Diagnostic Radiography & Imaging
The BSc Hons Diagnostic Radiography & Imaging programme is designed to provide vocational education at undergraduate level for careers in diagnostic radiography. On completion, successful graduates are eligible to apply for registration under the protected title of "Radiographer" or "Diagnostic Radiographer" with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the statutory regulatory body responsible for ensuring continuing standards of education, training and professional proficiency in order to protect the public.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | |
| Awarding Body | Ulster University |
| NFQ Level |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 | Ulster University |
Duration
Attendance
Three years, full-time including eight week long clinical placements each summer between Year 1 and 2 and between Year 2 and 3.
Academic semesters consisting of 12 weeks of on-campus contact hours: level 4 averaging 20 hrs /week, level 5 averaging 16 hrs/week, level 6 averaging 12 hrs/wk. The total effort hours per semester (contact time and self-directed study) is 600 hours, averaging 40 hrs/wk. Clinical Placement modules which are carried out in various hospitals, approved for clinical education and training of students throughout Northern Ireland. Students are required to work 37.5 hours per week during clinical placement periods. Some of this will be accumulated during normal working hours ie Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm, but will also include evening and weekend duties, in accordance with satisfying clinical training requirements. It should be noted that Placement 1 and 3 occur during the summer months.
Entry Requirements
Irish Leaving Certificate
Grades H3,H3,H3,H3,H3 to include English, Mathematics, Physics (Physics with Chemistry acceptable), plus one of Biology or Chemistry.
Careers / Further progression
Graduate employers
Graduates from this course are now working for:
Health & Social Care Trusts
Independent or Private Clinics
Medical Imaging Equipment Suppliers
HM Armed Forces
Equipment providers
Private Clinics
Job roles
With this degree you could become:
Diagnostic Radiographer
Reporting Radiographer
Mammographer
Higher Education - Lecturer
Research Radiographer
Application Specialist
Career options
There are many employment opportunities for Diagnostic Radiography graduates within the National Health Service, in private medicine and in companies concerned with the manufacture and sale of Radiography equipment and/or services. There are also many research opportunities for suitably qualified graduates both at this university and elsewhere.
Further information regarding careers in Radiography may be found at:
The Society of Radiographers - About Radiography
The College of Radiography - Radiography Careers
Information on being a Diagnostic radiographer - NHS
Further information
Start date: September 2024
Deadlines for on-time applications
2024 entry application deadlines
For courses starting in 2024 (and for deferred applications), your application should be with us at UCAS by one of these dates – depending on what courses you apply for. If your completed application – including all your personal details and your academic reference – is submitted by the deadline, it is guaranteed to be considered.
16 October 2023 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry. You can add choices with a different deadline later, but don’t forget you can only have five choices in total.
31 January 2024 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – for the majority of courses.
Some course providers require additional admissions tests to be taken alongside the UCAS application, and these may have a deadline. Find out more about these tests at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/admissions-tests
Check course information in the search tool to see which deadline applies to you at the application weblink below.
Apply as soon as possible: Student funding arrangements mean that as offers are made and places fill up, some courses may only have vacancies for students from certain locations. It’s therefore really important that you apply for your chosen courses by the appropriate deadlines mentioned above, as not all courses will have places for all students.
All applications received after 30 June are entered into Clearing - find out more about Clearing at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/clearing-and-results-day/what-clearing
Overview
The Diagnostic Radiography & Imaging degree is designed to provide education at undergraduate level for careers in diagnostic radiography.
Summary
The BSc Hons Diagnostic Radiography & Imaging programme is designed to provide vocational education at undergraduate level for careers in diagnostic radiography.
The BSc Hons Diagnostic Radiography & Imaging course is a full-time programme of study of three-years duration. On completion, successful graduates are eligible to apply for registration under the protected title of "Radiographer" or "Diagnostic Radiographer" with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the statutory regulatory body responsible for ensuring continuing standards of education, training and professional proficiency in order to protect the public. The course is also recognised and endorsed by the Society and College of Radiographers, both students and graduates of the programme are eligible to apply for membership of the Society of Radiographers.
About
The BSc Hons Diagnostic Radiography & Imaging programme is designed to provide vocational education at undergraduate level for careers in diagnostic radiography.
Diagnostic radiographers undertake imaging examinations essential to the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of disease and injury. This can also include the examination of apparently healthy individuals as part ofscreening programmes. As a diagnostic radiographer you will be required to evaluate the diagnostic and technical quality of images whilst at the same time recognising normal and abnormal appearances. Apart from the application of X-rays (including CT scanning), diagnostic radiography embraces ultrasound, radionuclide imaging, magnetic resonance imaging and other developing technologies. It is important to note that radiography involves working with ill and vulnerable patients, and that patient care is as vitally important as the technical aspects of the role.
The BSc Hons Diagnostic Radiography & Imaging course is a full-time programme of study of three-years duration leading to the award of an Honours degree with eligibility for registration with the HCPC. The course is also recognised by the Society and College of Radiographers, both students and graduates of the programme are eligible to apply for membership of the Society of Radiographers.
Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year 1
Knowledge and Skills for Personal & Professional Development
Radiation Science and Technology 1
Image Anatomy & Pathology of Appendicular Skeleton
Radiographic Technique of the Appendicular Skeleton
Radiation Science and Technology 2
Radiography of Axial Skeleton and Torso
Preparation for Diagnostic Radiography Practice
Professional Practice Placement 1
Year 2
Health Science Research
Professional Practice Placement 2
Specialist Diagnostic Imaging Modalities
Imaging of the Urinary and Reproductive systems
Imaging of the Cardiovascular and Respiratory systems.
Imaging of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary systems
Radiography Legislation and Procedures
Year 3
Research Project
Diagnostic Radiography Elective Placement
Professional Practice Placement 3
Preparation for Diagnostic Radiography Practitioner Status
Trauma Imaging Theatre & Forensics
Imaging of the Nervous System and Special Senses
Professional Practice Placement 4
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
Professional recognition
Health and Care Professions Council, the (HCPC)
Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for the purpose of providing eligibility to apply for registration with the HCPC as a radiographer.
Society and College of Radiographers (SCoR)
Approved by the Society and College of Radiographers (SCoR).
Work placement / study abroad
Periods of Professional Practice Placement are scheduled at regular intervals throughout the course enabling you to develop your technical imaging skills, as well as patient care and communication skills. In total you will complete 40 weeks of clinical experience across the duration of the programme. Note, there will be two 8 week periods of placement between years 1/2 and 2/3 in Jun/Jul and Aug/Sept respectively.
Across Northern Ireland, a number of imaging departments on different hospital sites have been validated and approved as clinical providers supporting delivery of the professional practice placement components of the programme. As a student enrolled on the programme, you will be required to undertake placement in variety of practice settings to ensure an appropriate range of experience is gained in order to satisfy practitioner competencies. As such, on occasions, you may need to avail of on-site accommodation for the purposes of undertaking placement, or assume responsibility for making alternative arrangements where this is not available.
As a student, you are also expected to conform with the working patterns of radiographers in the clinical setting to meet the learning outcomes of the placement experience. This means your clinical schedule will also include a requirement to work in the clinical setting during the evening and at weekends.
Additionally, Elective placement in final year enables the opportunity to participate in optional placement schemes abroad such as ERASMUS exchange or Work the World which is endorsed by the Society and College of Radiographers.
Ulster University,
Northland Rd,
Londonderry
BT48 7JL
T: 02870 123 456