FAQs

• Radiologic technologists, or “x-ray techs” are the professionals responsible for obtaining quality x-rays for the radiologist and providers.
• Radiologic technologists are often one of the first members of the healthcare team you may encounter when you go to the hospital.
• They are versed in radiation safety, proper positioning of the body part, using proper technique, and patient care to achieve a perfect image for the radiologists to read.
• See the ASRT’s 1-minute video campaign on the imaging field.

• At minimum, you must successfully complete an associate degree program.
• Passing the ARRT in Radiography national registry exam, which allows you to work *anywhere in the United States.
  • *Some states require additional state licenses – Missouri, does not.

• The A.A.S. in Radiography program is seeking its initial accreditation from the JRCERT (Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology)
  • For more information on the importance of accreditation and the process, please review the JRCERT’s flyer.
• Accreditation is very important and provides students assurance they are receiving a quality education in a program that will leave them well-prepared for their career in the imaging field.
• Our initial accreditation site visit will take place approximately 18 months after the program begins.

• The Radiography program is a selective, admissions-based program and there are no guarantees for acceptance. Prior to applying to the program, you must complete a set of general education requirements.
• Required general education courses
  • CHM 101 or higher / (or PHY 101 or higher)
  • MTH 128 or higher
  • PSY 110 or higher
  • ENG 101 or higher
  • HSC 120
  • BCS 165
  • BCS 205
  • PLS 101 or equivalent
• Applicants must complete all general education requirements prior to the application deadline or be in-progress to be completed before the end of the semester in which they submit application to this program.
  • General education requirements must be completed with a grade of C or higher and an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher.
• Two cohorts begin each year, one in the fall and one in the spring
  • Each cohort member progresses through the course of study together. If you must leave your cohort, you may be eligible to return to another cohort if you are in good standing with the program. Refer to the RAD Handbook.

• Our program is an intensive and accelerated program with radiology-specific courses and training lasting 16 months once you are accepted into the program.
  • This portion begins after you have successfully completed all general education requirements, which can be completed in a variety of time frames, but are designed to be completed within two full-time semesters.
  • You can review more information about general education requirements by viewing “What general education courses do I need to take before applying to the program?” or the course sequence. [RK2]
• The program runs for 4 sequential semesters, which includes summer semesters.
  • You should expect to attend class, clinicals, and/or labs a minimum of 4 days per week during the length of the program.
  • Once clinical rotations begin, expect to spend close to 40-hours per week in class and clinicals.
    • This does not include time spent studying for course work, or traveling to your clinical site

• The Radiography program is a full-time commitment over the 16-months with in-person classes, hybrid classes, studying, and hundreds of hours in a variety of clinical experiences that may require traveling up to an hour each way.
• If you live outside of the Springfield area you are required drive in for in-person class days and clinical rotations.
  • Outlying are clinical rotations are not guaranteed if you live in areas outside of Springfield, however, we will try our best to accommodate these situations.
• It is not recommended to work more than 20 hours outside of class and clinicals, due to the time requirements from the program.
• A team of committed faculty that will set you up with the knowledge and experience to be successful in your future goals.

• The program uses the 8-week block system for courses and schedules, meaning all courses and clinicals run for 8-week durations (including summers).
• You should expect to be in class or labs 3-4 days per week in your first semester; class and lab days are generally about 4-6 hours per day.
• When clinicals begin the following semester, you should expect 2 days of in-person class days and 3 days of clinical rotations that generally last 7 to 10 hours each.
  • There are some required weekend and evening rotations for clinical experiences throughout the duration of the program.
  • Some clinical rotations are only open to Ozarks Tech RAD students in the evenings and weekends currently, which can include those outlying clinics which may be closer to the student’s home or preferred area of clinical rotation.
  • Some 8-week blocks have a heavier clinical load with 4 days of clinicals and 1 day of in-person class.
  • Potential clinical rotation sites (Coming Soon)

• Work in a variety of settings, taking x-rays for imaging centers, urgent cares, hospitals, surgery, orthopedic clinics, etc.
• You can add to your resume and skills by learning an advanced modality, such as Cardiac Cath Lab, CT, Echocardiography, Interventional Radiology, Mammography, MRI, Nuclear Medicine, PET, Radiation Therapy, or Ultrasound. You can even go on to Physician Assistant or medical school!

Agreements are currently being sought with the Alliance partner Missouri State University to allow for the transfer of the A.A.S. in Radiography to be accepted toward a Bachelor of Science.

• The A.A.S in Radiography strongly encourages job shadowing before taking courses toward the degree and deciding to pursue the career field.
• The program does require a minimum of 4 hours of job shadowing as part of the application process.
• For more information on the job shadowing process, please visit the OTC A.A.S. in Radiography Job Shadowing page (Coming Soon).

• The Radiography program will take approximately 20 students per cohort, dependent on clinical and classroom capacity availability.
• This number is set by the accrediting body for our maximum number of students.