Radiation Therapy
The radiation therapist requires very specialist skills and the role can be physically and emotionally demanding. The development of your clinical skills requires you to be interested in patient care. You will also need to have a keen interest in the field of science. Working as a radiation therapist will also require you to have good interpersonal and technical skills.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | University of Dublin |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | University of Dublin | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 years full-time
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Minimum Entry Requirements: Irish Leaving Certificate
To be considered for admission to a degree course at the University you must:
Present six subjects, three of which must be at grade 5 or above on higher Leaving Certificate papers or at least grade 5 in the University matriculation examination.
The six subjects above must include:
A pass in English.
A pass in mathematics (or foundation-level mathematics (see note 2)) and a pass in a language other than English
OR
A pass in Latin and a pass in a subject other than a language.
Specific Subjects Required
H4 In one of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics/Chemistry
Students will be required to undergo Garda vetting.
Students will have to undergo a health screening.
Note: All students undertake clinical placements outside Dublin and will incur additional travel and accommodation costs.
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
To qualify for admission to an honours degree course at the University you must:
1 meet the minimum entry requirements (see above).
2 satisfy course specific requirements (where applicable), see above.
3 where there is competition for places, have good enough examination results to be included among those to whom offers are made (see the Leaving Certificate scoring system or Advanced GCE (A Level) scoring system).
Minimum Entry Requirements: Irish Leaving Certificate
To be considered for admission to a degree course at the University applicants must:
› Present six subjects, three of which must be at grade 5 or above on higher Leaving Certificate papers or at least grade 5 in the University matriculation examination.
The six subjects above must include:
› A pass in English.
› A pass in mathematics (or foundation-level mathematics (see note 2)) and a pass in a language other than English OR
› A pass in Latin and a pass in a subject other than a language.
Notes:
1 A pass means grade O6/H7 or above in the Leaving Certificate and grade 7 or above in the University matriculation examination.
2 Mathematics at foundation-level is acceptable for minimum entry requirements only, for all courses except nursing or midwifery courses. Irish at foundation-level is not acceptable for minimum entry requirements, course requirements or for scoring purposes.
3 Students may combine grades achieved in different sittings of their Leaving Certificate/Matriculation examinations for the purpose of satisfying minimum entry and/or course requirements, but not for the purposes of scoring. This is not permitted for Medicine.
4 Combinations of Leaving Certificate subjects not permitted:
› Physics/chemistry may not be presented with physics or chemistry.
› Biology and agricultural science may not be presented as two of the six subjects required for minimum entry requirements, and they may not be presented together to satisfy course specific requirements. However, both may be used for scoring purposes.
› Art and music may not be offered as two of the three higher Leaving Certificate grades for minimum entry requirements, but both may be used for scoring purposes.
Bonus Points for Higher Level Mathematics
All students presenting H6 or above in higher level mathematics will have 25 points added to their score for mathematics. The bonus points will only be relevant where mathematics is scored as one of a student’s six best subjects for points purposes.
An applicant’s six best results from one sitting of the Leaving Certificate will be counted for scoring purposes. Applicants may combine results from the Leaving Certificate and the Trinity matriculation examination of the same year for scoring purposes.
The minimum entry levels (points) for Trinity in recent years are available at: www.tcd.ie/study/apply/admission-requirements/ undergraduate
Age Requirement
Applicants seeking admission in 2025 must have a date of birth before 15 January 2009.
Garda Vetting
Students on courses with clinical or other professional placements may be required to undergo Garda vetting procedures prior to commencing placements. If, as a result of the outcome of the Garda vetting procedures, students are deemed unsuitable to attend clinical or other professional placement, they may be required to withdraw from their course. Students who have resided outside Ireland for a period of 6 months or more will be required to provide police clearance documentation from the country (including different states) or countries in which they resided.
Students who accept an offer will be informed of the procedures to be followed to complete the vetting process (as part of the student orientation information).
Fitness To Practice
Professional courses demand that certain core competencies are met by students in order to graduate and practice professionally after qualification. Trinity has special responsibility to ensure that all students admitted to all professional programmes will be eligible for registration by the relevant professional body upon graduation. It is important to us that our students are able to fulfil the rigorous demands of professional courses and are fit to practice.
Health Screening
Offers of admission to the following courses are made subject to certain vaccination requirements and/or certain negative test results:
› Clinical Speech and Language Studies
› Orthodontic Therapy, Dental Science, Dental Hygiene, Dental Nursing, and Dental Technology
› Medicine › Nursing and Midwifery
› Occupational Therapy
› Pharmacy
› Physiotherapy
› Radiation Therapy
› Social Studies (Social work)
Full details are available at: www.tcd.ie/study/apply/admissionrequirements/ undergraduate
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
These modules are accepted for scoring purposes only and are awarded the following points: Distinction 66, Merit 46, Pass 28.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
There is an entry route to a number of degree programmes in Trinity for applicants presenting appropriate QQI/FET Level 5 or 6 Major Awards. Applicants presenting distinctions in five modules can be considered for admission.
Full information on courses with QQI entry routes, requirements etc., can be found at the link below.
Careers / Further progression
Graduate skills and career opportunities
As a graduate radiation therapist you will be the main point of contact for the cancer patient during the course of their radiation therapy treatment and you will be involved in many aspects of their care during this time. As radiation therapy is expanding in Ireland and internationally, so too is the opportunity for career development, making this an exciting time to be entering the profession. Graduates from this programme work in radiation therapy departments in Ireland; UK; Australia; New Zealand; Qatar; and Saudi Arabia, to name but a few. The broad scientific and clinical content of this degree, in combination with the graduate attributes of competent reflective practitioners; lifelong learners; critical thinkers and problem solvers has facilitated graduates to work nationally and internationally in research and development, medical industry technology and marketing and academia.
Further information
Mature Students
All undergraduate courses in Trinity are open to mature applicants. Mature student applicants are not required to satisfy the normal minimum entry requirements and are not required to meet competitive academic entry levels (such as Leaving Certificate points), but are considered in the first instance on the basis of how relevant their life, work and educational experiences are to the course(s) that they wish to pursue. In addition, all applicants should demonstrate an interest in and knowledge of their course choice(s).
In order to apply to Trinity as a mature applicant you must:
› be an EU applicant (see page 216 TCD Undergraduate Prospectus 2025)
› be at least 23 years of age on 1 January 2025
› submit a CAO application form to the Central Applications Office (CAO) by 1 February 2025
Late applications will not be considered from mature students.
CAO applications may be made online at: www.cao.ie
Further information about applying through the CAO as a mature student can be found www.
For information on Alternative Entry Routes go to: https://www.tcd.ie/study/apply/alternative-paths-to-trinity/
Places 2024: 30
Entry 2025
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2025 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2025 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2025 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2025 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2025 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2025 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2025. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2025, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2025 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2025 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2025 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
What is Radiation Therapy?
Radiation therapy uses targeted high energy X-rays to treat patients with cancer and is one of the main treatments for cancer. This course qualifies you to work as a radiation therapist – the healthcare professional who, together with the other multidisciplinary team members, is responsible for the preparation and delivery of a course of radiation therapy. This degree provides you with the required scientific understanding and the critical clinical and research skills to adapt to the ever-changing medical environment.
Do you enjoy:
Caring for people?
Working in a team?
Using technology to change lives?
Radiation Therapy: The course for you?
The radiation therapist requires very specialist skills and the role can be physically and emotionally demanding. The development of your clinical skills requires you to be interested in patient care. You will also need to have a keen interest in the field of science. Working as a radiation therapist will also require you to have good interpersonal and technical skills.
Your degree and what you’ll study
This four-year honours degree gives you a broad academic base on which to develop the clinical skills of radiation therapy. You will be able to analyse, evaluate and make clinical decisions and to initiate, participate in and encourage research in oncology and radiation therapy. There are both theoretical and clinical components to this degree. The contact hours are high in this course and the subjects are taught through lectures, laboratory-based practical sessions, workshops, tutorials and clinical placement in the hospital setting.
A significant clinical component is integral to this course. Part of the clinical placement takes place during the vacation periods and clinical placement consists of 35 hours per week. Students are placed in radiation therapy departments across the country.
First and second years
In the first and second years, the course covers the basic sciences. You will also study the structure and function of the human body and will be introduced to topics that relate to cancer and patient care. There are approximately 20-30 hours per week in class in these years. The clinical practice component (clinical placement) will introduce you to radiation therapy and will develop your understanding of the complexities of the cancer patient pathway. The content covered in first and second year includes: From Molecule to Cell; Chemistry for Life Sciences; Physics; Principles and Practices of Cancer Care; Psychology and Communication; Clinical Practice (four weeks in the first year and five weeks in the second year); Biochemistry; Physiology; and Research and Statistics.
Third and fourth years
In these years, you will study more specialist subjects that are specifically related to cancer and patient care, and complete a research project in this area. The content covered in these years include: Principles and Practices of Cancer Care; Physics; Radiobiology; Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning; Treatment Localisation and Verification; Research and Statistics; Radiation Therapy in Practice and Clinical Practice (approximately 13 weeks in the third year and 15 weeks in the fourth year); and completion of a Capstone Research Project.
This programme uses a variety of assessment methods, including written end-of-year examinations, continuous assessment, individual and group project work, oral examinations, reflective journals and workbooks. A clinical portfolio and research dissertation are substantial components of the assessment processes in your final year.
Study abroad
Students have the option to undertake a clinical placement in a European radiation therapy department in the summer vacation of the third year. Further information on student exchanges can be found at: www.tcd.ie/ study/study-abroad/outbound/options
Telephone Number
+353 (0)1 8963234
Email
tcdrt@tcd.ie
Information days are held during the year for students interested in finding out more about radiation therapy. For details, please contact Daléne Dougall E: tcdrt@tcd.ie
Website
www.tcd.ie/medicine/radiation-therapy/