Admission Qualifications - Academic and Technical Standards

All students must meet both our academic standards and our technical standards in order to be admitted, progress through, and graduate from the Radiologic Technology Program program. These qualifications assist you in progressing through the curriculum and clinical training.

Academic standards

Academic standards refer to acceptable demonstrations of competency in various disciplines, before admission and after, as judged by faculty members, examinations, and other measurements of performance.

For detailed information about academic standards, refer to the University Student Handbook (pdf).

Technical standards

Technical standards refer to the essential aptitudes and abilities that allow Radiologic Technology Program students to perform in a modern healthcare environment in a variety of ways.

The Radiologic Technologist must have sufficient strength, motor coordination, and manual dexterity to:

• Respond rapidly to prevent patient falls and injury
• Lift, push and/or pull 50 pounds several times a day
• Move, adjust, and manipulate (including overhead handling) a variety of equipment
• Stand or walk for 80-90% of the work shift (sometimes wearing a leaded apron)
• Transport, move, lift, and transfer patients from a wheelchair or cart to a treatment table
• Transport a portable x-ray machine from one location to another, including turning corners, getting on/off an elevator, and manipulating it in a patient room

The Radiologic Technologist must have proficient auditory and visual skills to:

• Ensure patient safety while in technician’s care
• Accurately observe patients from a distance of up to 20 feet, or close at hand, correctly read digital, analog, or graphic gauges, scales, monitors, and written instructions, identify equipment and devices and recognize biohazard fluids

The Radiologic Technologist must have the mental and intellectual capacity to:

• Review and evaluate radiographs to ascertain that they contain proper identification and are of diagnostic value
• Select exposure factors and accessory devices for all radiographic procedures and consideration of patient size, age, and extent of disease
• Read and interpret patient charts

The Radiologic Technologist must be capable of:

• Responding to situations requiring first aid or emergency care
• Evaluating and assessing daily physiological and psychological responses of patients undergoing therapy
• Providing physical and emotional support to the patients and their family
• Hearing, understanding, conversing in, reading and writing the English language in order to accurately and effectively communicate with patients and family members as well as colleagues and all members of the health care team.  He/she must also be able to effectively perceive non-verbal communication.

Notice of working conditions: The work environment for the Radiologic Technologist involves exposure to communicable diseases, toxic substances, medical preparations and other conditions common to a clinic environment.

* Please note that all requests for accommodations must be made in a timely manner, as stated in the “Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Policy” found in Section 2.2 of the Student Handbook.