GE 002–Principles of Physics–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This is a conceptual physics course for non-science majors. This course aims to facilitate student understanding of the rules of nature by learning the foundations. This course covers forces and motion, conservation law, heat, fluids, vibrations and waves, electricity and magnetism, and sound and light. Students will study the concepts of physics with minimal application of mathematics. This is a General Education Course.
GE 020A–Human Body in Health and Disease I with Lab–75 Clock Hours/4 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This course is the first of two courses covering the structure and function of human organ systems. The basics of structures and functions of the human body during lectures and labs will be discussed. Between GE 020A and GE 020B, topics on all major organ systems will be examined while considering them in the state of health versus the state of disease. This course is the prerequisite for GE 020B–Human Body in Health & Disease II. This is a General Education Course.
GE 020B–Human Body in Health and Disease II with Lab–75 Clock Hours/4 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: GE 020A–Human Body in Health & Disease I.
This is the second of two courses covering the structure and function of human organ systems. The basics of structures and functions of the human body during lectures and labs will be discussed. Between GE 020A and GE 020B, topics on all major organ systems will be examined while considering them in the state of health versus the state of disease. This is a General Education Course.
GE 031–Nutrition in Health and Disease–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This course covers the nutrient needs for maintaining positive nutritional status, including diets to fit specific health needs and primary nutritional care. This is a General Education Course.
GE 041–General Microbiology w/ Lab–75 Clock Hours/4 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This course presents basic concepts of microbiology and practical applications to medicine, public health, and the environment, with laboratory techniques in isolation, enumeration, and identification of microorganisms. This is a General Education Course.
GE 103–Growth and Development Through Lifespan–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This course discusses the existing theories of growth and development. It focuses on understanding the dynamic sequence of biological, psychological, and sociological changes that occur through the life cycle from birth to death. This is a General Education Course.
GE 110–Critical Thinking–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This course teaches students the skills they need to think for themselves—skills they will call upon in this course, other college courses, and the world that awaits. This course covers the core concepts with real-world examples and practice exercises. This is a General Education Course.
GE 112–Algebra I–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This course gives students the math skills that provide a foundation for more advanced courses. Students will explore writing and solving linear and nonlinear equations, powers and exponents, quadratic equations, polynomials, factoring, graphing, and linear inequalities and functions. This is a General Education Course.
GE 120–Introduction to Information Systems–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This course introduces personal computer application software, hardware components, and the Internet. The course introduces word processing, electronic spreadsheet, databases, and presentation software. This is a General Education Course.
GE 201–Introduction to Sociology–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This course introduces the study of basic methods and concepts of sociology, which have broad academic relevance and can be applied to the study of sociology and other academic disciplines. This is a General Education Course.
GE 202–General Psychology–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This course includes the study of basic methods and concepts of psychology, which have broad academic relevance and can be applied to the study of psychology and other academic disciplines. This is a General Education Course.
GE 222–English Reading and Composition–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This course introduces students to reading various literary texts and teaches them the basic elements of fiction, poetry, and drama. The course teaches students to write analysis, explication, and compare-and-contrast essays responding to the literature read. This is a General Education Course.
GE 240–Public Speaking, Basics of Effective Communication–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This course introduces communication in interpersonal relationships, group interactions, and formal speaking, with skill development in listening, speech preparation, and oral presentation. This is a General Education Course.
GEH 101–Organization and Function of Health Services–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: None
This course focuses on healthcare and delivery of services: identification and function of governmental, private, and voluntary organizations; programs in health protection and promotion at local, state, and national levels. This is a General Education Course.
RTT 250–Introduction to Radiation Therapy–30 Clock Hours/2 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of GE 020A, GE 020B, GE 222, and GE 240 with a “C” or better.
This course will provide students with an overview of the Radiation Therapy major. Instruction will include a review of professional organizations, department structure, patient management, record keeping, and professional ethics. An overview of the radiation therapist’s role in cancer treatment, including a review of the therapist’s scope of practice, developing modalities, and advanced career opportunities, takes place.
RTT 300–Sectional/Topographic Anatomy–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, and III with a “C” or better.
This course will examine external anatomic landmarks concerning internal anatomy, emphasizing the effects of positioning on external landmarks, internal anatomical critical structures, and methods of avoiding or lowering radiation doses to these structures. The sectional imaging course will introduce students to different modalities utilized in radiation therapy. Identification of anatomical structures will be reviewed, identifying the various medical imaging methods. Basic anatomical relationships will be compared using topographical and cross-sectional images.
RTT 315–Medical Imaging–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, and III with a “C” or better.
This course will establish a knowledge base on factors that govern and influence the production and recording of medical images for patient simulation, treatment planning, and treatment verification in radiation oncology. Concepts and processes involved in producing a radiograph will be covered. Other diagnostic imaging modalities such as CT, MRI, and ultrasound will be covered. General radiography, computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine, sonography imaging modalities, and equipment will be emphasized.
Imaging and processing content for radiation oncology describes the factors that affect the production and recording of radiographic images for patient simulation, treatment planning, and treatment verification, emphasizing radiation oncology imaging equipment and related devices. A review of radiation protection concepts will be provided.
RTT 320–Clinical Concepts I–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, and III with a “C” or better.
This course provides students with an overview of cancer and the specialty of radiation therapy. Historical and current aspects of cancer treatment and the basic principles and practices of treatment and simulation will be emphasized. Content will provide students with a knowledge base for assessing, comparing, contrasting, and recommending the type of radiation therapy equipment, procedure and technique, patient positioning, and immobilization for appropriate tumor localization and treatment delivery.
RTT 330–Ethics–25 Clock Hours/1.5 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, and III with a “C” or better.
This course examines professionalism and bioethics, the process of making moral decisions, ethical issues, professional oaths and codes of ethics, health care ethics, and the law.
RTT 340–Radiation Therapy Patient Care–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I and II with a “C” or better.
This course will focus on the foundational concepts and competencies in evaluating patients before, during, and after the delivery of radiation therapy. The psychosocial needs of patients and factors affecting treatment outcomes, assessment, and evaluation will be discussed. The course also explores local, state, and national cancer care resources. This course examines the psychological and physical needs and factors affecting treatment outcomes. Routine and emergency care procedures will be discussed, and pertinent laboratory results and their effects on radiation therapy.
RTT 355–Clinical Oncology–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, and V with a “C” or better.
This course focuses on examining oncologic pathology with an emphasis on malignant neoplasia. The course will focus on cancer and current treatment modalities, emphasizing radiation therapy and designed to examine and evaluate the management of neoplastic diseases. Cancers of the skin, brain, head and neck, thorax and gastrointestinal, genitourinary, lymphoreticular, musculoskeletal, integumentary, hematopoietic, and endocrine systems are emphasized. The epidemiology, etiology, natural history, diagnosis, treatment strategies, sequelae, and prognosis are discussed.
RTT 365–Clinical Concepts II–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, and V with a “C” or better.
This course focuses on assessment, evaluation, and treatment plans for treatment-related side effects. The radiation therapist’s responsibility in managing the neoplastic disease will be examined and linked to specific professional skills within their scope. The roles and responsibilities of the radiation therapist, the treatment prescription, the documentation of treatment parameters and delivery, emergency procedures, patient condition, and education needs will be presented, discussed, examined, and evaluated.
Content will provide a knowledge base for assessing, comparing, contrasting, and recommending the type of radiation therapy equipment, procedure and technique, patient positioning, and immobilization for appropriate tumor localization and treatment delivery. A thorough examination of site-specific techniques used in radiation therapy is covered.
RTT 400–Clinical Radiation Therapy Physics I–60 Clock Hours/4 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, and V with a “C” or better.
This course will introduce students to the nature and description of the structure of matter and energy, interactions of photons and gamma radiation, instrumentation, and measurement of ionizing radiation beam quality and dose, percent depth dose, tissue air ratios, and treatment dose calculations.
RTT 410–Clinical Radiation Therapy Physics II–60 Clock Hours/4 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII with a “C” or better.
This course will emphasize the practical applications of electron and photon beams and the use of radioactive sources. Methods of calculating dose at any point in clinical set-ups are covered. Modern technology such as 3DCRT and IMRT are introduced. Imaging modalities in radiation oncology, such as film and electronic digital portal (EDIP) imaging, are presented.
RTT 420–Quality Management–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII with a “C” or better.
This course offers a systematic look at quality assurance in radiation therapy. Examination of the evaluative measure and procedures, national guidelines, and overall principles are covered. Quality assurance and quality improvement, as well as its tools and components, will be covered. Content is designed to focus on the components of quality improvement programs in radiation oncology. This course includes quality control and assurance checks for clinical aspects of patient care, medical records, treatment delivery and localization, and treatment planning equipment. Legal and regulatory implications for maintaining appropriate quality care will be covered.
RTT 430–Research in Radiation Therapy–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, and V with a “C” or better.
This course will address reading and researching radiation therapy. Research approaches and procedures will be explored. Examples of various research methods and techniques will be discussed. Students will be assigned a research project during the remainder of the program. Research projects will be submitted in the Capstone course.
RTT 440–Dosimetry–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII with a “C” or better.
This course will provide content designed to examine factors that influence and govern the clinical planning of patient treatments. This encompasses isodose distributions, influence modification, radiobiological considerations, dosimetric calculations, and clinical application of radiation. Topics will include the effects of treatment distance, beam weighting, beam modifiers, irregular fields, tissue inhomogeneities, and compensating filters. Electromagnetic and particulate beams, as well as advanced and emerging technologies, are covered. Evaluation of treatment plans emphasized.
RTT 450–Operational Issues–30 Clock Hours/2 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII with a “C” or better.
This class will focus on various radiation therapy operational and budgetary issues, hospital and governmental accreditation, types of insurance, coding, and reimbursements. Professional roles, responsibilities, and development will be emphasized. Synthesis of previous didactic and clinical information; an in-depth examination of current and future professional issues, technological advances, and ethics; a look at professional preparation, organizations, and continuing education are discussed.
RTT 460–Radiobiology–45 Clock Hours/3 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII with a “C” or better.
This course discusses the principles and concepts, including radiation effects on cells, organs, systems, and levels within the entire body. Emphasis is on the theories and principles of tolerance dose, time-dose relationships, fractionation schemes, and the relationship to the clinical practice of radiation therapy.
RTT 470–Radiation Therapy Clinical Externship –570 Clock Hours/12 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, and IV with a “C” or better.
Content is designed to provide sequential development, application, analysis, integration, synthesis, and evaluation of concepts and theories in radiation therapy. This course’s objectives and competencies focus on patient-centered care, teamwork principles, introduction to and safety procedures for treatment and simulation equipment, and introductory level treatment procedures. Students will complete a simulation and treatment rotation during this course.
RTT 471–Seminar in Radiation Therapy I–15 Clock Hours/1 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, and IV with a “C” or better.
This course is designed to support learning in Radiation Therapy Clinical Externship I. Students will meet to discuss clinical progress and procedural information specific to radiation therapy and perform structured assignments utilizing the clinical setting for learning. Content for this course includes patient population and statistics, patient flow in the department, various components of a department, interdepartmental interactions and interactions with other departments, and the exploration and discussion of the various treatment modalities available.
RTT 475–Radiation Therapy Clinical Externship II–570 Clock Hours/12.5 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, V, and VI with a “C” or better.
Continuation of clinical externship practice. This course focuses on specific principles and techniques utilized for assigned cancer treatments. Students will demonstrate clinical competencies in the application of specific radiation therapy techniques. Students will conduct assisted and technical treatment and simulation procedures. Students will complete nursing, simulation, and treatment rotation during this course.
RTT 476–Seminar in Radiation Therapy II–15 Clock Hours/1 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, V, and VI with a “C” or better.
This course is designed to support learning in Radiation Therapy Clinical Externship II. Students will meet to discuss clinical progress and procedural information specific to radiation therapy and perform structured assignments utilizing the clinical setting for learning. Content for this course includes patient population and statistics, patient flow in the department, various components of a department, interdepartmental interactions and interactions with other departments, and the exploration and discussion of the various treatment modalities available.
RTT 485–Radiation Therapy Clinical Externship III–480 Clock Hours/10.5 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII with a “C” or better.
Continuation of clinical externship practice. This course focuses on specific principles and techniques utilized for assigned cancer treatments. Students will demonstrate clinical competencies in the application of specific radiation therapy techniques. Students will conduct technical and competent to perform treatment and simulation procedures. Students will complete a simulation and treatment rotation during this course.
RTT 486–Seminar in Radiation Therapy III–15 Clock Hours/1 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII with a “C” or better.
This course is designed to support learning in Radiation Therapy Clinical Externship IV. Students will meet to discuss clinical progress and procedural information specific to radiation therapy and perform structured assignments utilizing the clinical setting for learning. Content for this course includes patient population and statistics, patient flow in the department, various components of a department, interdepartmental interactions and interactions with other departments, and the exploration and discussion of the various treatment modalities available.
RTT 490–Radiation Therapy Capstone–60 Clock Hours/4 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites: Completion of semesters I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII with a “C” or better.
This course examines historical and current issues in the profession. This class will review the professional components of radiation therapy and the expectations of being part of a functional department. This course will address preparation for employment, from resume writing to interview techniques and the professional scope of practice. Preparation for entry into the profession and completion of the capstone project will be accomplished.
