The OHSU Radiation Therapy Program is a bachelor’s degree program that begins in August and runs continuously for 24 months before concluding in August. The program includes a combination of didactic classroom-based lectures, clinical rotations, and hands-on learning. A capstone project is required during the second year of the program. Students also complete mock board exams in preparation for the national board exams. All courses are taught in person on campus at OHSU. Upon graduation students are awarded a Bachelor of Science in Radiation Therapy and are eligible to sit for the ARRT national certification exam and then obtain state licensure.

Clinical placements begin Fall term of the first year and occur quarterly. A sample class/clinical schedule is available on our website here: https://www.ohsu.edu/school-of-medicine/radiation-therapy/curriculum

In general, students are placed at a new clinical site each term within the greater Portland area. Students are required to own a vehicle or have access to reliable transportation. In the summer terms, students may be placed at rural clinical sites outside of the greater Portland area, with OHSU provided housing in that area. A list of our clinical affiliate locations is available on our Facilities webpage here: https://www.ohsu.edu/school-of-medicine/radiation-therapy/facilities  

Two years (24-months).

OHSU operates on a quarter schedule. The Program beings Summer B term (Year 1/Junior Year) and ends Summer A term (Year 2/Senior Year). The Academic Calendar for the OHSU School of Medicine is available here: https://www.ohsu.edu/education/academic-calendar 

The OHSU Radiation Therapy Program is specific to the practice of radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment, while radiography is a diagnostical tool. While OHSU does not offer a radiography or radiology program, if you are looking for a career in diagnostic imaging or radiography (which cover more imaging technologies), you may be interested in the Portland Community College radiography program, Linn-Benton Community College diagnostic imaging program, or the Oregon Institute of Technology medical imaging or radiologic science programs. We recommend exploring their program websites.

The total cost of attendance is publicly available through OHSU’s Estimated Cost of Attendance webpage here: https://www.ohsu.edu/education/estimated-total-cost-attendance. For a detailed breakdown of Radiation Therapy Program tuition and fees, navigate to the 2023-2024 OHSU Tuition and Fees dropdown and click the Tuition and Fees document. Radiation Therapy Technology is listed on page 5.

Yes. Visit our Tuition and Fees webpage for more details.

3.5 cumulative GPA. Admissions data is publicly available in the OHSU Fact Book.

We do not recommend continuing or accepting employment while enrolled in the program The Radiation Therapy Program consists of a full-time, lockstep curriculum. Courses and clinic occur on weekdays, primarily between the hours of 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with some variations. Students are required to attend all scheduled lectures and clinical rotations. Because the curriculum is fast-paced and rigorous, successful completion requires the full attention of students. We recommend speaking with the Program Director for guidance on balancing responsibilities if you need to work while in the Program.

No, only full-time students are permitted. The curriculum is lock-step and must be completed in sequence during the associated academic quarters.

For financial aid purposes, student credit loads are considered part-time during their first (Summer B) and last (Summer A) quarters in the program. Students are full-time during all remaining academic quarters in the program (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer Full, Fall, Winter, Spring).

No, OHSU does not have on-campus housing, but we can help with your search. Explore OHSU's student housing resources here: https://www.ohsu.edu/education/student-housing 

Students generally find rental apartments near campus. Robust public transportation is available in the Portland metropolitan area through TriMet: https://trimet.org/

Review our prerequisite pathways here. All students accepted into our program are required to complete prerequisites at another university or community college before entry into our program. We have no preference between schools, assuming all institutions are accredited. We also have no preference between individual prerequisites without a degree, an associate’s degree in radiologic technology, or a Bachelor’s degree (any major). Completing the prerequisites does not guarantee acceptance.

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for admission to the program. Please also note that the program does not accept letter grades C- and below for transfer credit.

Yes. We offer a review of unofficial transcripts to help advise you based on what prerequisites you have already filled and answer any additional questions you may have. If interested, feel free to send rttprogram@ohsu.edu a copy of your unofficial transcripts from EACH institution you have attended documenting any degrees earned/in-progress. Transcripts should include course number/name, term/year, final grades and cumulative GPA. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for admission to the program. Please note that this is only a review and that the OHSU Registrar has final approval on transfer credits.

Allow 14 business days for transcript reviews.

Math and science prerequisite courses that exceed a seven-year limit will need to be requested for a waiver, or retaken. Prerequisite waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis, and the forms are available upon request to rttprogram@ohsu.edu. Prerequisites will only be waived when an applicant’s academic and/or professional history demonstrate an adequate knowledge base in that subject. Applicants whose prerequisites were taken more than seven years ago must have earned a letter grade B or higher in order for that course to be considered. The approval of prerequisite waiver requests is at the discretion of the Radiation Therapy Program Director.  

OHSU operates on a quarter schedule. If you attended an institution that utilizes semester credit units, OHSU converts semester to quarter credits by multiplying by 1.5. For example, a class worth 4 semester credits is worth 6 quarter credits. If we require 12 credits of Physics, that is equivalent to 12 quarter credits or 8 semester credits.

Below is a list of community colleges and universities in the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area where students commonly complete prerequisite courses:

• Clackamas Community College
• Clark College
• Mt Hood Community College
• Portland Community College
• Portland State University

We recommend looking at community colleges and universities in your geographic area, and connecting with an advisor at those schools for additional information and assistance mapping your academic plan.  

For students who completed a radiography/diagnostic imaging degree program at a community college/university not accredited by the Join Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), our Admissions Committee will look at the following qualifications:

1) course grades (note: we require a letter grade of “C” or higher with a cumulative GPA above a 3.0),

2) completion of the full radiology/imaging program, and

3) completion/passing of the ARRT board examination

If these criteria are met we would deem this equivalent to our requirement and welcome your application under the Applicants with Associate Degree in Radiologic Technology prerequisite pathway. We encourage you to contact our team with questions.  

If you believe you have completed an AP course(s) equivalent to our prerequisite requirements, please contact the program at rttprogram@ohsu.edu. OHSU must verify whether your AP credits qualify to transfer toward our prerequisites.

We will need your official AP scores from CollegeBoard. The link for sending archived AP scores to our university can be found here: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/sending-scores/send-or-get-archived-scores

Please request for your scores to be sent directly to the OHSU Radiation Therapy Program at the following mailing address:

OHSU Radiation Therapy Program

Robertson Life Science Building

2730 S. Moody Ave

Mail Code CL5RT

Portland, OR 97201

Per CollegeBoard’s website, the processing fee is around $25 and takes about 15 business days.  We will get back to you as soon as we receive and review your scores.

Applications are accepted through the application portal between November 1^st and February 1^st each year for Summer B term admissions. All materials must be submitted through the application portal by the application deadline. The application link will be posted on our website during the open cycle.

The application fee is $70.00 USD. Applicants who believe they qualify for a fee waiver can request one by email to somgrad@ohsu.edu. Waivers must be requested before you submit your application. Application fee waivers are at the discretion of the OHSU School of Medicine Graduate Studies Office of Admissions eligibility criteria. They are typically granted to applicants with an economic or financial hardship. Include your CAS ID# in your email. You can locate your CAS ID# within the application portal.

Yes, students may apply to our program while they are completing the admission requirements. Most students have outstanding prerequisites at the time of application. The program requires that all prerequisites be completed by July 31st before matriculation during Summer Term B. Your application should indicate that you are in the process of completing the prerequisites, and should include your most up-to-date transcripts.

All applicants must complete 30 hours of observation and can begin as early as desired. Shadowing a radiation therapist and spending a day in a radiation oncology department is a great way to explore the profession. Observation hours typically take place in a radiation oncology department in a hospital such as OHSU, or in a standalone cancer center or clinic, such as Compass Oncology.

Contact the program to complete a mandatory free online HIPAA certificate and start the process of shadowing. It is a requirement to document your observation hours and these forms are available on our website. Students must be over the age of 18 to shadow.

If your institution offers secure digital transcripts (preferred), please send official transcripts to our program email inbox: rttprogram@ohsu.edu

Official hard copy transcripts shall be mailed to:

OHSU SoM Graduate Admissions

3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd

Mail Code: L102GS

Portland, Oregon 97239

Yes. For foreign transcripts with different grading systems, OHSU examines them closely to ensure that they meet our academic standards. Our program requires that foreign transcripts be translated by the World Education Services (WES) transcript evaluation service for admissions purposes.

Other examples of credential evaluation companies that our prior applications have used include:

1. WES ICAP
2. SpanTran: The Evaluation Company
3. Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
4. Scholaro

Yes, every applicant will be notified of admissions decisions by email.

Yes, you can apply once per year.

Personal statements can take essay format. A personal statement should describe why you want to go into the field of radiation therapy, including a reflection on your time spent observing in radiation oncology departments. You may want to also connect what you learned from researching the field online. Other points you may wish to discuss are reasons you want to enter our program at OHSU, future goals, science-oriented activities, non-science or vocational interests and other salient points that make you a unique individual. We are generally looking for a personal statement that is approximately 1-2 pages in length, though we do not have a minimum requirement or word count range.

Letters of recommendation should be from individuals, instructors, or employers with whom you have worked closely over a period of time who can attest to your abilities and character. The individuals do not need to be medical professionals or specific to radiation therapy. Letters of recommendation must be submitted through the application portal by your selected evaluators.

Application review and decision consists of two steps:

Packet Review:

• Cumulative GPA
• Science GPA
• References
• Personal Statement
• Observation completion
• Prerequisite completion

In person interview:

• Panel Interview
• Scenario based interview

Review more details on our Applicants webpage here.