Nuclear Medicine Technology
The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Nuclear Medicine Technology (NMT) program is designed to develop competent entry-level nuclear technologists through a variety of didactic, clinical, and laboratory experiences. Upon successful completion, students are eligible to sit for board certification and may pursue stackable post-primary certifications. The curriculum is structured to provide appropriate didactic and lab instruction, as well as ample supervised clinical exposure, to ensure sufficient opportunity to achieve all didactic and clinical requirements.
This program is designed to meet education requirements for licensure or certification in the State of Arizona. Granting licensure and certification is the sole responsibility of the state board or approval agency. This program is only offered and available to students located in the State of Arizona. The Maricopa County Community College District and colleges define student location within Administrative Regulation 2.2.3(7).
Details
Field of Interest
Health Sciences
Degree Type
Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
Academic Plan
Nuclear Medicine Technology (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
3688
Total credits required
110-123
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2022
Admission criteria
1. Formal application and admission to the program.
2. Background Check Requirements: Admission to an Allied Health program requires that students be in compliance with the Maricopa County Community College District Background Check Standards. Upon conditional program enrollment, the student must comply with all requirements of the MCCCD Background Check Policy.
3. Clinical health and safety requirements must be met prior to enrollment in any program of study course. Upon conditional program enrollment, the student must comply with all requirements of the MCCCD Clinical Health and Safety Policy and drug testing protocols.
4. Inability to comply with background check requirements and/or clinical health and safety requirements at the start of classes or during the program may result in cancellation of enrollment.
5. There are limited spaces available in the NMT program. Only students who have completed all the general education and introductory courses noted above may have their name added to the queue of those waiting for an available space in a cohort.
6. As long as all general education and introductory courses have been completed, potential students residing outside of the state of Arizona can seek permission from the Program Director to be placed on the waitlist, granted a position number, and agree to take NUC100 in the semester prior to formal program admission.
Readmission Criteria:
The Program reserves the right to deny acceptance of an admission application if the applicant was dismissed from any program for issues relating to academic integrity and/or unsafe patient care.
Notes
Students must complete the following general education and introductory courses with a 3.0 GPA to be added to the queue of those waiting for an available cohort space to begin the core curriculum: BIO201, BIO202, [(CHM130 and CHM130LL) or CHM130AA or (CHM138 and CHM138LL)], (CRE101 or equivalent as indicated by assessment), (ENG101 or ENG107), (ENG102 or ENG108), (MAT15+ or equivalent course or satisfactory completion of a higher-level algebra mathematics course), NUC100, [PHY101 or (PHY111 and PHY112)].
What You'll Learn
- Apply problem solving, critical thinking and decision making strategies in nuclear medicine.
- Demonstrate ability to provide exemplary communication and patient care to a diverse population.
- Practice in accordance with published standards of radiation protection and regulatory compliance while maintaining the highest professional ethical standards.
- Analyze nuclear medicine images and processes for process quality and take corrective action as appropriate.
- Collaborate with other medical professionals on interdisciplinary teams.
- Utilize professional literature to enhance clinical practice and professional growth.
- Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.
Career Statistics
Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.
Nuclear Medicine Technologists
* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources
Course Sequence by Term
The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:
- Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
- The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
- Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
- Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
- Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.
Full-time Sequence
Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.
Term 1
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO201 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | SG | 4 | ||
| (CHM130 and CHM130LL) or CHM130AA or (CHM138 and CHM138LL) |
(Fundamental Chemistry and Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory) or Fundamental Chemistry with Lab or (Chemistry for Allied Health and Chemistry for Allied Health Laboratory) | SQ in combo w/ CHM130LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM130 or SQ or None | 4 | ||
| ENG101 or ENG107 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC or FYC | 3 | ||
| NUC100 | Introduction to Nuclear Medicine Technology | Critical course Gateway course | 1 | ||
| FYE101 or FYE103 |
Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success | 1–3 |
Term 2
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO202 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | SG | 4 | ||
| ENG102 or ENG108 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | Critical course | FYC or FYC | 3 | |
| PHY101 or (PHY111 and PHY112) |
Introduction to Physics or (General Physics I and General Physics II) | SQ or SQ | 4–8 | ||
| CRE101 | College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking | Or equivalent as indicated by assessment | L | 0–3 |
Term 3
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COM100 or COM110 |
Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication | SB or SB | 3 | ||
| MAT150 or MAT151 or MAT152 or MAT155 or MAT156 |
College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions with Review or College Algebra/Functions with Review | OR Equivalent course or satisfactory completion of a higher-level algebra mathematics course 3-6 | MA or MA or MA or MA or MA | 3–6 | |
| HU | Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design | 3 | |||
| SB | Social-Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
Term 4
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUC101 | Essentials of Nuclear Medicine Technology | 1 | |||
| NUC110 | Introduction to Radiation Physics and Biology for Nuclear Medicine | 3 | |||
| NUC112 | Nuclear Medicine Quality Control Laboratory | Critical course Gateway course | 1 | ||
| NUC113 | Nuclear Medicine Clinical Applications Laboratory | 1 | |||
| NUC114 | Nuclear Medicine Instrumentation | 3 | |||
| NUC116 | Nuclear Medicine Procedures I | 3 | |||
| NUC220 | Sectional Anatomy for Nuclear Medicine | 3 |
Term 5
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUC103 | Nuclear Medicine Image Evaluation I | 1 | |||
| DMI/NUC108 | Structured Diagnostic Medical Imaging Skills Enhancement | Students interested in more cardiac clinical experience may complete with permission of the Nuclear Medicine Program Director. | 0–1 | ||
| NUC126 | Nuclear Medicine Procedures II | Critical course | 3 | ||
| NUC130 | Professionalism and Patient Care | 1 | |||
| NUC212 | Clinical Practicum I | Critical course Gateway course | 1.5 | ||
| NUC223 | Nuclear Medicine Image Evaluation II | 1 | |||
| NUC276 | Nuclear Cardiology | Critical course Gateway course | 3 | ||
| NUC280 | Nuclear Medicine PET Physics and Instrumentation | Critical course Gateway course | 3 |
Summer Semester (Term 6)
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUC222 | Clinical Practicum II | 3 | |||
| NUC233 | Nuclear Medicine Image Evaluation III | 1 | |||
| NUC259 | Fundamentals of Research in Nuclear Medicine | 3 |
Term 7
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUC232 | Clinical Practicum III | 3 | |||
| NUC236 | Nuclear Medicine Procedures III | 3 | |||
| NUC243 | Nuclear Medicine Image Evaluation IV | 1 | |||
| NUC250 | Fundamentals of Computed Tomography and Elements of Magnetic Resonance Imaging | Critical course Gateway course | 3 | ||
| NUC260 | Research Methods and Design | 3 | |||
| NUC272 or NUC283 |
Cardiac Practicum or PET/CT Practicum | Students will be assigned to either NUC272 Cardiac Practicum OR NUC283 PET/CT Practicum. In the following semester students will take the other practicum to complete both requirements. | 1.5 |
Term 8
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUC234 | Nuclear Medicine Department Administration | 3 | |||
| NUC242 | Clinical Practicum IV | 3 | |||
| NUC244 | Nuclear Medicine Radiopharmacy | 3 | |||
| NUC246 | Nuclear Medicine Procedures IV | 3 | |||
| NUC263 | Nuclear Medicine Research Presentation and Publication | 3 | |||
| NUC272 or NUC283 |
Cardiac Practicum or PET/CT Practicum | 1.5 |
Term 9
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUC251 | Computed Tomography and Hybrid Imaging Case Analysis | 3 | |||
| NUC262 | Capstone Practicum | 1 | |||
| NUC290 | Nuclear Medicine Seminar | 3 |
Course Area Key
Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.
Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.
- FYC = First Year Composition
- L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
- MA = Mathematics
- SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
- SG = Natural Sciences General
- SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer
Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.
Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.
View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=171336).
At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.
Previous Catalog Years
The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.
Previous catalog years for Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Nuclear Medicine Technology