University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Nov 24, 2024

2015-2016 Graduate Catalog

2015-2016 Graduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.

Health Physics & Diagnostic Sciences

Many industries, medical facilities, and research laboratories demand professionals who understand the safe and effective use of radiation and radioactive materials. Health physics is the study of radiation protection, and the safe use of radioactive materials. Our M.S. program provides students with instruction and research opportunities focused in two career paths: Medical Physics, the effective use of radiation for medical imaging and therapy, and Environmental Health Physics, radiation protection, the industrial applications of radiation and radioactive materials, and the behavior and evaluation of radiation in the environment. The Department of Health Physics faculty members look forward to working with prospective students in this challenging program of study.

Health physics is the profession dedicated to the protection of the individual, the population, and the environment from the potentially harmful effects of radiation while allowing society to benefit from all the beneficial applications of radiation and radioactive materials in the modern world. It incorporates the principles and technical skills from many disciplines including: physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, mathematics, and ecology.. The wide spectrums of knowledge required of the health physicist make this profession both challenging and rewarding. The Master of Science (M.S.) in Health Physics is designed to prepare students in the fields of health physics and medical physics to administer public and private radiation health programs; investigate medical uses of radioactivity; measure and control radiation in the workplace and the environment; ensure compliance with radiation protection regulations; assist in the cleanup of radioactive and hazardous waste sites; evaluate worker, patient, and public radiation doses; and conduct research in radiation protection, medical imaging, and radiation therapy.

The Master of Science in Health Physics is divided into two sub-plans: Environmental Health Physics and Medical Physics. The Environmental Health Physics sub-plan is accredited by the Applied Science Accreditation Commission of ABET (http://abet.org). The Medical Physics sub-plan is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP).