Program Overview

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Doctor of Medical Physics

About

The Doctor of Medical Physics (DMP) Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a four-year professional degree program in therapeutic medical physics that provides a direct path to certification and gainful employment in clinical medical physics. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP).

Mission

The mission of the DMP Program is to provide a high-quality graduate education experience for students in therapeutic medical physics. The educational experience comprises rigorous classroom instruction aided by computer and multi-media instruction, practical laboratory experiences, and clinical instruction. Program graduates will be capable of critical thinking and problem solving, devoted to a lifetime of learning, committed to the ethical standards of their profession, and highly sought after by employers.

Available Options

• Post-Bachelor’s Track
• Post Master’s Track

Accreditation

The DMP Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP). For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please visit the Academic Program Accreditations page.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

1. Discuss the fundamental principles associated with the clinical use of ionizing and non-ionizing radiations.
2. Recognize basic sectional anatomy and common pathologies in medical imaging modalities including CT, MRI, ultrasound, and PET.
3. Explain the operation of radiation producing and detecting devices commonly used in therapeutic applications.
4. Apply basic computational principles associated with therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
5. Demonstrate the wide ranging clinical duties of a therapeutic medical physicist through required clinical experiences.
6. Participate in research experiences in medical physics-related projects.
7. Critically evaluate research and scholarship in medical physics.
8. Demonstrate a sound understanding of medical physics ethics by rendering appropriate clinical care to patients in a professional manner.
9. Effectively communicate technical information in oral and written forms.
10. Pursue a lifetime of self-directed learning and professional development.

Career Possibilities

Requirements

Admission Requirements

1. Overall GPA of 3.0/4.0 (B average) in undergraduate work. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 but not less than 2.75 may be admitted as provisional students.
2. Bachelor's Degree in Physics, Applied Physics, Physical Science, or Engineering (with an equivalent of a minor in physics) from an accredited college or university.
3. Applicants with a master's degree from an accredited medical physics program who meet the entrance requirements may be considered for admission to the program. In addition, these applicants must have taken the American Board of Radiology (ABR) part 1 exam as a condition for admission to the program. These students will be required to take an additional 20 credits of electives (determined by the Health Physics Graduate faculty).
4. A score ranking in the 50th percentile or higher on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
5. Three letters of recommendation from former instructors or employers that speak to the applicant's potential as a graduate student.
6. A statement of approximately 300 words indicating the student's professional goals and reason for seeking graduate education.
7. Satisfy the requirements of the UNLV Graduate English Proficiency Requirements.
8. All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

Plan Requirements

• See Subplan Requirements below.

Subplan 1 Requirements: Post-Bachelor's

Total Credits Required: 80

Course Requirements

Fall Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 10

• HPS 676 - Sectional Anatomy
• HPS 701 - Applied Nuclear Physics
• HPS 730 - Advanced Radiation Biology
• HPS 611 - Health Physics Seminar

Spring Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 9

• HPS 703 - Radiation Interactions and Transport
• HPS 602 - Radiation Detection
• HPS 603 - Radiation Physics and Instrumentation Laboratory

Summer Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 6

• HPS 790 - Radiation Oncology Physics Clinical Internship

Fall Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 7

• HPS 720 - Radiation Dosimetry
• HPS 742 - Radiation Therapy Physics
• HPS 611 - Health Physics Seminar

Spring Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 8

• HPS 740 - Medical Imaging Physics
• HPS 742L - Therapy Physics Clinical Rotation and Lab
• HPS 611 - Health Physics Seminar
• HPS 792 - Ethics for Medical Physicists

Summer Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6

• HPS 770 - Radiation Therapy Physics: External Beam

Fall Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 6

• HPS 771 - Dosimetric Aspects of Radiation Therapy I

Spring Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 6

• HPS 772R - Radiation Therapy Physics: Brachytherapy
• HPS 773 - Radiation Protection, Radiation Safety and Quality Assurance

Summer Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 6

• HPS 774 - Dosimetric Aspects of Radiation Therapy II

Fall Semester 4th Year Courses - Credits: 8

• HPS 775 - Clinical Medical Physics I
• HPS 777 - Clinical Physics Research

Spring Semester 4th Year Courses - Credits: 8

• HPS 776 - Clinical Medical Physics II: Special Procedures
• HPS 777 - Clinical Physics Research

Degree Requirements

1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 or above each semester enrolled.
2. Receive a grade of B (3.0) or above (or satisfactory, where applicable) in all courses. If less than a B (or unsatisfactory) is earned, the course may be repeated. The student must be in good standing to repeat a course, and any course may be repeated only once.
3. Complete a minimum of six credits in each calendar year.
4. Students entering the program with a B.S. degree have the option of leaving the program with a master's degree after successful completion of all non-clinical coursework. These students are required to take an additional credits of professional paper (HPS 796) of thesis (HPS 797) in order to satisfy the research component of the master's degree.
5. A minimum of 80 credits is required for graduation from the DMP program (60 credits for students admitted with a master's degree).

Subplan 2 Requirements: Post-Master's

Total Credits Required: 60

Course Requirements

Fall Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 10

10 Credits of Advisor Approved Electives.

Spring Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 10

10 Credits of Advisor Approved Electives.

Summer Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 6

• HPS 770 - Radiation Therapy Physics: External Beam

Fall Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6

• HPS 771 - Dosimetric Aspects of Radiation Therapy I

Spring Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6

• HPS 772R - Radiation Therapy Physics: Brachytherapy
• HPS 773 - Radiation Protection, Radiation Safety and Quality Assurance

Summer Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6

• HPS 774 - Dosimetric Aspects of Radiation Therapy II

Fall Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 8

• HPS 775 - Clinical Medical Physics I
• HPS 777 - Clinical Physics Research

Spring Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 8

• HPS 776 - Clinical Medical Physics II: Special Procedures
• HPS 777 - Clinical Physics Research

Degree Requirements

1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 or above each semester enrolled.
2. Receive a grade of B (3.0) or above (or satisfactory, where applicable) in all courses. If less than a B (or unsatisfactory) is earned, the course may be repeated. The student must be in good standing to repeat a course, and any course may be repeated only once.
3. Complete a minimum of six credits in each calendar year.
4. A minimum of 80 credits is required for graduation from the DMP program (60 credits for students admitted with a master's degree).

Plan Graduation Requirements

The student must submit and successfully present their final research project by the posted deadline. The presentation must be advertised and is open to the public.

The student must submit their approved, properly formatted research project to the Graduate College, and submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline.

Students may apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing their degree requirements. All required forms must be submitted to the graduate college via the Grad Rebel Gateway.

Documents/Downloads

Doctor of Medical Physics

• Plans of Study: NA
• Syllabi: HPS 676, HPS 701, HPS 730
• Degree Worksheets: NA
• Careers: NA
• Graduate Handbooks: Program Handbook
• Additional Downloads: NA
• Related Links: Program Director, History and Program Statistics, Application Eligibility Flowchart

Post-Bachelor’s Track

• Plans of Study: HPS 676, HPS 701, HPS 730, HPS 611, HPS 703, HPS 602, HPS 603, HPS 790, HPS 720, HPS 742, HPS 611, HPS 740, HPS 742L, HPS 611, HPS 792, HPS 770, HPS 771, HPS 772R, HPS 773, HPS 774, HPS 775, HPS 777, HPS 776, HPS 777
• Syllabi: NA
• Degree Worksheets: NA
• Careers: NA
• Graduate Handbooks: NA
• Additional Downloads: NA
• Related Links: NA

Post Master’s Track

• Plans of Study: HPS 770, HPS 771, HPS 772R, HPS 773, HPS 774, HPS 775, HPS 777, HPS 776, HPS 777
• Syllabi: NA
• Degree Worksheets: NA
• Careers: NA
• Graduate Handbooks: NA
• Additional Downloads: NA
• Related Links: NA

Contacts

Graduate Coordinator

• Steen Madsen, Ph.D.
• Professor and Chair
• Email: steen.madsen@unlv.edu
• Phone: 702-895-1545

Department of Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences

• Website: www.unlv.edu/health-physics
• Email: health.physics@unlv.edu
• Phone: 702-895-1545

School of Integrated Health Sciences

• Website: www.unlv.edu/integrated-health-sciences
• Email: integrated.health.sciences@unlv.edu
• Phone: 702-895-1545