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Radiation Therapy

Radiation Therapy

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Learn to Apply Safe Doses of Radiation 
Radiation therapists are the go-to experts for patients who need safe doses of radiation to combat diseases like cancer.  
When you enroll in the Radiation Therapy program, you will develop the skills to provide appropriate patient care, apply problem solving techniques and critical thinking skills in the administration of treatment protocols, tumor localization and dosimetry. You will also learn to maintain appropriate patient records.    
The program here at Broward college offers you all of the required knowledge plus an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in our energized labs prior to beginning your clinical education.  Once you enter the clinical sites, you will have even more opportunities to enhance your clinical skills set.

Classroom Experience

Radiation therapists deliver prescribed doses of radiation to patients for therapeutic purposes. We train you on the proper procedures with a mix of on-campus courses and clinical education in area hospitals. 
 
All didactic (lecture) and laboratory courses are taught in building 41 on the North Campus in Coconut Creek, Florida. Clinical courses are located in hospitals and Cancer Centers throughout Broward, Palm Beach and Martin Counties. You may have to drive up to one hour from their home to attend clinical courses. You will rotate through three to four different hospitals over the length of the program. 
 
Prerequisite and general education courses (i.e., courses that do not begin with a "RAT" prefix) may be taken at any Broward College campus or online if available.
 

Career Path

 
Job prospects for radiation therapists are projected to increase faster than average over the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Annual wages for radiation therapists were $74,980 in 2010. 
 
 
Graduates who successfully complete the program are awarded an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in Radiation Therapy. You would then be eligible to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification examination. If you successfully pass your examination, you will be able to use the title Registered Technologist and its abbreviation R.T. (T). You would also be eligible to become licensed in Florida through the Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control. 
 

Is This Program Right for Me?

Radiation therapists deliver prescribed doses of radiation to patients for therapeutic purpose, working alongside doctors, physicists, dosimetrists and fellow radiation therapists.  They also interact with social workers, dieticians and various other hospital personnel. 
 
If you think you would enjoy being a member of a health care team, working with advanced technologies, and if you value interacting with people with varied backgrounds, this career could be for you.  It requires:
 
  • Problem solving skills
  • Great communication
  • Excellent listening skills 
  • A solid math background
  • A desire to make a difference in someone’s life​

Accreditation

The Radiation Therapy Program at Broward College maintains regional accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC). 
 
As a blueprint, the program follows the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) Radiation Therapy Curriculum. The ASRT is the organization that establishes standards of practice for the profession and writes curricula used by educational programs throughout the United States. The curriculum also follows the content specifications provided by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).

Faculty

All faculty in this program are registered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) in Radiation Therapy.  Some faculty members have additional certifications from the ARRT in Radiography and CT (computerized tomography). We also have an adjunct who is a Radiation Physicist that also serves as our radiation safety officer.
 
Every faculty member has been employed as a radiation therapist prior to teaching here at Broward College; some of our adjunct faculty members still currently work as radiation therapists.  Most of our faculty members are alumni of Broward College and some graduated from programs out of state.
  

Courses

Each semester, you will have at least one to two didactic (lecture) courses, plus one laboratory course during your first year. Each semester of the second year, you will have four to six didactic courses. 
 
Didactic courses are given on campus, which meet on campus one to two times per week for one to three hours, depending on the number of credits. Laboratory courses meet on campus once per week for two to three hours.
 
Clinical skills set and competencies are taught throughout the program, providing you with entry-level radiation therapy employment  skills upon graduation and successful completion of your national certification examination
 
 

Selection Criteria

Associate Science Degree Radiation Therapy

  • Students must first gain admission to Broward College as described in the Admissions Procedures section of the College Catalog.
  • Students must fulfill the Health Science Admission Requirements listed in the Health Science Programs and Policies section of the College Catalog.
  • Students must complete (or transfer in from another school) pre-requisite courses with a “C” grade or higher prior to submitting a Health Science Limited Access Application to the Radiation
Pre-requisite Courses
*ENC 1101   Composition I                                    3
*BSC 1085   Anatomy and Physiology I                  3
*BSC 1085L Anatomy and Physiology I Lab            1
*Math Elective   General Education math                3
**CGS 1060C      Computer and Internet Literacy     3   
    
A minimum 2.5 degree GPA is required to apply to the program.
• Students must complete (or transfer in an equivalent course from another school/provider) the Pre-Health Science Core requirements prior to starting the program in August:
 
HCP 0001 Health Careers Core Curriculum
HSC 0405 Basic Life Support (CPR) Student
HSC 0522 Tuberculosis/OSHA/Hepatitis For Students
HSC 0591 HIV/AIDS Students
HSC 0691 Domestic Violence For Students
HSC 0692 Prevention of Medical Errors
  • Applicants must complete a Medical History and Physical Examination prior to the start of RAT courses in Term I, August. Completion of the physical is not required for application to the program. Physical Examination   information will be provided to students at the preadmissions meeting.
Radiation Therapy AS Program Selection Criteria
Once students have successfully completed all prerequisite courses (i.e., ENC 1101, BSC 1085, BSC 1085L, , BSC 1086, BSC 1086L & MTB 1310 or MAT 1033) & have applied to the Radiation Therapy Program with the required minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, admission will be based on a point system. Points will be awarded for the number of courses completed toward the AS Degree in Radiation Therapy, Grade Point Average (programmatic) and work experience.
 
Once students have successfully completed all prerequisite courses (i.e., ENC 1101, BSC 1085, BSC 1085L, , BSC 1086,BSC 1086L & General Education Math) & have applied to the Radiation Therapy Program with the required minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, admission will be based on a point system .Points will be awarded for the number of courses completed toward the AS Degree in Radiation Therapy, Grade Point Average (programmatic) and work experience.
 
Points for Courses Completed Toward the Degree
Courses required for the AS Degree in Radiation Therapy (exclusive of the prerequisite courses & pre-health science core requirements) will be used to award points. One point will be awarded for each course successfully completed with a minimum of a “C” (or “S”) grade regardless of the number of credits. The points awarded for courses completed at BC or that are transferred in as equivalent are as follows:
 
Humanities/Fine Arts Elective 1 point
Social/Behavioral Science Elective 1 point
SPC 1608 Public Speaking 1 point
*BSC1086 Anatomy and Physiology II 1 point
*BSC1086 Anatomy and Physiology II Lab 1 point
 
Points for Accumulative Grade Point Average
Points as follows will be awarded for the cumulative average of the courses that are required by the AS degree.
 
2.5 -3.2 GPA 1 points
3.3-4.0 GPA 2 points
 
Possible additional 1 point may be awarded for one of the following, but not all three
Documented employment in a radiation therapy department or a minimum of 40 hours documented volunteer time in a radiation therapy department  must be patient related 
 
1 point
Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) students who meet all of the application criteria
1 point
Completion of HSC 1531 Medical Terminology
1 point
 
Selection of Students
Students with the highest point totals will be offered admission  to the program based on availability. In the event of a tie, admission will be based on GPA. The earliest applications can be submitted is Winter Term please see Health Science admissions Page for exact dates, program start every August.
 
Only those applications meeting the program selection criteria will be considered.
Students selected for the program will be notified by the Admissions Department via e-mail during the months of May. Those accepted will be required to attend a pre-admission session and accept or decline their place in the program. Students can defer entry into the program until the following year.
 
However, such students must enter the program the following August. Those who do not enter the following year will have to reapply for admission. Students who do not attend the pre-admission session or contact Admissions to accept, decline, or defer entry into the program will need to reapply for the following year.
 
Note: In order to successfully progress through the A.S. Radiation Therapy Program, students must achieve a grade of "C" or above in all didactic courses and an "S" (satisfactory) grade in all clinical and laboratory courses. This requirement is in addition to maintaining an overall degree GPA of at least 2.0.​

For Alumni

Did you graduate from the Radiation Therapy program? Contact Program Manager Jacqueline Stawicki at jstawick@broward.edu to stay in touch. If you’re not already a member of the Alumni & Friends Association, join today.

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