Radiation Therapy (GEL)

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Radiation therapy involves treating disease with penetrating beams of high-energy radiation, primarily in treating cancer. During simulation, radiation therapists use CT scans to help physicians localize and outline anatomical areas requiring treatment. Therapists utilize linear accelerators to deliver a prescribed radiation dose to the planned tumor volume during treatment. Graduates can apply for the national certification examination in radiation therapy from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

GPA of 2.50 or higher

A minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA is required in all coursework taken at any accredited institution.

Prerequisite Courses

By the end of the Spring semester of 2025, all prerequisite courses or equivalents must be completed with a C- or higher. Ohio State course numbers are shown below.

Anatomy 2300, 3300, or Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology (EEOB) 2510
Biology 1113
Chemistry 1110 or 1210
English 1110.01
Human Physiology (EEOB 2520)
Mathematics (MATH) 1148 & 1149 or 1150
Medical Terminology for the Health Professions Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HTHRHSC) Health and Rehabilitation Sciences 2500
Introduction to Pathophysiology (HTHRHSC 5500)
Physics, Mechanics, Kinematics, Fluids, Waves 1200
Physics, E&M, Optics, Modern Physics 1201
Psychology (PSYCH) 1100
U.S. Healthcare Policy and Delivery System (HTHRHSC 5370) or United States and International Health Care (PUBHHMP 3610)

Observation Hours

Observation requirements

APPLICATION

The Radiologic Sciences and Therapy application for Radiation Therapy is available online and must be completed and submitted along with all required supplemental documents, if applicable. Competitive applicants will be offered a personal interview. Knowledge of the profession and personal career goals will be evaluated then. The program will give individual consideration in the admission assessment to courses taken and applicant experiences. The Graduate and Professional Admissions Application Guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to start the online application.

Deadline

The Radiologic Sciences and Therapy program admits students once per year, with students beginning the program in the Autumn semester. The application deadline for Autumn 2025 is January 31, 2025. The professional program will begin on August 26, 2025.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The minimum credit hours to graduate from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences are 120. Radiation Therapy in the Radiologic Sciences and Therapy program requires 139 credit hours, not including HTHRHSC 1100, to graduate from the program. English 1109; Education Teaching and Learning (EDUTL) 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1010, and Mathematics 1040, 1050, 1073, 1074, 1075 do not count toward the 139-credit minimum requirement for the degree. Other graduation requirements include a minimum of thirty semester hours of credit earned through regular course enrollment at Ohio State, regular course enrollment in the last semester in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HRS), a cumulative Ohio State GPA of at least 2.0 on all coursework complete at Ohio State as well as at least a 2.0 GPA in the major and an application for degree must be submitted online at least one semester before the intended graduation term. The graduation application and instructions are on the HRS Academic Support Services Site.  Students should reference their degree audit to understand the course and credit requirements and to ensure they complete all required degree components, including general education (GE), program prerequisites, and professional curriculum.

The plan demonstrates how students, as freshmen, may complete Radiation Therapy in the Radiologic Sciences and Therapy program in nine semesters, including one summer term. It is assumed that students following this plan who are admitted to the program will begin professional coursework in the autumn semester of year three. There is flexibility in when a student may take courses in years one and two. However, in years three and four, the curriculum is more structured with limited ability to change. Students may choose to take non-professional courses over summer terms. It is highly recommended that students take all GE courses before starting the professional program. The professional curriculum is completed in sequence, and there is no provision for part-time or evening-only enrollment. Students who intend to transfer credit to Ohio State may view how credit is accepted on Transferology.com. An accredited BLS/CPR course is required before beginning the professional program in autumn, year 3.

Ohio State academic programs are designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure and certification and state licensing board contact information for online programs and professional licensure & certification disclosures for on-campus programs.

Autumn, Year 1

Chemistry 1110 or 1210 General Chemistry I (5 credits)
General Education (3 credits)
HTHRHSC 1100 Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Survey (1 credit)
Mathematics 1150 (5 credits)
Psychology 1100 (3 credits)
17 Credits Total 

Spring, Year 1

Anatomy 2300, 3300 or EEOB 2510 (4-5 credits)
Biology 1113 (4 credits)
English 1110.01 (3 credits)
General Education (3 credits)
HTHRHSC 2500 (3 credits)
17-18 Credits Total

Autumn, Year 2

EEOB 2520 (3 credits)
General Education (3 credits)
General Education (3 credits)
General Education (3 credits)
Physics 1200 (5 credits)
17 Credits Total      

Spring, Year 2

General Education (3 credits)
HTHRHSC 5370 or PUBHHMP 3610 (3 credits)
HTHRHSC 5500 (4 credits)
Physics 1201 (5 credits)
15 Credits Total

Begin Professional Coursework in Radiologic Sciences and Therapy (RADSCI)

Autumn, Year 3

HTHRHSC 4200 Analytical Scientific Writing in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (3 credits)
RADSCI 3289 Radiation Therapy Practicum I (4 credits)
RADSCI 3310 Introduction to the Radiation Sciences (2 credits)
RADSCI 3414 Radiation Therapy Equipment and Instrumentation (4 credits)
RADSCI 3573 Applied Radiation Oncology I (3 credits)
16 Credits Total 

Spring, Year 3

RADSCI 3389 Radiation Therapy Practicum 2 (5 credits)
RADSCI 3471 Radiologic Physics (3 credits)
RADSCI 3483 Dosimetry Calculation (3 credits)
RADSCI 3574 Applied Radiation Oncology 2 (3 credits)
RADSCI 3672 Radiologic Sectional Anatomy (3 credits)
17 Credits Total 

Summer, Year 3

General Education (3 credits)
RADSCI 4389 Radiation Therapy Practicum 3 (6 credits)
RADSCI 4478 Radiation Therapy Physics 1 (3 credits)
RADSCI 4485 Treatment Planning (2 credits)
14 Credits Total 

Autumn, Year 4

RADSCI 4482 Radiation Therapy Physics 2 (3 credits)
RADSCI 4489 Radiation Therapy Practicum 4 (6 credits)
RADSCI 4530 Quality Management in Radiologic Sciences (3 credits)
RADSCI 4670 Radiobiology and Radiation Protection (2 credits)
14 Credits Total 

Spring, Year 4

RADSCI 4589 Radiation Therapy Practicum 5 (8 credits)
RADSCI 4618 Clinical Radiation Oncology (2 credits)
RADSCI 4630 Transitions to Clinical Practice (2 credits)
12 Credits Total

Questions?

Contact the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at 614-292-1706 or HRSStudentServices@osumc.edu
Degree requirements and course offerings are subject to changes.
Last updated on: July 1, 2024