Radiography is the controlled use of ionising and other radiations as an adjunct to medicine. This can either be as a treatment for some cancers (radiotherapy) or as an aid to diagnosis (diagnostic radiography). The professional staff practising in these fields are called radiographers; their daily work revolves around the interface of medical technology, medicine and people.

Diagnostic radiography accounts for about 85 per cent of all radiographers and is practised in virtually every hospital in the UK. Therapeutic radiography is centred in large population specialist centres for the treatment of cancer. Radiography in all its aspects is central to the Government’s plans for the future of the NHS and at present there is a national shortage of both types of radiographer.

The University of Portsmouth has offered degrees in both diagnostic and therapeutic radiography since 1989 – in fact we were the first university ever to run a radiography degree programme. Most of our students follow a three-year route, but there is a four-year programme (successful completion of ‘year 0’ allows direct entry to the three-year programmes). This route is mainly intended for those from a non science background. Both courses are delivered on a full-time basis.

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If you would like to visit and see more for yourself, we hold Preview Days throughout the year. Please contact us (details below) for details of these or for further information on these courses.