Radiation therapy

School of Clinical Sciences

Leading excellence and innovation in clinical sciences research and education, to develop future health professionals and contribute to better health outcomes.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is a rewarding career combining patient care and emotional support with science and technology. As part of a multidisciplinary medical team, radiation therapists plan and deliver highly accurate radiation treatment to cancer patients. Typically, a patient receiving radiation therapy will see the radiation therapist every day for several weeks, so radiation therapists demonstrate empathy and a caring nature towards a wide range of patients.

QUT's 4-year Bachelor of Radiation Therapy course provides you with everything you need to graduate ready for registration and professional practice. Your studies incorporate clinical skills and hands-on experience, covering the interaction of radiation on body tissue, radiation therapy treatment planning, X-ray and CT image matching, and treatment delivery in a virtual environment. Upon completion of this course, you may enter the workforce directly or build on your studies through the Honours pathway.

QUT offers the only radiation therapy program in Queensland.

Life-changing pathway

'Radiation therapy was not just a degree but a complete life-changing pathway that allowed me to utilise my own personal and academic abilities to become a valuable health practitioner. By combining the “real-world” technology available at QUT with the several placements I was involved in across Queensland, I was able to learn from a range of members of the multi-disciplinary team, draw on new ideas, improve my performance and most importantly, touch the lives of many cancer patients. I was also fortunate enough to have been engaged in the honours pathway where I significantly enhanced my research, professional and communication skills which are critical ingredients for a successful radiation therapist.'

Molly Mee

Real-world experience

'Radiation therapy interested me due to its combination of technical skills, ever-changing research, and engaging interactions with patients. I chose QUT because it seamlessly incorporated in-class theory with real-world experience. I enjoyed completing placements across the country in many different departments. This hands-on experience was a definite confidence booster and improved my knowledge and skills.'

Vossco Nguyen

Supported at every step

'Radiation therapy is a rewarding career which is largely focused on providing exceptional patient care and treatment. There are many new and specialised techniques and technologies continuously becoming available in this field and thus it provides a challenging and continually evolving career. Personally, I found QUTs biggest asset was its strongly established sense of community consisting of the teaching staff and peers who supported my learning at every step. Graduating from QUT I felt very prepared to take a position as a radiation therapist in my hometown. I have a great sense of pride knowing that through pursing a degree in the clinical sciences, I am able to give back to my community in an important and meaningful way.'

Sinead Jacobson

Career qualification

Considering a career in radiation therapy? Our Bachelor of Radiation Therapy provides graduates with a specialised qualification for a career in radiation therapy treatment for cancer patients.

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A rewarding career

'I am a recent graduate from QUT, now working as a qualified radiation therapist. The QUT radiation therapy course has clinical rotations embedded into each year of the degree which allowed me to not only develop clinical skills, but also taught me to establish and pursue my own goals. The addition of the honours pathway into the course provides students an excellent opportunity to learn firsthand invaluable research skills while forming connections with established clinicians. Graduating from QUT I felt well prepared to enter into the clinical workspace as a radiation therapist and have great pride in pursuing a career where I am able to help those in local communities.'

Kirsty Tait

Equipment

Students access a range of clinical equipment and software to utilise as part of their studies, including:

Virtual CT scanner
Two Clinical Treatment Planning Systems, Pinnacle and Monaco- specialised computer planning software
Patient Information System- Mosaiq
Virtual Environment for Radiation Therapy (VERT) - 3D technology providing a virtual radiation therapy treatment environment that features life-sized radiation therapy equipment and virtual patients

Take an online tour of our Virtual Environment for Radiation Therapy

Industry partners

Our industry relationships contribute substantially to the quality education for radiation therapy students. We maintain connections to contemporary industry developments as a host of national vendor user group meetings, and through regular contact with key vendors, such as Quantum Health, alphaXRT and Elekta. We also regularly consult with industry advisory body representatives on course design and accreditation activities.

Practitioners in both the public and private sectors directly add to your real-world education through teaching contributions, and as Expert Clinicians and Honorary Clinical Fellows who provide clinical supervision to students in the Honours program.