Course details
Study options
Full-time: 2 years
UK fee
9,250 per year (2024/25)
International fee
14,900 per year (2024/25)
Location
Kedleston Road, Derby Campus
- This is one of a very small number of MSc Pre-Registration courses in Diagnostic Radiography in the UK, and currently the only one in the region
- Study a course approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), meaning you'll be eligible to apply for registration as a Diagnostic Radiographer as soon as you graduate, as long as you meet the HCPC’s requirements.
- Develop as a competent, reflective practitioner who is capable of working both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Enhance your critical thinking, enquiry and research skills using state-of-the-art facilities, including our Clinical Skills Suite which contains a purpose-built Diagnostic imaging suite to match the equipment you'll use in your career
- Engage with an enthusiastic, experienced teaching team who use a variety of learning approaches to help you develop your professional and academic skills
- Explore your passion in a variety of work placement opportunities including large teaching hospitals which offer a wide range of imaging modalities, to smaller community hospitals offering more locally based care
- Enhance your employability and career prospects, building on the skill and knowledge of your undergraduate degree
- Join the programme with a science or health care related degree at 2:1 or above (other entry requirements apply)
This course provides you with all the knowledge and practical experience you’ll need to become a qualified Diagnostic Radiographer. In addition to developing the necessary technical and professional skills required for safe and effective clinical practice, you will develop a deep and critical understanding of the profession, vital for shaping the future of radiography.
This course is an accelerated programme of study, delivered over two full calendar years (September - September). Due to the accelerated nature of the course, you will spend the majority of the summer period in clinical placement, developing the required practical skills.
Experienced teaching team
Diagnostic Radiographers work with other health care professionals to help diagnose and treat patients using methods such as x-rays, CT and ultrasound. The teaching team are qualified health care professionals, having worked in clinical or community settings.
Professional placements
During your studies you will have the opportunity to spend time on clinical placement, allowing you to further develop your skillset as a health care professional. You will be able to work in a variety of placements from large teaching hospitals to community hospital departments. You will benefit from the wide range of experience this brings such as understanding how different imaging departments work, the types of work undertaken when in practice and the variations in imaging equipment provision. This experience, combined with your academic study, will equip you with all the qualities an employer is looking for in today’s health care professional. Placement hours are subject to change.
State-of-the-art facilities
You'll make use of technology both at the university and on clinical placement so some general computer awareness would be an advantage.
We have invested in exceptional learning facilities to give you the best possible preparation for practice. In our purpose built Diagnostic Imaging Suite you'll become familiar with the up-to-the-minute technology used by radiographers. With the help of £250,000 funding from the Health Education East Midlands, the suite has been upgraded to feature the very latest in x-ray, diagnostic radiography and ultrasound. You will also have access to a theatre image intensifier and a mobile x-ray machine. You can take a virtual tour of our Diagnostic Imaging Suite.
An exciting addition is our state-of-the-art Immersive Interactive Simulation Suite which offers a simulated environment where you can practise your skills in a safe but realistic setting. The first university facility of its kind outside London, the suite replicates the atmosphere, sights and sounds of, for instance, a busy A&E ward so you can gain a greater understanding of clinical decision-making in action.
During the second year of your studies, you will undertake an Independent Scholarship module. This will provide you with the opportunity to study an aspect of Diagnostic Radiography in more depth and further develop your critical thinking, independent enquiry and research skills.
You will study modules such as:
Stage one
- Research Skills for Practice
- Principles of Professional Practice
- Clinical Practice for Radiography 1
- Imaging Practice 1
- Imaging Practice 2
Stage two
- Scientific Project for Imaging Practice
- Clinical Practice for Radiography 2
- Imaging Practice 3
- The Graduate Practitioner
In addition to these modules, you will engage in a Professional Development Programme that will run throughout the two years. Core modular content is delivered within an inter-professional context, providing you with the opportunity to learn with, and from, other Pre-Registration and graduate entry Health and Social care students within the academic setting. You will also complete a professional development portfolio; this will allow you to evidence that you have the knowledge, skills and attributes required for clinical practice as a Diagnostic Radiographer, and put you in a great position to continue your lifelong learning journey.
Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.
You will learn through group activities, lectures, practical work, seminars and simulation. To help you prepare for placement you’ll have access to online recordings of radiographic technique projections, which helps you develop your skills in positioning a patient for an X-ray.
Have a look at the specialist facilities you’ll use throughout the course.
Work placements
Clinical placements are an integral part of your studies. Placements are organised in blocks throughout the duration of your studies, with a significant amount of your experience being gained during the summer months towards the end of each year of study. Placement hours are subject to change.
Who will teach you
Placement FAQ's
How much time will I spend on placement?
Approximately 50% of your time will be spent on placement. You will attend placement in blocks throughout the duration of your studies. Due to the accelerated nature of the programme, you will have only three weeks of annual leave over the summer period (two weeks in June and one week at the end of August); this means that you will gain a significant amount of your placement experience during the summer months to support the development of your practical skills.
Where will my clinical placement be located?
You will be allocated to a placement, with the majority of these being in the East Midlands. You will also spend time in smaller hospitals too, to gain experience of imaging and patient care in smaller, non-acute settings.
What time does placement start and finish?
During your time on placement, you will work a range of shifts. In addition to daytime shifts, you will work evening shifts. This can mean working until midnight in some placement hospitals. You will also undertake some night shifts and weekend work during the course in preparation for professional practice.
Will I get any help towards travel expenses for placement?
You may be entitled to a maintenance loan for living costs from Student Finance. This would include costs incurred for travel and/or accommodation for placement.
How you'll be assessed
Many of your assessments are focused on real world scenarios to help you develop skills that you can take into your career. You’ll be assessed on placement by the Radiographers you work with and you’ll gain experience in presenting to an audience through presentations and posters.
You will need to hold a science or healthcare-related degree at 2:1 or above. If your degree is over five years old, then we would normally expect evidence of successful study at level 6 or above in the past two years.
You must also have five GSCE passes at grade C or above, including maths and English language. If your first degree is not in a pure science (biology, chemistry or physics), or you do not have a pure science A level at grade B or above, then you must have at least one pure science at GCSE, grade C or above.
You must also have undertaken some recent work experience in a Radiography department.
We will also consider all information included in your application and from your interview. We'll also want to see that you are enthusiastic and motivated to undertake this course and train to be a Radiographer.
Interview information
General entry requirements
When you apply for this course you should make sure that you consider the following areas in your application:
- Give evidence that you meet the academic entry criteria above, or are expected to
- Show that you've completed your degree within the last five years; if not, evidence of level 6 study or above in the last two years is required.
- Provide examples of using your communication skills with the public
- Demonstrate how you've gained insight into caring for others
- Give examples of working as part of a team
- Demonstrate you can write clearly and concisely, showing a good level of spelling and punctuation
- Provide a reference
- Demonstrate that you are capable of managing the academic demands of Master’s level study
2024/25 (August 2024 - July 2025)
| Type | Full-time | Part-time |
|---|
| UK | 9,250 per year | N/A |
| International | 14,900 per year | N/A |
Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.
* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable
Additional fee information
Please note at postgraduate level, you'll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the respective awards. If you have any questions please contact us.
| Award |
Credits |
| Postgraduate Certificate |
60 Credits |
| Postgraduate Diploma |
120 Credits |
| MSc |
180 Credits |
Further details on available funding is yet to be confirmed for the academic year of 2024-25. Please check back at a later date for more information.
2025/26 (August 2025 - July 2026)
| Type | Full-time | Part-time |
|---|
| UK | 9,250 per year | N/A |
| International | 16,900 per year | N/A |
Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.
* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable
About postgraduate awards
Please note at postgraduate level, you’ll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the respective awards. If you have any questions please contact us.
| Award | Credits |
|---|
| Postgraduate Certificate | 60 Credits |
| Postgraduate Diploma | 120 Credits |
| MA or MSc | 180 Credits |
This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MA or MSc. If you are studying part time you will normally complete your studies over two or three years, depending on the course structure.
Funding your studies
Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.
Find out about funding your studiesFind out about funding your studies
Alumni discount for Derby graduates
We offer a discount on postgraduate course fees for all Derby alumni.
Find out about the Alumni discountFind out about the Alumni discount
How to apply
Please look at our before you apply.
This course has now closed for September 2024 entry. Applications can be made for September 2025 entry.
When you graduate you will be able to apply for registration with the UK Health and Care Professions Council as a Diagnostic Radiographer and work in the rapidly expanding field of medical imaging, as long as you meet the HCPC’s requirements.
The employment prospects for our Diagnostic Radiography students are excellent. In 2016, the majority of graduates from our BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography gained employment as Radiographers, with many being offered jobs by their placement hospital.
Once you have successfully completed your studies and worked as a Radiographer, the skills you have learnt on this course will put you in a great position to develop your career further in areas such as advanced practice, leadership and research. The University of Derby offer a range of CPD opportunities and Master’s level modules to support your career development.
If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.
Contact us Contact us Download programme specification
Teaching hours
Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.
Minimum numbers
Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.
Other courses you might like
-(1)-(1).jpg)
-(1).jpg)
-(1).jpg)
.jpg)