Bachelor of Science in Radiation Therapy (BS)

The radiation therapy program is accredited by the

Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 2850
Chicago, IL 60606-3182
312-704-5300
Email: mail@jrcert.org

The program’s current award is 8 years. General program accreditation information and the current accreditation award letter can be found by visiting: jrcert.org/programs/mcphs-university/

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is regionally accredited through the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

The following is the most current program effectiveness data. Our programmatic accreditation agency, the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), defines and publishes this information. Visit the JRCERT webpage.

Credentialing Examination Rate: The number passed on 1st attempt divided by number attempted within 6 months of graduation.

Job Placement: The number of graduates employed in the radiologic sciences compared to the number of graduates actively seeking employment in the radiologic sciences within twelve months of graduating. The five-year average benchmark established by the JRCERT is 75%.

Program Completion: The number of students who complete the program within the stated program length. The annual benchmark established by the program is 75%.

Download the Radiation Therapy Student Handbook [PDF].

Clinical Rotations

The location of MCPHS in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, as well as its affiliations with premier medical institutions located in the greater Boston area, enable students to learn in healthcare institutions that are among the best in the world.

MCPHS Medical Imaging and Therapeutics students participate in a variety of community-based clinical settings. This opportunity supplements the clinical experience gained in the on-campus program and provides students with a broader insight into the diverse populations they may encounter in future career settings.

Students in the Radiation Therapy major complete internships at hospital affiliates in the metropolitan Boston and New England. Possible internship sites include:

• Baystate Medical Center
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - BIDMC (East Campus)
• BIDMC Cancer Center – Surgical Pavilion
• Dana Farber Cancer Institute
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• BW/DF Cancer Center @ Milford Regional Hospital
• Charlton Memorial Hospital
• Dana Farber/Brigham and Women’s Hospital at South Shore Hospital Libby Park
• Dana Farber/Brigham and Women’s Hospital @ South Shore Hospital
• Lahey Clinic
• Lahey Clinic North
• Massachusetts General / North Shore Center for Outpatient Care
• Mount Auburn Hospital
• North Main Radiation Oncology
• Rhode Island Hospital
• St. Vincent Hospital Radiation Oncology Center
• Dana Farber/Brigham and Women’s Hospital @ Mansfield
• Winchester Hospital Radiation Oncology Center (WHROC)
• UMass Memorial - Marlborough Hospital
• UMass Memorial Health Alliance - Clinton Hospital in Burbank
• UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus in Worcester

Please Note: Due to the widespread geographical locations of the radiation therapy clinical settings, it is strongly recommended that students have a driver’s license and own reliable transportation. The radiation therapy clinical locations are not all accessible via public transportation.

The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) has established the following list of technical standards for the majors of Nuclear Medicine, Radiography, and Radiation Therapy.

These technical standards conform to the professional technical standards required for the safe and ethical practice of the task/skills associated with clinical nuclear medicine, medical nuclear medicine technology and clinical radiation therapy. Each student, with reasonable accommodation, must be able to demonstrate that he/she is able to:

• Reach and manipulate equipment to its highest position (6 feet).
• Communicate in a clear and concise manner with patients of all ages, including obtaining health history and pertinent information.
• Read and apply appropriate instructions contained in requisitions, notes and patient charts.
• Transfer patients from wheelchairs and stretchers and help them on/off treatment table.
• Exert force and lift objects of 50 pounds routinely.
• Perform simple motor skills for unrestricted time periods.
• Push, pull, bend and stoop.
• Work standing on their feet 80% of the time.
• Reach and work overhead.
• Move a standard wheelchair and/or stretcher from a waiting area to a treatment area.
• Understand and apply clinical instructions given by department personnel.
• Visually monitor patients/charts/machine indicator lights in dimly lit conditions.
• Detect audible alarms and background sounds during procedures to ensure patient/staff safety.
• Demonstrate manual dexterity to perform necessary manipulations such as drawing doses with a syringe, manipulating locks, putting on surgical gloves.
• Endure an eight-hour day with a minimum of four to six hours of standing or walking.
• Endure a minimum of two hours of didactic instructions in a classroom environment.