Radiography Programme Programme description

The Bachelor's Degree Programme in Radiography is a three-year programme of professional study (180 credits). Students who complete the programme are awarded the degree of Bachelor in Radiography, which forms the basis for authorisation as a radiographer in accordance with the Act relating to Health Personnel etc.

The programme description has been drawn up on the basis of the National Regulations relating to a Common Curriculum for Health and Social Care Education and the Regulations on national guidelines for radiography education adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research. The programme was established under the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges and the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

According to Section 2 of the Regulations on national guidelines for radiography education, the purpose of the radiography education is to educate responsible, reflected and professionally competent radiographers who can practise radiography independently and in cooperation with others. The education should be evidence-based, profession-oriented and practice-based and in line with social, scientific and technological developments.

A radiographer uses high-tech medical imaging equipment for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Another important function of radiographers is to assess quality, ensure radiation protection and patient safety, and work to optimise procedures.

Radiography contains elements from several fields, and the combination of these elements makes up the core of the discipline. Radiographers’ expertise in the fields of health technology, basic biological sciences and care subjects enables them to ensure high-quality diagnostic imaging examinations and treatment. The programme is also intended to impart knowledge, skills and attitudes that form a basis for equitable provision of services for all groups in society.

Radiographers come into contact with people with different diseases, injuries and levels of functioning from different social and cultural backgrounds. Radiographers have a duty to safeguard everyone's right to equitable services.

The radiography programme at OsloMet has a particular focus on computed tomography (CT), with a major course are offered in the second semester. In addition, an international specialisation course in CT is offered in the final semester. The programme also includes a separate course in Paediatric X-ray, where the radiographer plays a key role in the investigation of child abuse.

Relevance to working life

Radiographers work with people of all ages in public and private institutions, for example diagnostic imaging departments at hospitals, private medical imaging centres or radiotherapy departments. Radiographers also work in industry, with medical technology equipment suppliers, the pharmaceutical industry, and at universities and university colleges.

Relevance to further education

A bachelor's degree in radiography qualifies students for admission to several different further education and master’s degree programmes, both at OsloMet and at other institutions in Norway and abroad.

The target group is everyone who wants to take a bachelor's degree in radiography and who are interested in health technology, people and research, both for professional practice as a radiographer and as a starting point for further studies.

The admission requirements are the Higher Education Entrance Qualification or an assessment of prior learning and work experience.

Applicants must submit a transcript of police records in connection with admission to the programme, cf. the Regulations concerning Admission to Higher Education.

The use of clothing that covers the face is incompatible with taking the programme's theoretical and practical training courses. During the practical training, the students must comply with the clothing regulations in force at all times at the relevant practical training establishment.

Requirements for admission based on prior learning and work experience

• The applicant must be over 25 years of age
• The applicant can not have general study competence
• The applicant must document a minimum of five year full-time professional experience within the health or social sector or equivalent, where the applicant has worked with patients, students or clients.
• Course requirements
  • Norwegian 393 hours
  • English 140 hours
  • Mathematics 224 hours

After completing the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Radiography, the candidate should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The candidate

• is familiar with radiography’s history, development, distinctive nature and place in society
• has broad knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology, biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, physics and health technology
• has broad digital competence, including on medical image and information systems, information transfer, image storage and teleradiology
• has broad knowledge of imaging and safety in conventional radiography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• has basic knowledge of other fields such as radiation therapy, nuclear medicine/PET (positron emission tomography), interventional radiography and mammography, as well as imaging, safety and treatment methods
• has broad knowledge of radiation and radiation protection in relation to human beings and the environment
• has knowledge of health and social issues in the population
• has knowledge of relevant ethical theories and professional ethics guidelines for radiographers
• has knowledge of communication and guidance theories and methods, and can understand their importance to communication and to building relations
• has knowledge of philosophy of science, evidence-based practice as a method, the research process and research ethics
• has knowledge of the health and welfare system and equitable health services in a public health perspective
• has knowledge of applicable legislation, regulations and guides in their practice, both national and international

Skills

The candidate can

• apply knowledge of physics, machines and image processing techniques to optimise diagnostic imaging examinations and contribute actively to quality control
• apply adapted communication, patient care and risk assessments for individual patients, next of kin and members of staff
• initiate necessary emergency medical interventions such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• apply evidence-based practice
• find, critically assess and refer to information, scientific literature and ethical issues, and present it in a way that sheds light on radiography issues
• engage in interdisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation and identify needs for cross-sector cooperation across enterprises and levels

General competence

The candidate

• can plan, carry out and assess diagnostic imaging procedures based on the referral, justification and the patient's clinical condition, independently and through interdisciplinary cooperation
• can identify and discuss radiography issues and thus contribute to developing the quality of practice
• has insight into factors that contribute to good public health in relation to individuals and groups in society
• has insight into how medical technology equipment used in diagnostic imaging and treatment is constructed and functions, and takes responsibility for safe use of radiation and optimisation
• can reflect on his/her own professional role in relation to society's needs and participate actively in public debate of relevance to the field, and communicate important academic subject matter orally and in writing
• has insight into the history and practice of the profession, both nationally and internationally

The work and teaching methods used in the programme are intended to facilitate the integration of knowledge, skills and general competence and have considerable transfer value to professional practice. Health and natural science theory is placed in a radiography context and related to the profession right from the start of the programme.

Teaching activities are intended to stimulate active learning and engagement. Good learning outcomes are first and foremost dependent on the students’ own efforts. Own effort means both benefiting from teaching and academic supervision and following this up with independent work in the form of theoretical studies and practical skills training. Normal study progress requires students to make great personal efforts in the form of study groups and individual work.

Different types of digital learning resources are used in the programme to stimulate student activity and cooperation. These resources can be used in students’ preparations for teaching activities, as support in cooperation processes and for podcast production and digital storytelling. It is also expected that all students should contribute to creating a good learning environment for their fellow students through active participation in the different work and teaching methods.

More detailed descriptions of the most common work and teaching methods used in the programme are provided below. The individual course descriptions state which work methods each course employs.

Self-study and group work

Learning requires a high degree of own activity and self-study, including both individual work and cooperation with fellow students in groups. Through activities such as exchanging ideas, presentations, discussions, writing assignments and problem-based assignments, students will be stimulated to learn by communicating knowledge and experience, expressing their own opinions and, together, reflecting on their own attitudes, actions and understanding of the field. Active participation in group work gives students an opportunity to develop their cooperation skills as well as their academic understanding and analytical skills.

Lectures

Lectures are used to shed light on main elements, concepts, principles and important issues. Lectures can be held in auditoriums or made available in digital format.

Skills training

Students acquire skills through practical training on each other, simulations or in interaction with users/patients. They develop their professional role through supervision and teaching that promotes reflection on their own professional practice. Skills training can take place in laboratories at OsloMet or at cooperating institutions.

Seminars/workshops

Students are able to engage in relevant topics to deepen their knowledge and develop their skills in academic formulation and reflection. They do this through academic presentations, solving assignments, discussions and assessment of other students’ academic performance.

Flipped classroom

Flipped classroom is used as one of the teaching activities in several of the courses in the programme. This means, for example, that a lecture is substituted with digital learning resources such as video clips or digital lectures. These resources are made available to students in advance and the students prepare by watching the videos before attending a teaching session. This allows more time to be dedicated to problem-solving activities with the course lecturers. The students can use demonstration videos to familiarise themselves with methods and approaches in preparation for skills training.

Written assignments

Assignments are written both individually and in groups. Students work on different forms of written assignments throughout the programme. Through this work, the students learn to see connections, develop more in-depth knowledge and understanding, and develop their specialist terminology. Students are expected to supplement subject matter from teaching activities and the syllabus with research and scholarly articles, reference works and online resources. In some courses, the students will assess each other’s work and provide feedback to each other.

Målgruppe er barnehagelærere i ulike veiledningsfunksjoner med særlig vekt på praksislærerfunksjonen.

Opptakskravet er bachelorgrad innen barnehagelærerutdanning eller tilsvarende pedagogisk utdanning på bachelornivå, jfr. Barnehagelovens bestemmelser §§ 25 og 25. I tillegg kreves minst to års yrkeserfaring fra barnehage etter fullført utdanning. Studentene skal i løpet av studiet gjennomføre oppgaver og arbeidskrav som tar utgangspunkt i kunnskapsdeling og utprøving av ny faglig kunnskap i eget kollegium i barnehagen. Det er derfor et krav at studenten er i arbeid tilknyttet barnehagefeltet under hele studiet. Dette dokumenteres med en bekreftelse fra arbeidsgiver.

Med tilsvarende pedagogisk utdanning på bachelornivå menes følgende utdanninger i kombinasjon med tilleggsutdanning i barnehagepedagogikk (60 studiepoeng):

• grunnskolelærer for trinn 1–7 eller tidligere allmennlærerutdanning
• faglærer (fireårig faglærerutdanning i praktiske og estetiske fag eller treårig faglærerutdanning som gir kompetanse for tilsetting fra 1. klassetrinn)
• spesialpedagog, barnevernspedagog eller kateket
• Steinerhøyskolens bachelorutdanning i førskolepedagogikk eller Steinerhøyskolens lærerutdanning med bachelorgrad i steinerpedagogikk

Veiledet praksisopplæring knyttet til arbeid med barn må inngå som en integrert del av utdanningen.

For lærere er det krav om undervisningskompetanse fra 1. trinn i grunnskolen, eller tilsvarende kompetanse fra utdanning fra utlandet.

Barnehagelærere i barnehager som har samarbeidsavtale om praksisopplæring med Fakultet for lærerutdanning og internasjonale studier ved OsloMet blir prioritert ved opptak.

Se emneplanen.

Different forms of assessment are used in the programme that are adapted to the learning outcomes of the different courses. The forms of assessment used are intended to support learning and document that the students’ competence is adequate in relation to the applicable learning outcomes. The students will receive advice and supervision and have their performance assessed during the programme. It is important and necessary to assess students’ knowledge and skills often, so that the students receive feedback on whether their performance is in line with the programme's requirements and whether they have achieved the learning outcomes.

Exams and practical training are assessed in accordance with the applicable rules set out in the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet and the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet.

The forms of assessment and criteria are described in the individual course descriptions. All exams taken will be stated on the diploma, along with the title of the student's bachelor's thesis.

Assessment/exam

All courses conclude with a final assessment and/or an exam. The student's performance is assessed on the basis of the learning outcomes defined for the course. The grades used are either pass/fail or letter grades on a scale from A to F, with A being the highest grade and E the poorest pass grade. The grade F means that the student has failed the exam.

In some courses, the exam consists of more than one part. The student's performance in each part of the exam is assessed by a separate grade, before a final overall grade is awarded. For courses that use exams consisting of more than one part, the course description will state how the final grade for the course is arrived at on the basis of the separate grades awarded for the different parts of the exam.

Most courses have required coursework that must be approved before the student can take the exam. See the course descriptions for more details.

Resits/rescheduled exams

Resit and rescheduled exams are carried out in the same manner as the ordinary exam unless otherwise specified in the course description. In special cases, resit and rescheduled exams in courses with group exams may be held as individual exams.

For exams where a percentage of the exam papers are selected for assessment by an external examiner, the external examiner's assessment shall benefit all the students. In such cases, one external and one internal examiner will first grade the selected papers. The internal examiner then continues grading the remaining papers together with another internal examiner. The assessments from the first part are summarised to serve as guidelines for the assessments carried out by the two internal examiners.

Grades awarded for written exams can be appealed, cf. Section 5-3 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges.

It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical exams. In a group exam, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidates who have submitted the appeal. This means that all members of the group do not have to participate in the appeal.

Assessment of practical training

The external practical training is assessed as passed or failed. The assessment is based on the learning outcomes for the course and the continuous suitability assessment that students are subject to throughout the practical training period.

To pass the practical training, the student must have met the compulsory attendance requirement. A minimum attendance requirement of 90% applies to practical training courses. The attendance requirement applies both to time spent at the practical training establishment and any teaching activities provided as part of the programme. The following provisions apply as regards absence:

Students with less than 10 % absence can complete the practical training course as normal. Students with between 10–20 % absence can make up for the practical training/teaching activities missed, insofar as it is practically possible. This must be agreed with the practical training supervisor and the contact lecturer at the university. If it is not possible to compensate for the absence, the whole period of practical training must be retaken. This will result in delayed progress in the programme.

External programme supervisor

The study programme has an external programme supervisor in accordance with the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet. The external programme supervisor is charged with evaluating the programme's structure and coherence, including the relationship between the learning outcomes as described in the programme description, the work and teaching methods and assessment arrangements. The external programme supervisor should normally supervise all the courses in the programme over the course of a three-year period and provide feedback and advice that the academic environment can use in its further work on the quality of education.

Suitability

Diplomas for the completed programme will only be awarded to graduates who are suited to practise the profession. A student who represents a potential threat to the physical or mental health, rights and safety of his/her patients and colleagues is not suited for the profession.

Suitability assessments are made on a continuous basis throughout the study programme, and will be included in the overall assessment of the students' professional and personal suitability for work as health personnel. Students who demonstrate little ability to master the radiographer profession must be informed of this at the earliest possible stage of the programme. They will be given supervision and advice on how to improve, or be advised to leave the programme.

Special suitability assessments are used in special cases, cf. the Regulations concerning Suitability Assessment in Higher Education. For more information about suitability assessment, see https://student.oslomet.no/skikkethetsvurdering

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences on 6 November 2019

Most recent amendments adopted by the Vice/dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences on 29 January 2024

The programme description applies to students starting the programme in 2024 Autumn Full-time