Diagnostic Radiography (Pre-Registration)

• 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. Many team members continue to practice clinically on a part time basis ensuring teaching remains current.

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.

Our Skeletal Radiographic Technique Instructional Video was shortlisted as a finalist in the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) 2011 Epigeum Award for the Most Effective Use of Video.

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.

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.

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’ll need to hold a science or health care 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.

Selection process

At the University of Derby we aim to attract and select radiography students on the basis that their individual values and behaviours align with our core values, those of the Chief Nursing Officer’s 6Cs and The NHS Constitution.

We have enhanced our existing processes to ensure that we recruit the right workforce not only with the right skills and in the right numbers, but with the right values to support effective team working and excellent patient care and experience.

A selection day process will explore some other aspects of your personality, and it is a combination of results, and performance overall which will determine whether we offer you a conditional place on our programme.

The selection process is likely to include:

• A presentation by academic staff about the course
• Individual interviews (with members of the admissions team/practice partners and/or experts by experience). Interviews are currently taking place virtually. 

Documents to bring

Evidence of a total of 5 GCSE’s, or equivalent, at grade C or above - this must include English, maths and single science (if not gained at A level, grade B or above, or as a first degree, 2:1 or above)

Evidence of your Degree qualification - certificate and transcript.

International students will be expected to demonstrate their proficiency in English and would normally be expected to have an IELTS score of 6.5, with no less than 6, in all areas, subject to academic discretion. 

If you were born outside of the UK you must have no restrictions on your stay in the UK so would need to provide evidence of Indefinite leave to remain in the UK, a certificate which shows you now have British Citizenship or an official home office document which shows you have refugee status. 

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is required at the point of accepting a place at the University.

An offer of a place on the programme is also subject to passing Health Screening.

2023/24 (August 2023 - July 2024)

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

By studying on this programme, you are eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,250. The loan will support your studies and enable you to start a rewarding career in healthcare.

All new and continuing nursing and allied health students on pre-registration courses will also receive a grant of at least £5,000 per year that is not means-tested and will not have to be repaid. This is provided through the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) and is not managed by the University. Please check with the LSF for residency requirements and eligibility criteria.

If you're eligible, you can get:

• A training grant of £5,000 per academic year
• Parental support of £2,000 if you have at least one dependent child under 15 years or under 17 years if registered with special educational needs 
• Money back for excess travel and temporary accommodation costs while you're on your placement
• £1,000 if studying a shortage specialism

Among others, the shortage specialisms have been confirmed to include:

• Mental health nursing
• Learning disability nursing
• Diagnostic radiography

In addition to this non-repayable grant, you are also able to access a maintenance loan of up to £9,488 per year to support your studies, giving you access to over £17,000 per year of funding. Training grant payments will be paid in three instalments over the academic year. This is to provide you with a consistent flow of funding throughout the academic year as far as possible.

All NHS LSF applications must be submitted within six months of the start of the academic year and you will need confirmation of your Student Finance in order to complete your application. You need to set up an NHS Learning Support Fund online account to apply.

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.

Additional costs and optional extras

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

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.

Contact us

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.

Additional information about your studies

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.

Additional costs and optional extras

We’re committed to providing you with an outstanding learning experience. Our expert teaching, excellent facilities and great employability prepare you for your future career. As part of our commitment to you we aim to keep any additional study costs to a minimum. However, there are occasions where students may incur some additional costs.

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

Included in your fees

• Uniforms
• Markers, name badges and ID holders
• Printing and binding of clinical portfolios 
• DBS Check
• Health Screening and vaccinations 

Mandatory costs not included in your fees

• Suitable footwear for skills sessions and placements approx. £40

Optional costs not included in your fees

• Theatre Shoes approx. £20
• Textbooks to supplement anything available through the library various prices depending on content
• Printing costs of course materials if a hard copy is desired approx. 5p per sheet
• Society & College of Radiographers student membership approx. £48 
• Attendance at conferences such as UKRC or ECR
• Professional HCPC membership required to practice. More details can be found www.hcpc-uk.org

Minimum numbers

Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.

Other courses you might like

• Diagnostic Radiography BSc (Hons)