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.

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.

We have invested in exceptional learning facilities to give you the best possible preparation for practice. In our purpose built Diagnostic Imaging Suite you'll become familiar with the up-to-the-minute technology used by radiographers. With the help of £250,000 funding from the Health Education East Midlands, the suite has been upgraded to feature the very latest in x-ray, diagnostic radiography and ultrasound. You will also have access to a theatre image intensifier and a mobile x-ray machine. You can take a virtual tour of our Diagnostic Imaging Suite.

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 study and make up roughly 50% of this programme. You will be allocated to a placement with the majority of these being in the East Midlands. Find out more about placements and what they involve with our placements information page.

Who will teach you

• Carol Earley
• Claire Richards
• David Stuart
• Ian Entwistle
• Jane Gooch
• Jenny Corden-Jolly
• Julie De Witt
• Kirsty Podgorzec
• Megan Bunford
• Veena Patel

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.

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.

You will need to hold a science or healthcare-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.

If English is not your first language, you must have an IELTS score of 7 (with at least 7.0 in each skills area).

An Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service certificate cleared by the University is required for this course. We will contact you with information on how to complete this once you have applied.

An Occupational Health Assessment and Clearance by the University is required for this course. We will contact you with information on how to complete this when required.

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

2025/26 (August 2025 - July 2026)

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 costs and optional extras

2026/27 (August 2026 - July 2027)

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 costs and optional extras

About postgraduate awards

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.

This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MA or MSc. If you are studying part time you will normally complete your studies over two or three years, depending on the course structure.

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

Additional information about your studies

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.

Minimum numbers

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