UVM Radiation Therapy students gain skills in radiation safety, patient care and cancer management and treatment using a Virtual Environment Radiotherapy Trainer (VERT) and by working side-by-side with radiation therapists in the UVM Medical Center on campus.

A semester-long placement in a hospital setting with one of UVM's clinical affiliates completes the four-year program.

Program Mission

The mission of the University of Vermont's Radiation Therapy program is to educate, train, and graduate professionally competent and ethical individuals committed to lifelong learning and who are prepared to meet current and future workplace challenges in radiation therapy.

Student Learning Objectives

Goal one: Graduates will be clinically competent

• Students will demonstrate competency positioning patients for accurate radiation therapy delivery.
• Students will integrate didactic and clinical course work to provide appropriate patient care.

Goal two: Students will exhibit problem solving and critical thinking skills

• Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills in CT simulation in accordance to physician directive and patient needs.
• Students will recognize and address additional patient needs when appropriate in the treatment process.

Goal three: Students will communicate clearly and effectively with faculty, patients, and clinical staff:

• Students will demonstrate effective verbal communication in the clinical setting.
• Students will demonstrate effective written communication.

Major Requirements

View major requirements and model study plan for the B.S. in Radiation Sciences >>

Radiation Therapy Student Handbook (PDF) >>

Certification

Program graduates may acquire certification by sitting for an exam with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. The Board of Radiologic Technology governs licensure requirements for the State of Vermont. Learn more about state licensure requirements >>

The Program publishes annually the Credentialing Examination Pass Rate (ARRT exam), job placement rates, and the Program Completion Rate (PDF). 

UVM Institutional Accreditation

The University of Vermont is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE; formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, NEASC). 

Radiation Therapy Program Accreditation

The Radiation Therapy Program at UVM was re-accredited for 5-years in April 2019 by the Joint Review Commission on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). The next accreditation renewal is tentatively scheduled for April 2024. The JRCERT maintains standards and reviews the program at UVM for compliance with these standards. It is the only agency recognized by the United States Department of Education for accreditation of radiation therapy programs. The JRCERT is located at 20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 2850, Chicago, IL, 60606-3182 or at www.jrcert.org. The JRCERT can be contacted at (312) 704-5304 or mail@jrcert.org.

UVM Radiation Therapy students spend their first two semesters applying didactic skills in the clinical setting at the University of Vermont Medical Center’s Cancer Center. Students spend their final semester at a hospital affiliate site working with oncology professionals to design and administer radiation therapy treatment plans and learning to develop relationships with patients of all ages before taking the national registry (licensure) examination. Assignment of affiliate sites is completed through a lottery system. Our clinical affiliate sites are geographically dispersed, and many are more than 60 miles from campus. For the final semester of the radiation therapy program, students will be required to relocate or travel. Radiation Therapy Students are responsible for travel, lodging, all living expenses, and insurance during the off-campus experience. Our clinical affiliate sites are:

• University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, VT*
• Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY
• Central VT Hospital (National Life Cancer Treatment Center), Berlin, VT
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH
• Northern Light Radiation Oncology (Eastern Maine Medical Center), Brewer, ME
• Elliot Hospital, Manchester, NH
• Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
• Rutland Regional Medical Center, Rutland, VT

*students cannot complete their final clinical practicums (RADT 3870, 3880, & 3890) at the University of Vermont Medical Center

How to Apply to the Radiation Therapy Program

All students must apply to the University of Vermont before acceptance to the Radiation Therapy Program. Radiation Therapy Program capacity is 9 students per cohort, which the JRCERT determines. First-time, first-year students: The UVM admissions team reviews and determines all applicants. Transfer students: transfer students must first meet UVM admission requirements before the application is reviewed for admission to the Radiation Therapy Program. View the Program admissions process (PDF) >>