General Radiological Medical Physics

The Radiation Medicine Department in the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky offers a graduate certificate in General Radiological Medical Physics.  The certificate curriculum is designed to prepare those persons wishing to enter the field of Medical Physics via the alternative pathway with basic didactic training in the Radiological Physics core education topics as outlined in American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) report 197S. Due to resource limitations, we are not able to offer clinical training to students enrolled in our graduate certificate.  The education provided in the certificate program is limited to didactic coursework. 

• Students seeking admission to the Graduate School must have obtained a baccalaureate degree, prior to the start of the term for which s/he is admitted, from a fully accredited U.S. institution of higher learning or from a recognized foreign institution. An accredited U.S. institution is one that is accredited by the appropriate regional agency (Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern or Western Association of Colleges and Schools). A recognized foreign institution is an institution that is recognized by that nation's Ministry of Education or similar authority as a postsecondary, academic degree-granting institution.
• An overall grade point average of 2.75 on undergraduate work and 3.00 on all graduate work is required by the Graduate School. Individual departments may require higher grade point averages.
• Submission of scores on the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) unless their chosen program indicates otherwise. The Graduate School has no minimum GRE score requirement; individual programs may set specific score requirements and in some cases may require the advanced portion of the GRE.
• International applicants whose native language is not English must submit either a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score. The University of Kentucky requires a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based) or 79 (internet-based). For IELTS, a minimum mean band score of 6.5 is required. Students may also use the Duolingo English Test (only tests taken after July 15, 2019 will be accepted. The minimum score will be 115, and students recommended for admission may also be interviewed by a CESL evaluator. TOEFL essentials may also be used and the minimum overall score is 9.
• Domestic applicants (U.S. citizens or resident aliens) must pay a $65 application fee; international applicants must pay a $75 fee. The application fee is non-refundable.

Alternative pathway candidates must hold a PhD degree in Physics or other closely related scientific discipline such as Engineering.  To become eligible for certification by the American Board of Radiology (ABR), these candidates must complete a 2 year Medical Physics residency program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP).  To become eligible to apply for accredited residency programs, alternative pathway candidates must complete the core Radiological Physics curriculum from an institution accredited by CAMPEP.  Our graduate certificate in General Radiological Medical Physics meets these requirements and was accredited by CAMPEP in 2015 for the purpose of providing residency eligibility for alternative pathway candidates.  Students that matriculate into the certificate are eligible to register for Part I of the ABR exam in Medical Physics.  Course work is structured such that the certificate could be completed in one year but must be completed within five years.