical internship, focuses on the characteristics, measurement and manipulation of radiation dose delivery in treatment. This involves advanced concepts of methods of altering dose to optimize the effectiveness of the radiation treatment. Treatment planning for a variety of tumor sites and situations is discussed. Prerequisite: RT 411, RT 421, RT 431; admission to Radiation Therapy Program; assignment to clinical internship site. Offered Spring.

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