School of Radiation Therapy: Curriculum

The courses included in the curriculum are sequenced as follows:

Semester I: Fall (15 weeks + Orientation) Hours
Orientation 36
Methods of Patient Care 15
Introduction to Radiation Therapy I 15
Clinical Anatomy I 45
Record Keeping/Medical Terminology 15
Radiation Physics I 37.5
Clinical Set-ups I 15
Clinical Performance 350
Semester II: Spring (16 weeks) Hours
Introduction to Radiation Therapy II 16
Clinical Anatomy II 48
Radiation Physics II 40
Clinical Setups II 24
Principles of Radiography 16
Ethics and Law in Radiation Therapy 16
Clinical Performance Spring 546
Clinical Performance Summer 315
Total Didactic Hours = 676.5
Semester III: Fall (16 weeks) Hours
Clinical Radiation Oncology I 48
Treatment Planning I 48
Pathology 24
Radiation Protection 24
Film Review 16
Clinical Performance 371
Semester IV: Spring (16 weeks + Registry Review) Hours
Clinical Radiation Oncology II 48
Treatment Planning II 48
Radiobiology 16
Quality Assurance 16
Registry Review 50
Clinical Performance 496
Total Clinical Hours 2078

The academic year is divided into fall, spring, and summer semesters. During the fall and spring semesters, students attend two days of classroom instruction and three days of clinical instruction. From the very beginning, students are assigned to various treatment units under the direct supervision of a licensed radiation therapist for their clinical instruction. Students have the opportunity to apply the techniques and principles covered in the classroom and learn to operate the equipment used in planning and administering radiation treatments.

During the summer semester, students attend five days of clinical instruction and other required clinical rotations.

Students are also required to attend periodic Saturday clinical workshops where they get to put theory into practice.

Students also have the option to rotate through our regional clinical sites for periodic month-long clinical rotations. The regional sites are:

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Rockville Centre
1000 North Village Ave
Rockville Centre, NY 11570

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Commack
650 Commack Road
Commack, NY 11725

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Sleepy Hollow
777 NorthBroadway, Suite 100
Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591

Hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM or 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Students are given 20 days-off per year, in addition to six observed holidays and a 5-day winter break. During the senior year, students get two professional days to be used for job-seeking activities and/or interviews. All instruction, clinical and didactic, takes place a tour main campus, with the option to rotate through our regional sites listed above.

Upon completion of our two-year certificate program, our graduates will have accumulated a minimum of 2,100 hours of clinical instruction and 700 hours of classroom instruction.

Graduation ceremonies are generally held in mid July.

Requirements for Graduation

In order to qualify for graduation from the training program, students must meet the following:

  • Satisfactory completion of all courses with a grade point average equivalent of 75 percent or better
  • Accrual of all necessary clinical days
  • Clinical competence by fulfillment of the clinical objectives with a 75 percent equivalent or better
  • Return of any equipment/books borrowed from the school and/or medical library
  • Fulfillment of all monetary obligations
  • Completion of all program assessment forms/evaluations/surveys, financial aid entrance and exit interviews, if applicable.

Note: Graduation from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center training program does not automatically guarantee licensure by New York State and/or certification by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). Licensure and certification are granted by the New York State Department of Health and the ARRT upon passing (75 percent or better) the ARRT Boards.