Program Description
This degree completion program is for clinicians who hold a professional credential in nuclear medicine, radiography, radiation therapy, or sonography. The degree is a 100% online Bachelor of Science in Radiation Sciences and does not contain a clinical component. It allows working adults with current credentials to finish their Bachelor’s degree in as little as 18 months.
Program Defined
The purpose of the program is to provide an online opportunity for working professionals who are pursuing career enhancement by obtaining a bachelor degree. The interdisciplinary aspect of the program promotes interprofessional learning across different imaging disciplines, which is a hallmark of today’s health care environment.
The benefits of this program include:
- ability to take a class anywhere there is access to the internet;
- flexibility to fulfill work and family responsibilities while working toward a degree; and
- college credit awarded for prior credential, degree, and work experience.
Cost
All students in the Radiation Science Program pay the in-state tuition rate for all OUHSC courses. A tuition waiver is given to non-residents each semester so that tuition and fees are equal to in-state tuition rates. Note: There is one general-education course required by the OU Regents for graduation and it is only offered through the OU-Norman campus. This OU-Norman course does not waive non-resident tuition rates.
Students may expect additional costs that include, but are not limited to - a personal computer, textbooks, course fees, insurance, and other supplies. For financial aid information, contact the Financial Aid Office at (405) 271-2118.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are enrolled in the prescribed courses and to pay tuition and fees at the time designated by the Bursar's Office. Details regarding tuition/fee charges and collection are available from the Bursar's Office.
Admission Requirements
Students who meet the following criteria will be eligible for admission to the program:
- hold a current credential as RT(R), RT(N), CNMT, RT(T), RDMS, RDCS, RVT, ACS, RCCS, RCS, or RVS; and
- have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for all college coursework. All attempts of a course are included in the calculation of GPA.
and meet one of the following requirements:
- successfully completed a programmatically accredited program in nuclear medicine, radiography, radiation therapy, or sonography with one-year work experience;
or
- have five years of clinical work experience in a radiation sciences profession.
and meet one of the following requirements:
- hold an associate degree and with the appropriate General Education requirements completed for a bachelor degree (must have a minimum of 60 credit hours of prerequisites).; or
- completed the list of prerequisites that includes General Education requirements for a bachelor degree (must have a minimum of 60 credit hours of prerequisites).
Not a resident of Oklahoma? Due to Federal Regulations, the State you live in must allow OU to offer coursework within your State. Many States participate in a distance education agreement as part of the SARA agreement to allow students to take online courses at OU. If your State is not listed as an "approved SARA State," please contact us directly at ou-mirs@ouhsc.edu to see if you qualify to be a distance education student at OU.
Curriculum
The curriculum is designed to provide the working adult maximum flexibility in course completion. Students holding a credential in a medical imaging and radiation therapy profession, with prior work experience in the field, will be awarded up to 30 credit hours. Thirty-one credit hours of coursework is be provided via the internet by the University of Oklahoma. Twenty-eight credit hours are required program courses. The student must also complete three credit hours of electives.
Total Required Programmatic Course Credits = 28 hours
Additional Elective Course Credits = 3 hours (offered through OU-Norman and/or OUHSC)
Awarded credits (based on prior credentialing, education, and experience) = 30 hours
Total program credit hours for Bachelor of Science Degree = 61 hours
The curriculum sequence is designed to be an 18-month program beginning with the Fall semester. Students who begin the curriculum in the Spring semester may not be able to complete the curriculum in an 18-month timeframe. Students who have other obligations and want a lighter course load may elect to complete the degree in 24-60 months. Click to see other course sequence options; two other Fall start options, and two other Spring start options. Ultimately, students have 60 months to complete all coursework required for graduation, so the curriculum can be tailored to the individual’s timeline.
Plan of Study Grid
| Year 1 |
|---|
| Fall Semester |
|---|
| |
3 |
| MIRS 4422 |
Professionalism Seminar |
2 |
| 1 |
2 |
| 1 |
2 |
| MIRS 3422 |
Writing Seminar |
2 |
| | Hours | 11 |
| Spring Semester |
|---|
| MIRS 4452 |
|
2 |
| MIRS 4412 |
Clinical Accreditation and Regulations |
2 |
| MIRS 4413 |
Medical Ethics in Popular Film |
3 |
| MIRS 4963 |
Multidisciplinary Capstone Seminar in Radiologic Technology |
3 |
| | Hours | 10 |
| Year 2 |
|---|
| Fall Semester |
|---|
|
3 |
| MIRS 4272 |
Correlative Imaging in Radiation Sciences |
2 |
| 1 |
2 |
| MIRS 3493 |
Instrumentation and Safety |
3 |
| | Hours | 10 |
| | Total Hours | 31 |
OUHSC and OU Norman offers classes that will count toward electives in the areas of administration/management or advanced imaging.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites are specific according to the degree or certificate received and when the applicant began college. All students must enter the program with at least 60 hours of prerequisites. Applicants can finish their last two prerequisite courses after being admitted to the program. Prerequisites can be viewed by opening one of the documents below with Adobe Reader.
Prerequisite List (for students with Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Applied Science)
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| 2 | 3 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 2 | 1 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
Prerequisite List (for students with a Certificate)
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 1 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 2 | 3 |
Check the Transfer Equivalencies Database or with your school advisor regarding equivalent courses. If you do not take prerequisites classes at OU it is your responsibility to verify that your courses will transfer by using the transfer equivalencies database or by asking for a transcript review.
Program Goals
The goals for the programs in the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences are to:
- Program Goal: Provide a career ladder for working professionals who are interested in elevating their educational level. The program meets this standard by:
- Providing a curriculum that meets the standards of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the College of Allied Health, and the Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences Department for obtaining a baccalaureate degree.
- Offering curriculum prerequisite options for students of different educational backgrounds such as programmatic accredited programs, non-programmatically accredited programs, associate-level programs, certificate programs, etc.
- Offering all programmatic courses in a 100% online-asynchronous format that is accessible and meets the time constraints of a working professional.
- Program Goal: Prepare radiation science professionals for leadership roles in such areas as clinic management, teaching, and advanced healthcare professions. The program meets this goal by:
- Providing coursework that challenges and increases skill level in writing, evidence-based medicine research, laboratory accreditation, and administration.
- Allowing elective classes to complement individual interests and future goals.
- Providing a collaborative experience that allows interprofessional exposure to enhance leadership opportunities throughout their career.
- Program Goal: Provide opportunities for career enhancement. The program meets this goal by:
- Instilling and strengthening the team approach to healthcare by providing opportunities for interactions between disciplines in the majority of program-required classes. Classes that require interaction between disciplines either through discussion, assignments, or feedback loops include MIRS 3493 Instrumentation and Safety, MIRS 4422 Professionalism Seminar, MIRS 3422 Writing Seminar, MIRS 4412 Clinical Accreditation and Regulations, MIRS 4413 Medical Ethics in Popular Film, MIRS 3432 Principles of Nuclear Medicine, MIRS 3452 Principles of Radiation Therapy, MIRS 3511 Patient Support Groups, MIRS 3802 Principles of Sonography, MIRS 4412 Clinical Accreditation and Regulations, and MIRS 4452 . (Refer to course descriptions.)
- Offering the didactic component that allows individuals to obtain additional credentials in the radiography advanced modalities.
