Master of Science in Radiography

Master of Science in Radiography

Offered in Block Release
  • 00:00:00Course Duration
  • PostgraduateSkill level
  • $1205.00
    Price
  • 30 November -0001Admission Deadline

The Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Radiography has been offered by NUST and UZ since 2002. Graduates from these programmes have found employment within Zimbabwe and abroad. However, any graduates that had wished to pursue further studies had to go abroad for such studies as there were no Masters Degree programme in both Universities. The Radiography programme also needed to develop staff to continue to service its programmes. Setting up an MSc programme within the university enabled staff development as well as provided the much needed professional development within Zimbabwe and nationwide. The target group for this programme are practising Radiographers and as such, it is provided on a Block Release schedule. The programme takes cognisance of the fact that prospective students have clinical experience and they are also within the clinical area where the other part of the learning takes place. Students after completing the core modules may opt for modules with an emphasis in either diagnostic, therapeutic, or any area of speciality in the clinical area. The programme is designed to meet the development needs of radiographers currently working in diagnostic and therapeutic practice. The aim of the programme is to encourage continued research in the field of radiography and to enhance students’ skills in both inquiry and practice. The programme shall enable students to critically evaluate a range of issues within the field as changes in technology and Health Care practice drive radiography forward at a considerable pace. This shall allow evidence based and reflective practice. The programme aims to promote continued professional development by giving radiographers the opportunity to expand their expertise in radiography. It provides a flexible approach, which permits radiographers to react to the diverse range of issues relating to modern practice. It is designed to integrate theory with practice. It is the intention of this Master of Science degree programme to address some of the pertinent issues in radiography today: quality in patient care to meet the ever changing demands of the patient, radiation protection and technological changes, issues of quality control and quality assurance in radiation sciences and cultivate evidence based practice through research.

DURATION OF THE DEGREE PROGRAMME AND MODE OF STUDY
The programme is run in synchronisation with other Block Release Programmes at NUST. The minimum duration of the programme is 18 months. It is offered as a Block Release Programme over three semesters. The Programme is by class contact on a Block Release basis (two blocks of three weeks in the first twelve months, work based study in between the blocks and a project over the last six months).

Entry Requirements
Candidates with a BSc Honours degree in Radiography, with at least a lower second class or equivalent shall normally be eligible for admission into the programme. In addition, candidates must be registered or be eligible for registration with the Allied Health Practitioners Council.

The program consists of eight modules that are offered in two blocks. A student shall be expected to register for four modules per block. Students are required to undertake all the core modules and then select from the given range of available modules in various fields to achieve the total required number. A specified minimum number of students shall be required for a particular module to be offered. Students however, have the option to take a negotiated module as an independent study.
Students shall be required to satisfy the examiners in a project dissertation. The research project may commence at any time after the second semester examinations. It may be undertaken either in the Department, Industry or any other institution approved by the Departmental Board. The dissertation report shall normally be submitted to the Department at least a month before the end of the third semester. 
The programme comprises of two blocks of three weeks each spread over twelve months. On successful completion of Year I, students shall proceed to carry out their research project. 
Students are required to pass all the eight modules and the dissertation. The dissertation shall be equivalent to three modules.
A minimum of 300 credits shall be required for the degree to be awarded. 
 
STRUCTURE

MODULE EVALUATION
Various parts of a module may be examined independently during the module of the studies. Both the continuous assessment which shall comprise 40% of the overall mark for that part, and the written examination (comprising 60%), for such a module shall aggregate to the final mark for the whole module. The module shall be assessed by a four hour written examination at the end of the semester.
To pass a module, a student must have obtained an overall mark of 50% and at least 45% in the final written examination.
To pass the Research Project Module, a student must obtain a minimum mark of 50% in the project report and must pass continuous assessment with at least 50%. Oral Think in other terms presentation marks shall constitute part of the Continuous Assessment. The Research Project Module shall contribute 30% of the overall mark for the degree classification.

SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATIONS 
A student shall be allowed to supplement no more than three modules. To be eligible for a Supplementary Examination, a student must have failed with at least 45 % overall mark in that module and should have passed at least 50% of the modules he/she had registered for. A student who fails to attain 45% in a module may apply to repeat the module. 
A candidate who attains less than 40% in the final examination of a module shall not be granted a supplementary examination. 7.3 The maximum mark for a supplemented module shall be 50 %. 

DETERMINATION OF RESULTS 
To be eligible for the award of the MSc Degree in Radiography, a student shall be required to pass all the modules registered for and must have successfully completed all relevant practical work and the Research Project Module.

DEGREE CLASSIFICATION
The weighting of the components of the degree shall be:
Average of all taught modules 70 %
Research Project Module 30 %
NB; The overall classification of the degree shall follow university and faculty regulations. 

PROCEED AND DISCONTINUE 
A student may proceed to do the research project module if he/she has completed at least three modules.
A student who fails more than three of the taught modules at the end of the second semester shall be required to discontinue the programme. 
A student who passes all taught modules but fails to complete the project work may be awarded a Post-Graduate Diploma. 
A student who fails to complete the program, but has passed at least four of the taught modules and successfully completed the project, may be awarded a Post-Graduate Diploma.
 
SYNOPSIS
 
YEAR I
 
SRA 5101 Radiobiology And Radiation Protection 25 Credits
The module explores the nature and magnitude of hazards to patients in various health-care settings, techniques used to analyse the risks and to address the problems in order to reduce errors and create a safe patient-care environment, probabilistic risk assessment methods, failure mode and effects analysis, human factors analysis and error classification systems, and quality management, radiobiology, human anatomy, physiology and pathology and the biological effects of radiation, radiation protection; Safety standards: recommendations from agencies and continual quality improvement.

SRA 5102 Research In Health Care 25 Credits
 
The module has evidence based practice; Research methodology: research designs, data gathering techniques, validity and reliability, sampling techniques, statistics in research, data processing and scientific reporting; Medical ethics and clinical trials.

SRA 5103 Applied Psychology And Sociology 25 Credits
This module examines communication skills, Professional judgement and Decision making, Stress and burnout, interpersonal skills, Sociology of illness, psychology of illness, Personality and patient management; Gender and health, Abnormal psychology, Social Psychology-Interpersonal Attraction as a social behaviour Attitude and attitude formation; The influence of others on our behaviour, Decision making, personality theories, person perception and stereotypes, Sociology of the family, Culture and tradition, Stress, emotion and illness, Negotiation and bargaining.

SRA 5104 Clinical Practice I 25 Credits
This is an independent Study Module I- For this module students shall explore an area of their interest in the field of Diagnostic or Radiotherapeutic radiography, i;e; (in any of the following areas; Ultrasound, Radiotherapy Applications, Diagnostic and Computerised Tomography). The aim of the module is to enhance the student’s clinical practice in either diagnostic or radiotherapy radiography. The student is expected to critically analyse the principles of operations to include the equipment, merits, demerits and alternative therapy making recommendations to improve service provision and customer satisfaction. The module shall be assessed through case study presentation, portfolio of achievement and reports.

SRA5205 Management In Health Care 25 Credits
The module looks at organisational behaviour and theory; Operations management, human resources management; Inter group conflict and conflict resolution, Professionalism and inter professionalism in the imaging and radiotherapy department, Managing risk,Design considerations in departments, Equipment selection and procurement, Equipment maintenance, Inventory control, Human resources in imaging departments, Organisational structure, Inter-departmental and Inter-professional collaboration; Principles of quality, Think in other terms quality assurance tests on equipment, organisational quality, Evaluating quality, Quality and the Imaging /Radiotherapy department; Quality and the customer; Total Quality Management; Accidents and accident prevention; Theories of accidents; Leadership and power, Conformity and compliance as well as theories of motivation.

SRA 5206 Diagnostic Radiography I 25 Credits
The module highlights the recent Advances in imaging techniques, Interventional Techniques; Role Development in radiography, Shifts in patient health worker perspectives; Aids and health, Role of support organisations in health care; Health Education; Health sector reforms and the role of Radiography in patient management.

SRA 5207 Radiotherapy And Oncology I 25 Credits
The module explores the alternative Medicine in cancer management, Recent Advances in Radiotherapy treatments; Hyper fractionated treatment; Advances in stereotactic techniques; Role Development in radiography, Shifts in patient health worker perspectives; Aids and health, Role of support organisations in health care; Health Education; Health sector reforms and the role of Radiography in patient management.

SRA 5208 Diagnostic Radiography II 25 Credits
The module looks at image Analysis, Processing and Quality Assessment, Digital Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; principles, equipments, clinical applications, functional magnetic resonance imaging and clinical applications. It also looks at computerized Tomography: CT principles, gantry designs, clinical applications in diagnosis and radiotherapy; Nuclear Medicine: instrumentation and clinical applications, SPECT and PET; Medical Ultrasound: Ultrasound Radiation, interaction of ultrasound with tissue; Principles: A-Mode, Static B-mode, Doppler, M mode; Image display, equipment, transducers, image storage and retrieval, safety considerations; Basic Imaging: time gain compensation (TGC), Doppler Ultrasound, reflection and transmission at interfaces, acoustical properties of biological media, transducer operation and beam patterns, Techniques and clinical applications;

SRA 5209 Radiotherapy And Oncology II 25 Credits
This module looks at radiobiology, effect of radiation on cells, cell survival; Radiotherapy versus chemotherapy/surgery; Dosimetry: dose distribution, isodose curves and percentage depth dose (PDD); Beam modification Device: oblique incidence and body inhomogeneities; Brachytherapy and Unsealed Source Therapy: interstitial, intracavital, intraluminal; Nucletron Microselectron LDR, IDR, HDR sources, optimisation, clinical applications External-Beam Therapy: principles of acceleration, particle accelerators, linear accelerators, Linacs and Betatrons cyclotrons, synchrotrons, synchrocyclotron, linac, powering systems, clinical applications and patient care; Megavoltage Electron Beams: equipment and clinical applications, Neutron beam characteristics equipment and clinical applications; Stereotactic radiotherapy: equipment, clinical applications, recent advances in stereotactic techniques; Cobalt units: equipment and clinical applications; Treatment planning: equipment and simulation, Virtual and CT simulation, treatment planning, plan documentation; Conformal radiotherapy, Treatment using complex radiation fields, Portal Imaging and Quality Assurance (QA) in Radiotherapy Think in other terms

SRA 5210 Clinical Practice II 25 Credits
This is an independent Study Module II - For this module students shall explore an area of their interest in the field of radiography in any of the following areas; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Radionuclide Imaging, Interventional Radiology, Radiotherapy Planning and Mould Room Techniques, Alternative medicine in cancer management, Chemotherapy in cancer management and interstitial techniques; i.e. other than those areas explode in clinical practice I. The aim of this module is to enhance the student’s clinical practice in a wide range of sub areas in either diagnostic or radiotherapeutic radiography. The student is expected to critically analyse the principles of operations to include the equipment, merits, demerits and alternative therapy making recommendations to improve service provision and customer satisfaction. The module shall be assessed through case study presentation, portfolio of achievement and reports.

YEAR II
 
SRA 6110 Research Project Module 100 Credits
This module provides the research component of the MSc programme. Hence it is the component that establishes the programme at Masters Level. The research shall be carried out over a period of six months. Normally this shall be done in a Health Care setting. The dissertation from the research shall be assessed in part by an oral presentation and a final written report.
 
 

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Mr Walter Magagula

Mr Walter Magagula

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