Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £11,250 for the course
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How long will I study?
2 Years
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
January 2025
Course summary
- Study with qualified radiographers involved in national research.
- Explore the causes, development and management of cancer.
- Learn how to deliver radiotherapy, care and support to people with cancer.
- Develop your communication, research and health promotion skills.
- Understand the impact of cancer and how to meet the diverse needs of people through integrated care.
This challenging and supportive course has been developed in partnership with employers and professional bodies. When you graduate, you’ll be eligible to apply for registration as a Therapeutic Radiographer with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
How you learn
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
You’ll spend a significant time working in a radiotherapy department, while most of your academic study will be completed remotely. We’ll support you through regular live sessions using digital platforms, as well as plenty of contact with tutors, the course leader and academic advisers.
This means you might wish to be located closer to your practice placement than the university – as most of the time you can study from home or anywhere you’d like! This may also help you manage travel and accommodation costs and your home life.
You’ll also study at our Collegiate Campus for short periods of time to gain support and practical experience. This includes your induction to the course, study methods and mandatory training – plus a range of simulated practice workshops to prepare you for placement practice and to consolidate your placement learning.
You learn through
- distance learning using learning packages, live online lectures and seminars
- face-to-face learning, seminars, and simulated practice workshops in short periods of attendance at university
- tutor and self-directed study
- practice-based learning
While specialising in radiotherapy, you’ll have opportunities to learn with, from and about students from other health and social care courses. This will enable you to develop an in-depth understanding of person-centred care and patient journeys.
Course leaders and tutors
Sarah Smith
Senior LecturerSarah is a Senior Lecturer in Radiotherapy and Oncology and Course Leader for the MSc in Radiotherapy and Oncology.
Applied learning
Applied learning means that when you do start work, you can dive in and make things happen.
Work placements
You'll gain real-world skills through simulated practice workshops and practice placements in a radiotherapy department. These learning experiences are designed to help you apply theory to practice – while developing critical and ethical approaches to help you become life-long, competent professionals.
You’ll undertake a range of practice learning experiences, helping you to build your skills, confidence, creativity, resilience, integrity and curiosity. These will take place in different practice learning environments, reflecting the range of ways services are currently delivered.
Live projects
You’ll develop key research skills and undertake projects to evaluate and develop health services.
Networking opportunities
You'll be taught by professionals who are active in their field of practice and research, giving you cutting-edge, practice-specific knowledge. In addition to the course's in-house expertise, we invite guest lecturers who are leaders in their field. You’ll also hear from patients who share their experiences of treatment and care.
Future careers
You’ll be an autonomous reflective practitioner who’s fit for employment in a wide range of health, social care, and voluntary and independent sector environments.
By the end of the course, you’ll have demonstrated the requirements that confer eligibility to apply to register as a professional Therapeutic Radiographer with the Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) – qualified to work in radiotherapy departments throughout the UK and overseas.
Previous graduates have gone on to work in specialist areas including
- radiotherapy treatment, planning and delivery
- patient information, review and support services
- research
- teaching
- management
- quality assurance
- equipment design and sales
Where will I study?
You study this course online from any location
Equipment and facilities
During the course you will work with
- anatomy training equipment
- Virtual Environment Radiotherapy Training (VERT) equipment
- dedicated treatment planning and verification software
- specialist radiotherapy apparatus – e.g. immobilisation and patient positioning devices, linear accelerators and pre-treatment imaging, quality assurance and verification equipment
We’ve invested over £100m in new facilities to help you study how and when you want – with support as a distance learning student via the specialist library services, including access to a wide range of journals and research databases. You’re also welcome to use on-site 24-hour libraries and study spaces designed by our students.
Entry requirements
All students
An honours degree recognised in the UK at 2.2 or above in a related healthcare subject or science including psychology, sociology, biology, health sciences, sport sciences, engineering and humanities.
Or
A professional qualification at degree level including teaching, nursing, social work or an allied health profession.
And
GCSE's in
- Science at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
- Maths at grade C or 4 or equivalents**
- English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents***
- OCR Science level 2
- Science units gained on a level 3 BTEC or OCR National Diploma or Extended Diploma qualification
- Science credits gained on Access to Higher Education Diplomas (at least 12 credits at level 2 or 6 credits gained at level 3)
- Science equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk
- Level 2 Key Skills/ Application of Number/ Grade D at GSCE Maths/ Level 2 Maths credits from an Access course
- Maths equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk
- Level 2 Literacy
- Level 2 Key Skills
*GCSE Science equivalents
**GCSE Math's equivalents
***GCSE English equivalents
IELTS
If English is not your first language you will need an IELTS score of 7.0 overall and a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or a recognised equivalent. If your level of English language is currently below IELTS 6.5 we recommend you consider an appropriate Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve the required level of English. Please note that the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) require IELTS 7.0 with no element below 6.5 for registration
Helping your application succeed
Experience
Experience of interacting with members of the public from a range of backgrounds in different settings is essential when applying to a health or social care course. It is important to be able to understand and explain how your experiences relate to the activities and qualities which are required of Therapeutic Radiographer. The NHS values are key to all our health courses. For further information on the standards required of students in the allied health professions please take a look at the Health and Care professions code of conduct and ethics.
There are many ways you can gain experience - this might be as part of a programme of study or in a paid or voluntary capacity, and doesn't always need to be within a care setting. Interacting with people with different life experiences will help you develop a deeper level of understanding of the diversity of the population who access health and social care. In your personal statement please reflect upon your learning from any of these experiences demonstrating an understanding of the Therapeutic Radiography profession and a genuine, reasoned commitment to studying a radiotherapy and oncology course.
You will be invited to attend an interview if these key elements are included in your personal statement.
Learn more at our health and social care application support sessions
Visiting a Radiotherapy Department
As part of the entry criteria you must attend a visit to a Radiotherapy department. During this visit you are assessed by the clinical staff as to your suitability for the course and the profession. We can assist with arranging a departmental visit to any one of our 9 placement sites. Please download our prospective student visitation guide and contact the admissions tutor Joanna McNamara to arrange. We advise applicants to attend a departmental visit prior to a selection event if they can, as this will assist you during the interview.
Reference
You must provide a reference from a current or recent employer or educational institution with your UCAS application.
The selection event
If you are shortlisted, we will invite you to a selection event, and you should bring a passport or photo driving license with you. You can bring other forms of photo ID for the selection event, but if you do, you will still need to present valid identity documents required by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) at your pre-course day.
View our selection event guidance to ensure you understand the selection process.
Course enrolment - professional requirements
Before enrolling you must fully declare on the forms provided during the admissions process:
- Unfiltered criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings. For further information on unfiltered offences please see the Disclosure and Barring Service website.
- Involvement in disciplinary proceedings during paid or voluntary employment or education establishments
- Involvement with safeguarding proceedings, social services or related organisations
- Enrolment on a health or social work professional course at another University
In addition
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Criminal Record Check
- You must undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal record check prior to or during the enrolment week of your course. This will be provided by the University free of charge.
- If you have lived outside of the UK for more than six consecutive months in the last five years you must provide an overseas criminal record check. Further information on obtaining this check can be found here
- Where your DBS Enhanced Disclosure certificate contains any recorded information you must present this to the Professional Issues Team within ten working days of receipt of the certificate.
Occupational Health Screening
You must undertake occupational health screening to determine your suitability to undertake the course. This will be provided by the University free of charge.
Immunisations
You must undertake a programme of immunisations as required by the Department of Health and meet the immunisation and immunity requirements of placement providers. This will be provided by the University free of charge.
Pre-course Day
After completing the above professional checks, if you reside in the UK you are expected to make every reasonable attempt to attend a Pre-Course Day event to undertake the professional requirements of your course. This is also an opportunity to meet fellow applicant to the health and social care courses who will be starting their studies at the same time as you, some current students and teaching staff.
Other professional suitability information
Your full enrolment on your course will be confirmed when the Professional Issues Team have verified that your Enhanced DBS Disclosure (and overseas criminal record check where relevant) indicates that you are suitable to work with vulnerable groups including children and clearance from your health screening has been received.
If your personal circumstances change in relation to any of the professional requirements, from when you apply to the end of your course, you must tell the Professional Issues team immediately by calling 0114 225 5637 or emailing HWB-Professional-Issues@shu.ac.uk.
Disability support
We strongly recommend that you tell us about any long term health conditions, learning difficulty or disability you may have. This is so we can assess whether we can deliver the course in such a way that you can meet the Health and Care Professions Council standards of proficiency and take part without disadvantage both in University and on placement.
You can contact our disability coordinator for allied health professions on 0114 225 2588 to explore any issues you may have, or you can contact our university disabled student support team on 0114 225 3964 (voice and Minicom).
The Disability Disclosure booklet provides information for students on health and social care courses and will help you understand the importance of disclosing your disability at the earliest possible stage. This is so you can be assessed for the support you may require to succeed on the course.
Open day
Our open days give you an opportunity to come and talk to our teaching staff and current students on the course you are considering. You can explore the campus, view our facilities and ask any questions you may have in a relaxed environment. To book a visit please follow this link: University open days
Additional information for EU/International students
This course is not open to international students who require a Tier 4 (General) student visa to study in the UK. If you are an international applicant but do not require a Tier 4 (General) student visa, email our Admissions Team to find out whether you’re eligible to apply.
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
Important notice: The structure for this course is currently being reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment are all likely to change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Once the changes have been confirmed, updated module information will be published on this page.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Evaluating Research Methodologies
Professional Practice
Ronc Pr Anatomical Image Interpretation & Radiation Science
Ronc Pr Application To Practice
Ronc Pr Cancer Management & Care
Understanding Complexity In Practice
Final year
Compulsory modules
Creating Original Practice
Evaluating Complexity In Practice
Ronc Pr Competence For Practice
Ronc Pr Principles Of Oncology, Radiotherapy And Technology 2
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time study in 2024/25 is £11,250 for the course.If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
Postgraduate student loans
Up to £11,222 available for Home students on most masters courses.
Additional course costs
This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
Additional costs for Radiotherapy and oncology courses (PDF, 206.8KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
