Graduate Diploma in Applied Science (Medical Physics) - Queensland University of Technology

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Entry Requirements
Applicants must possess an acceptable tertiary course with a major in physics. Applicants with other qualifications (eg engineering) may enrol with the approval of the Head of the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences. In some instances, a modified program may be necessary.

Course Design
This degree comprises assessed coursework such as advanced lectures, seminars, reading courses or independent study. If undertaken full-time, students will need an average of 14 hours a week of formal contact.

Students who have completed the Graduate Diploma may enter Stage 2 of the Master of Applied Science - PH80 where they undertake a program of supervised research and investigation that can be completed at QUT, or in a suitable external institution.

Professional Recognition
The course has been accredited by the Australasian College of Physical Sciences and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM) and graduates of the course will receive exemptions for the academic requirements of the ACPSEM Training, Education and Accreditation Program (TEAP) for Medical Physicists. Full exemption will be granted for the Master of Applied Science and coursework component exemption will be granted for the Graduate Diploma. The TEAP is a 5 year registrar training program leading to accreditation as a Medical Physicist.

Overview
The Graduate Diploma/Master of Applied Science (Medical Physics) deals with well-established and emerging areas of medical and health physics and includes the following topics: clinical measurement, computing, health physics, instrumentation, medical electronics, medical imaging, physiological monitoring, physics of radiotherapy, radiobiology, radiological imaging sciences.

The coursework also contains an introduction to the clinical sciences. From this, prospective medical physicists learn to appreciate the clinical nature of medical situations and how to communicate better with other clinical staff.

Graduates can seek employment in hospitals, health departments, mining companies, tertiary institutions and medical instrumentation companies. Depending on the field of employment, graduates may be known as a medical physicist, health physicist or bio-engineer. Duties as a professional medical physicist include:

- applying electronics, ultrasonics, radiation and computers to clinical and environmental problems
- monitoring the environment to maintain acceptable standards in the workplace and the community
- applying fundamental physical research in development programs
- responsibility for calibration, care and maintenance of instruments and apparatus.

Course Structure