Nuclear Medicine

< BACK TO BSDI PROGRAM

CT/MRI/NUC

NOTE: Cox College has begun the teach-out process for all of the imaging programs in the Academic Year 2024-2025 and concluding in December of 2025. The Cox College program will no longer be admitting students after the fall of 2024. Imaging education moving forward can be found at the other members of the Alliance or in the region.

 

Learn more about Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear Medicine is an imaging modality using radioisotopes. Nuclear Medicine Technologists are responsible for preparing, administering, imaging, and treating using radioactive tracers. Nuclear Medicine is used in the aid of diagnosis, assessment, or treatment of various diseases throughout the body.

Program Description

Enjoy the flexibility of online learning! The Cox College Nuclear Medicine Program is completed online in just three semesters. Students are prepared for the ARRT registry in Nuclear Medicine. All courses in the Nuclear Medicine program will be transferred to the Cox College Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Imaging degree program. All students entering the Nuclear Medicine program receive up to 64 transfer credits toward the BSDI and 37 credit hours for completing the program. Cox College Associate of Science in Radiography (ASR) graduates are awarded 76 credit hours of transfer credit towards the BSDI degree. After passing the ARRT registry examination in Nuclear Medicine, a total of 101-113 credit hours are applied to the BSDI degree program.

Clinical Sites

Students have the availability of pre-arranged clinical sites at CoxHealth (Springfield, Branson), or you may contact the RSI Clinical Outreach Coordinator Paige.Reinstein@coxcollege.edu) with questions regarding alternative clinical sites outside of CoxHealth. Nuclear Medicine students opting to complete clinical rotations in Springfield will benefit from several available clinical sites and a variety of experiences.

Application and Admissions

Admission Deadline: April 1st

Interviews: April 1st – April 15th

Decisions Mailed: April 15th – April 30th

Primary Student Job Shadowing Deadline: March 1st

Applicants to the Nuclear Medicine program must have:

  • A minimum of an associate's degree in any field
  • Completed a minimum of 16 hours of job shadowing in a Nuclear Medicine department at any hospital with a job shadowing program (only required of Non-RTR applicants)
    • Job shadowing should be completed within one year of applying
    • Applicants should have the required job shadowing completed by March 1st in order to meet the application deadline
  • Completed pre-requisite courses with a “C” or higher prior to the beginning of the NUC core curriculum:
    • College algebra, statistics, or higher mathematics course (3 credits)
    • Human Anatomy (lab not required)* (3-4 credits) OR Human Anatomy & Physiology 1 (lab not required)* (3-4 credits)
    • Medical Terminology (3 credits)
    • Oral or Written communications (3 credits)
  • * BIOL 117 Introduction to Anatomy & Physiology (3 credits) is accepted to meet the Human Anatomy requirement or as a refresher course if applicable.Core science pre-requisite courses must be taken within 5 years prior to admission to the NUC primary pathway. Exceptions may be made for applicants currently employed in an allied health profession.

 

To Apply to the Cox College Nuclear Medicine Program, the applicant must:

    • Complete the Cox College application and check “Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Imaging”
    • Submit the Specialty Diagnostic Imaging program application
    • Submit all official college transcripts
    • Submit a personal resume and two letters of recommendation
    • Submit a copy of professional imaging credentials (ARRT, NMTCB, ARDMS)
    • Submit the Clinical Affiliate Request form if requesting a clinical site outside of the CoxHealth system
    • Submit the Job Shadowing Form. Click here to schedule a job shadowing at CoxHealth
    • Minimum 3.0 GPA in an imaging program or academic degree

 

Nuclear Medicine Courses

NUC 304 Introduction to Nuclear Medicine
NUC 306 Radiopharmacy I
SDI 314 Patient Care and Safety
SDI 340 Clinical Practice I
SDI 360 Clinical Practice II
NUC 308 Radiation Biology & Protection
NUC 310 NM Physics and Instrumentation II
NUC 312 NM Procedures & Diagnosis II
SDI 300 Specialty Imaging Ethics
NUC 314 Radiopharmacy II
SDI 401 Clinical Practice III
SDI 380 Specialty Imaging Capstone II
SDI 410 Clinical Practice IV