Diagnostic Radiography (pre-registration) MSc

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Course structure

The Diagnostic Radiography MSc full-time degree will be a mix of clinical practice and academic study, and runs for 45 weeks on each of the two years.

Clinical practice modules will be delivered throughout the programme with external clinical educators within NHS and private healthcare services.

This embedded approach allows you to engage in a diverse range of practice-based learning environments and is designed in a block pattern to consolidate recent academic learning.

Placements will account for around 50% of the course. You will work in several sites with additional specialist rotations to ensure you meet all learning outcomes for your practice-based learning. You’ll experience working with a broad range of patients, from all ages, including with mental and/or physical disabilities and the terminally ill.

Teaching at the university includes keynote lectures from subject specialists and expert patients, workshops, pre-recorded content, student-led case-based group work, presentations, seminars, webinars, peer teaching and learning, guided independent study, self-directed study, clinically-based activities and e-learning, including group work in Wikis and blogs, video analysis and discussion boards.

The final dissertation will involve you undertaking a project on a topic of your choice. 

You’ll be encouraged to be research active and this translates directly into developing creative relationships between teaching, learning and research.

As a student on this course you’ll also get to participate in Schwartz Rounds – hour-long sessions where students come together to listen to stories and share reflections in a supportive and confidential environment. The sessions offer the opportunity to reflect on the emotional aspects of clinical practice and are designed to support students and recent graduates working in complex settings.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Syllabus

Year 1

You’ll be introduced to diagnostic radiographic practice and the principles of radiation physics, radiographic equipment, radiation protection, legislation and radiobiology to enable understanding of radiographic processes and safe practice for transfer into the clinical setting.

You will complete all required mandatory training prior to beginning clinical practice placements.

You will also study research methodology and its applications in healthcare, develop further science and technology comprehension in the specialist modalities, and complete an anatomy module which includes all body systems. Professional practice education will look at examinations on patients with additional needs, health promotion, contrast media and quality issues in radiography.

Your clinical placements in this year focus on radiographic techniques and introduce you to specialist modalities to consolidate your academic learning.

Year 2

In your second year, the professional focus is on understanding the wider scope of the role and factors affecting quality service provision to prepare you for practice as a qualified diagnostic radiographer.

Your clinical focus will be on special care groups and their management alongside completing your experience of the specialist modalities. You will also complete an image interpretation module to include medicolegal aspects of radiographer reporting and performance measurement.

In addition you will produce a dissertation focusing on an area of subject specific professional practice to complete your MSc.

Modules

Modules

• Anatomy, Physiology and Pathophysiology

  This module will develop your understanding of human anatomy and function and anatomical relationships on radiographic imaging. You will gain comprehensive knowledge of the normal anatomy and physiology of the human body systems and learn the normal and abnormal imaging appearances of this anatomy. You will also become familiar with the use of different imaging processes.

• Introduction to Diagnostic Radiography and Radiation Physics

  This module introduces diagnostic radiography and will help you to understand the patient journey and begin to develop the clinical skills needed to provide patient-focused care. It also covers radiation physics, radiographic equipment, radiation protection, legislation and radiobiology so that you can understand radiographic processes and safe practice for clinical settings.

• Professional Practice in Diagnostic Radiography

  In this module you will develop your understanding of professionalism and patient-centred care in radiography so that you are equipped with the skills necessary to undertake a clinical placement. Topics will include personal and professional conduct; HCPC standards; health and safety; manual handling; infection control; basic life support; and occupational health.

• Science and Technology in Diagnostic Radiography

  This module builds on the basics of radiation physics covered in module RA701 and aims to expand your knowledge of different imaging production methods, their applications and relationships with imaging pathways. You will look at digital image acquisition, storage and transfer of images; variation in X-ray tube design for different applications; computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear medicine; and safety legislation.

• MSc Practice Learning Diagnostic Radiography 1

  In this clinical-based learning module you will put your diagnostic radiography learning into practice and develop your clinical and professional skills through a range of examinations and diverse presentations. It will also provide an introduction to other forms of imaging such as computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

• Image Interpretation

  In this module you will develop an understanding of the radiographer’s role in image reporting and the skills needed to undertake image interpretation of the skeleton, chest and abdomen. You will cover topics including the principles and governance related to radiographer reporting; medicolegal aspects of radiographer reporting; pattern recognition and visual perception; normal and abnormal radiographic appearances of the skeleton, chest and abdomen; and performance measurement and causes of error.

• Enhanced Professional Practice in Diagnostic Radiography

  In this module you will further develop your understanding of the enhanced care and communication needs of complex patients and of key issues in imaging service development and leadership. Content includes the management of risk in radiographic practice; multidisciplinary team working and review; leadership; service improvement; human factors in healthcare; special care groups; and technical advances in Imaging.

• Research Design and Ethics

  This module will cover different ways of conducting research and the philosophical and scientific ideas behind them. You will study a range of quantitative and qualitative health-related research methods and learn to understand and critically evaluate research in professional literature. You will also look at research integrity, ethics and governance.

• Dissertation

  This module will increase your depth of understanding through activities that enable you to justify your research methods, critically evaluate literature or collect and analyse data and appraise your work. It will prepare you to defend your work and respond to scientific scrutiny from colleagues. It also considers the implications of research for clinical practice and advancing clinical practice.

• MSc Practice Learning Diagnostic Radiography 2

  This clinical-based learning module will reinforce your diagnostic radiography skills and prepare you for independent practice. It will include specialty rotations and care of the major trauma/critically ill patient and provide continued experience of computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). You will also gain experience of imaging services management processes including multidisciplinary review meetings.

Placements

In each year you’ll go on placements in healthcare settings to gain hands-on learning and assessment opportunities with a range of diagnostic imaging modalities. You’ll be on placement for around 50% of your course.

Placement learning focuses on competence rather than a set number of hours or a set number of X-rays.

Practice blocks will comprise of a 35-hour week with the shift pattern determined by the placement provider in line with their staffing template. You will also be expected to work night shifts in year 2 to prepare you for autonomous practice as a qualified diagnostic radiographer. Placements are likely to include school holidays.

Clinical placements will be provided by our local trusts partners who are located throughout the south east, in Sussex, Surrey and Kent. You will need to be prepared to travel the region for your placements to ensure exposure to a broad range of practice settings.

Placements will take place in a variety of diagnostic radiography settings in hospitals, community and private sector.

All areas of diagnostic radiography will be covered for theory and practice learning in general, A&E, dental, paediatrics, community and private settings.

You will also gain experience in fluoroscopy, CT, ultrasound, interventional radiography, cardiac catheterisation, MRI, neuroangiography, nuclear medicine and PET-CT.

You’ll be supported and overseen throughout your placements by a mentor in the healthcare setting.

Facilities for learning

The University of Brighton has a wide range of facilities to support the learning of our health students and enable you to develop your skills in ‘real-life’ scenarios.

Our Clinical Imaging Suite for our diagnostic radiography students includes:

• X-ray table and tube
• PACS/DICOM image store
• Clinical imaging simulation software.

In our libraries you will have access to relevant books and journals to support your development as a radiographer.

Meet the team

Peter Dick, Course Leader

Peter Dick is a diagnostic radiographer still currently working within the NHS. Peter completed his Diagnostic Radiography BSc(Hons) at the University of Hertfordshire and immediately started worked at a hospital in East Sussex. After initially honing basic radiography skills he progressed into the Interventional Radiology and Cardiac Catheter Imaging teams, providing precise imaging for delicate and often life-saving procedures. At one point he led these teams of specialist radiographers before shifting the focus of his career. 

In 2016 Peter completed a postgraduate diploma in Clinical Reporting, allowing him to provide definitive reports on musculoskeletal X-rays followed by postgraduate certificates in chest and abdominal reporting. His clinical work entirely focuses on reporting images and he leads a team of 12 radiographers who also report. 

Peter’s career has always involved teaching radiography students, but as his skill set increased this expanded to teaching more senior radiographers, other health professionals and trainee radiologists. Teaching more formally was a natural progression and he began working at the University of Brighton in 2021 alongside his clinical role. He was a part of the team involved in creation and validation of the course and is excited to see many more students study and qualify here.

View Peter’s full academic profile. 

Other members of the team

• Charlene Wallace, Senior Lecturer
• Sara Savidge, Lecturer
• Silvia Cori, Lecturer
• Huda Ali, Lecturer
• Michela Cleri, Lecturer
• Vicky Ballard, Lecturer

Course fees

Additional funding support

UK students studying nursing, midwifery and some allied health professions subjects receive a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 each academic year. Shortage specialisms, such as radiography, receive an additional £1,000. Find out more on the NHS website.

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international postgraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

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