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The mission of the Doctor of Medical Physics (DMP) Program is to provide a high-quality graduate education experience for students in therapeutic medical physics. The educational experience comprises rigorous classroom instruction aided by computer and multi-media instruction, practical laboratory experiences, and clinical instruction. Program graduates will be capable of critical thinking and problem solving, devoted to a lifetime of learning, committed to the ethical standards of their profession, and highly sought after by employers.

The Doctor of Medical Physics is a four-year professional degree program in therapeutic medical physics that provides a direct path to certification and gainful employment in clinical medical physics. The first two years of the program curriculum is very similar to UNLV’s accredited Master of Science in medical physics program during which students take didactic coursework emphasizing the fundamentals of therapeutic medical physics. During the last two years, students are placed in clinical rotations in local and regional radiation oncology centers and/or hospitals where they are exposed to the practical aspects of therapeutic medical physics. The DMP program is accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs.

Available Options

  • Post-Bachelor’s Track
  • Post Master’s Track

Accreditation

For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Discuss the fundamental principles associated with the clinical use of ionizing and non-ionizing radiations.
  2. Recognize basic sectional anatomy and common pathologies in medical imaging modalities including CT, MRI, ultrasound, and PET.
  3. Explain the operation of radiation producing and detecting devices commonly used in therapeutic applications.
  4. Apply basic computational principles associated with therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
  5. Demonstrate the wide ranging clinical duties of a therapeutic medical physicist through required clinical experiences.
  6. Participate in research experiences in medical physics-related projects.
  7. Critically evaluate research and scholarship in medical physics.
  8. Demonstrate a sound understanding of medical physics ethics by rendering appropriate clinical care to patients in a professional manner.
  9. Effectively communicate technical information in oral and written forms.
  10. Pursue a lifetime of self-directed learning and professional development.

Career Possibilities

Requirements

Doctor of Medical Physics

This program is accredited by: CAMPEP. More information can be found at: unlv.edu/provost/vpaa/accreditation

Plan Description

The doctor of medical physics degree is a 4-year entry-level professional program designed to provide individuals with appropriate baccalaureate degrees the knowledge and skills required to practice medical physics in a clinical setting. Upon receiving this degree, students will be eligible to sit for the licensure examinations in medical physics. The program of study consists of 80 credits of graduate course work divided into classroom, clinical and research activities. During the first 5 semesters in the program, students take courses emphasizing the fundamental principles of radiological sciences and medical physics. The last six semesters consist of clinical rotations in radiation oncology clinics and/or hospitals where students are involved with all aspects of clinical medical physics including dosimetry and treatment planning, external beam physics, brachytherapy, quality assurance and special procedures.

For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes please visit the Degree Directory.

Plan Admission Requirements

Application deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

Students seeking admission to the DMP program must fulfill the following admission requirements:

  1. Overall GPA of 3.0/4.0 (B average) in undergraduate work. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 but not less than 2.75 may be admitted as provisional students.
  2. Bachelor's Degree in Physics, Applied Physics, Physical Science, or Engineering (with an equivalent of a minor in physics) from an accredited college or university.
  3. Applicants with a master's degree from an accredited medical physics program who meet the entrance requirements may be considered for admission to the program. In addition, these applicants must have taken the American Board of Radiology (ABR) part 1 exam as a condition for admission to the program. These students will be required to take an additional 20 credits of electives (determined by the Health Physics Graduate faculty).  
  4. A score ranking in the 50th percentile or higher on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
  5. Three letters of recommendation from former instructors or employers that speak to the applicant's potential as a graduate student. The individual writing the letter may use the form available from the Graduate College, which includes a release form for the student to sign.
  6. A statement of approximately 300 words indicating the student's professional goals and reason for seeking graduate education.
  7.  Satisfy the requirements of the UNLV Graduate English Proficiency Requirements, please access the UNLV Graduate English Proficiency Website for details.
  8. All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements. 

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Plan Requirements

Subplan 1 Requirements: Post-Bachelor's

Total Credits Required: 80

Course Requirements

Fall Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 10

Spring Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 9

Summer Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 6

Fall Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 7

Spring Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 8

Summer Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6

Fall Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 6

Spring Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 6

Summer Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 6

Fall Semester 4th Year Courses - Credits: 8

Spring Semester 4th Year Courses - Credits: 8

Degree Requirements

  1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 or above each semester enrolled.
  2. Receive a grade of B (3.0) or above (or satisfactory, where applicable) in all courses. If less than a B (or unsatisfactory) is earned, the course may be repeated. The student must be in good standing to repeat a course, and any course may be repeated only once.
  3. Complete a minimum of six credits in each calendar year.
  4. Students entering the program with a B.S. degree have the option of leaving the program with a masters degree after successful completion of all non-clinical coursework. These students are required to take an additional credits of professional paper (HPS 796) of thesis (HPS 797) in order to satisfythe research component of the masters degree. 
  5. A minimum of 80 credits is required for graduation from the DMP program (60 credits for students admitted with a masters degree).

Subplan 2 Requirements: Post-Master's

Total Credits Required: 60

Course Requirements

Fall Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 10

10 Credits of Advisor Approved Electives.

Spring Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 10

10 Credits of Advisor Approved Electives.

Summer Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 6

Fall Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6

Spring Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6

Summer Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6

Fall Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 8

Spring Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 8

Degree Requirements

  1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 or above each semester enrolled.
  2. Receive a grade of B (3.0) or above (or satisfactory, where applicable) in all courses. If less than a B (or unsatisfactory) is earned, the course may be repeated. The student must be in good standing to repeat a course, and any course may be repeated only once.
  3. Complete a minimum of six credits in each calendar year.
  4. A minimum of 80 credits is required for graduation from the DMP program (60 credits for students admitted with a masters degree).

Plan Graduation Requirements

The student must submit and successfully present their final research project by the posted deadline. The presentation must be advertised and is open to the public.

The student must submit their approved, properly formatted research project to the Graduate College, and submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline.

Students may apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing their degree requirements. All required forms must be submitted to the graduate college via the Grad Rebel Gateway.

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Documents/Downloads

Contacts

Department of Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences

The department of health physics and diagnostic sciences within the School of Integrated Health Sciences provides a high-quality educational experience for undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of health physics; medical physics; comprehensive medical imaging; radiochemistry; and radiography.

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School of Integrated Health Sciences

With many degree offerings that are accredited by national organizations, the School of Integrated Health Sciences offers dynamic classroom instruction, laboratory/clinical practice, research, and mentoring. Our students develop skills that help them break into health-related fields and further their graduate or professional studies.

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