BSc (Honours) Diagnostic Radiography
Three years full-time
UCAS code • B821
Location • Collegiate Campus
Subject area • Diagnostic radiography
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At a glance
Become a qualified radiographer with access to a fully-equipped digital X-ray suite on campus and half your study time spent in a hospital environment. Your career prospects as a graduate radiographer are very good and most students secure their first post immediately after graduation with hospitals in the region.
Key points
• Train using a fully-equipped digital X-ray suite.
• Gain confidence and experience with 50% of course spent in a clinical environment.
• Learn from experienced lecturers who are all registered radiographers.
• Further your career with good links to hospitals in the region.
What is diagnostic radiography?
Diagnostic radiography is the medical science of producing images of the human body, which can be used to make a diagnosis. Diagnostic radiographers play an important role in the diagnosis and management of disease, and in the screening programmes for early detection of cancer. They are described as being at the heart of modern medicine.
Radiographers do not just work in hospital X-ray departments. There may be separate departments for ultrasound examinations, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, breast imaging or nuclear medicine, though in some hospitals these are in a single department. They may need to examine patients in the operating theatre or on the wards, and to use their initiative and make decisions, independently and as part of a team.
This course
Become a fully-trained radiographer qualified to work in hospitals on a course with a relatively small cohort and good lecturer to student ratio. As a student, your studies on campus centre around a fully equipped digital X-ray suite which replicates the settings in which you learn and work. The suite is located in our £13m Robert Winston Building.
You also benefit from the clinical expertise and specialised subject areas of our teaching team, many of whom also practice clinically. Our lecturers are all registered practitioners and have a diverse wealth of radiography teaching experience between them. This well-respected and experienced team introduce you to present day conventional radiography and new emerging technology and methods of imaging.
Once you’ve learnt techniques in the University setting and x-ray suite, you then learn how to apply them in the real world with over half your course time on clinical placements.
As a student on this course, your placement opportunities and subsequent career prospects are excellent thanks to close links with local and regional hospital departments. We also have special rotation placement sites including neurological imaging and cardiac imaging departments and the Charles Clifford Dental Hospital in Sheffield.
Diagnostic radiographers use highly technical equipment but the work also involves helping patients to relax and understand what is happening. You work with patients of all ages, from newborns to the elderly, and part of your training is learning to adapt your approach to meet the individual's needs.
During your time on placement, your clinical experience will reflect the working times of radiographers. This may involve shift work including weekends and evenings. It may also be necessary to live in hospital accommodation during placements.
As part of the course you complete a level 2 award in understanding health improvement certificate from the Royal Society of Public Health. We are currently the only university in the UK that offers this as part of our healthcare courses.
Your student membership fees for the Society and College of Radiographers are paid for the duration of the course, enabling you to access the services they provide.
Key areas of study
Key areas include • musculo-skeletal imaging • soft tissue imaging • science and imaging technology • practice education • generating and evaluating evidence for practice.
Interprofessional learning
Diagnostic radiographers are an integral part of the multidisciplinary team and part of your course is studied interprofessionally alongside students from other health disciplines, such as nurses, operating department practitioners and physiotherapists. This shared learning experience allows you to develop team working skills and understand the contribution different professionals make to the patient pathway.
CPD online
CPD Online, part of our CPD Anywhere™ framework, is being offered free to new graduates of this course for 12 months, as part of our commitment to support your lifelong learning.
CPD Online is an online learning environment which provides information to help your transition into the workplace. It can enhance your employability and provide opportunities to take part in and evidence continuing professional development to help meet professional body and statutory requirements.
For further information, visit the CPD Anywhere™ website at www.shu.ac.uk/faculties/hwb/cpd/anywhere
100% of our graduates gained employment in radiography following their studies, with 70% working in their placement hospitals.
Find out more about BSc (Honours) Diagnostic Radiography
Related courses
You apply for this course through UCAS.
2013/14 academic year
If you are studying a course funded by the Department of Health you will not normally pay any fees yourself, as they will be paid for you by the Department of Health.
You may be eligible for an NHS bursary but you will not be eligible for the bursaries and scholarships described in the Sheffield Hallam University Bursary Scheme. For more information on NHS bursaries visit www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students/4002.aspx
Your clinical placements may not be in Sheffield, so you may need to pay for separate accommodation while on placement. NHS bursary students may be able to claim the cost of this back.
For 2013 entry, membership of a professional body is included in the course fee.
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees and funding see www.shu.ac.uk/study/ug/fees-and-funding
2013/14 academic year
Typically £13,880 a year
Your clinical placements may not be in Sheffield, so you may also need to pay for additional accommodation while on placement.
2014/15 academic year
Typically £14,380 a year
Your clinical placements may not be in Sheffield, so you may also need to pay for additional accommodation while on placement.
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees, scholarships and bursaries see www.shu.ac.uk/international/fees
• assignments • case studies • project work • professional development portfolio • research project
This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Graduates are eligible to apply to register with them and also apply to become members of the Society and College of Radiographers. You must be registered with the HCPC in order to practise as a diagnostic radiographer in the UK.
Key Information Set 
Jason Tagg
BSc Diagnostic Radiography, third year
'I chose Sheffield as a place to study as I live in Sheffield and know it to be a good city to live and work.
'I spent some time working at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals before starting my course. I asked the qualified workers where they had studied and why. I found that even those from further away had made efforts to study at Sheffield Hallam University as it is still recognised as one of the best, if not the best place to learn radiography.
'The services available at the University are of a high standard, both in teaching and practice equipment. All the lecturers have extensive knowledge and previous employment in radiography, with each having their specialist areas of knowledge. There is also a fully functioning X-ray room with practice dummies within the University.
'The course feels like an apprenticeship where you learn the fundamental knowledge prior to placements and then hone your skills whilst there.
'I would definitely recommend Sheffield Hallam University to friends - for healthcare courses it is by far one of the best universities available.
'If you are interested in doing this course my advice would be don't expect to be living the typical student life. You will be spending 4-5 hours a day in university and working 9-5 shifts four days a week whilst on placements.
'Sheffield has plenty of drinking areas such as the town centre and West Street. There's around six main nightclubs, plenty of gyms and sports centres and shopping centres such as Meadowhall and the town centre.
'It is generally an all round place that has something for everyone.'
Hannah Ludbrook
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BSc Diagnostic Radiography, 2010 graduate speaking in 2009
'When I was deciding which university to come to I liked the way Sheffield seemed to be a really friendly and proud city.
'I love the fact that the city is on the edge of the Peak District making it easy to get out into the countryside, especially for climbers. The city is one of the main reasons I chose Sheffield Hallam but also it is regarded highly for radiography training.
'The University has a high standard of modern x-ray equipment so students can learn in a realistic, safe environment. At Sheffield Hallam student radiographers go out on placement very early on compared to some other universities. I found this really helpful as we didn't have time to get too nervous and we could put the basic, early theory into practice.
'The course is split approximately 50/50 into academic blocks and clinical blocks so we get a huge amount of practical experience, making us competent radiographers when we qualify.
'One of the highlights is going on special placements at the end of second year and start of third year. These are a week in specialist areas such as paediatrics, cardiac and neuro angiography, the private sector and dental. I found this really interesting and it greatly broadened my knowledge and experience.
'As well as those above, we spend our first and third year clinical time in the same placement hospital, mine was Sheffield which includes the Northern General and the Hallamshire, and our second year somewhere different. I was in Grimsby which gave me a good contrast between big teaching hospitals like Sheffield and smaller district generals like Grimsby.
'When I qualify in summer I hope to get a job as a radiographer in a teaching hospital with a busy accident and emergency department.'
Trudi Brook
BSc (Honours) Diagnostic Radiography, Final year
'When applying I had the choice between Leeds and Sheffield Hallam and must admit that Sheffield was the easiest for me to commute to, as I am married. I am also a fan of Professor Robert Winston, so knowing that I was going to study at a University that he was involved with helped too.
'I was in the Ambulance Service in the late 1980’s early 90’s and have always been interested in medicine. Due to my ‘mature’ age I felt that the three year course was long enough and radiography was also of interest.
'Before I came to Sheffield Hallam my husband and I had a business which unfortunately ceased to trade, so I took stock of my situation and decided to get a good career. I had previously been in administration and found my motivation lacking in that field as I wanted to do something that gave me the sense of personal satisfaction. I like to help people so a career in Health Care seemed the right path to go on.
'My only worry before starting the course was “Am I too old to go back to studying?” Doing a year at college before going to University helped me get back into studying and gave me the confidence I needed. Otherwise I knew that as long as I put my mind to the task I could achieve the end result. Of course there is always the trepidation at the start of any academic task given to me, but I think that is normal and everyone goes through it.
'The highlight of the course for me has been meeting new people and gaining new friends of all ages. Training on placement has been an enjoyable experience also.
'For prospective students with family commitments, they will probably find it more difficult to juggle everything and meet deadlines, but it can be done. I have no children so I have only had my husband to consider, but he has been very supportive and understanding. You are never too old to do this course and I can only recommend it highly.'
Amy Phillips
BSc (Honours) Diagnostic Radiography
Studying for BSc
'I studied biology at A level and really enjoyed learning about human anatomy which made me start to think about a career in healthcare. After researching diagnostic radiography I decided I liked the fact that it combined both patient care alongside physics and applied science. I also felt reassured that I would get a job once completing my university degree and putting what I had learnt straight into practice.
'I did two work-based placements at King's Mill Hospital, Newark and Lincoln. Although a lot of time was spent on placement this was such a valuable experience that allowed me to immediately begin practising as a confident and competent newly qualified radiographer. I trained in a really supportive department (King's Mill Hospital) which later employed me on completion of my degree. It is really useful being able to build up professional working relationships through placements within NHS departments, as this can aid future employment as it did for me. I am still really grateful for this opportunity as it resulted in me being employed by a department that would later invest in further training at a Masters level in order to allow me to become a sonographer.
'The best thing about the course is the hands on experience that I learned through clinical placements.
Studying for PG diploma
'I decided to continue with further study because I have always been interested in continuous professional development and decided to train to become a sonographer as the autonomy and increased responsibility of reporting appealed, without losing any patient care and contact. I was offered a fantastic opportunity by King's Mill hospital to train at Sheffield Hallam University which has allowed me to develop and now work as an autonomous practitioner within the NHS, influencing patient care, the treatment they receive and the care pathway they follow.
'I am currently employed as a sonographer at King's Mill Hospital. I am qualified to scan in the following clinical areas • abdominal • gynaecological • obstetric and vascular (leg dopplers).
'I independently scan and report each patient, varying from routine screening in obstetric care to reporting fetal abnormalities, some early cancer detections, gynaecological complications and DVT's.
'The aspects of practice that I enjoy the most is dealing with patients and ensuring that I deliver the best patient care. It is fascinating interacting with such a wide range of patient's and other healthcare professionals. At times my job is stressful and emotional but I take pride in ensuring I deliver a good quality service that allows patients to receive the correct care and treatment. I am usually rewarded with patient appreciation either through a personal thank you or at times a thank you card. That makes my job worthwhile.'
Profiles
Jason Tagg
BSc Diagnostic Radiography, third year
Hannah Ludbrook
BSc Diagnostic Radiography, 2010 graduate speaking in 2009
 DIAGNOSTIC RADIOGRAPHY.jpg)
Trudi Brook
BSc (Honours) Diagnostic Radiography, Final year
Amy Phillips
BSc (Honours) Diagnostic Radiography
X-ray suite
We have a fully equipped x-ray suite located at Robert Winston building which replicates the settings in which you learn and work.
Together in the real world of health and social care
Our health and social care courses place a strong emphasis on interprofessional learning. This means that you train alongside practitioners from other health professions. So, depending on your course you could spend time working alongside
• nurses
• midwives
• operating department practitioners
This gives you a fresh perspective on situations. And it also prepares you for the real world. Collaboration between health professionals is increasing as organisations try to provide a more integrated and effective service. At Sheffield Hallam we understand that by working together we can we give the best possible care.
Staff profiles
Visit the Department of Allied Health Professions website to view profiles of the staff who teach in this subject area.
