Frequently Asked Questions

All eligible applicants must have a grade point average of 2.5 in the completed prerequisite courses for consideration for acceptance into the radiologic technology program.  It is highly recommended that courses be taken within a 3-year period.  Selection is based on random selection after completion of the prerequisite and general education courses with an Associate's Degree that has been verified.

All applicants must have a minimum of a grade point average of 2.5 in the completed prerequisite courses, overall, 2.0  in the completed general education courses with an Associates Degree or higher.  A grade of "D" or "F" in any of the prerequisite courses will not be accepted.

If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of spaces available, selections will be made by random selection.  Alternates will be chosen by random selection and alternate status does not guarantee admission.

Volunteer/Observation hours are not required at this time.

Yes, online science courses taken from a regionally accredited college within the United States that meets the equivalency requirements are accepted. The science courses must have a lab component.

 If one of the courses is repeated, the higher grade prevails

The applications are available only from November 1 to November 18.  Applications must be completed and submitted online with all official college transcripts scanned and saved as a PDF attachment. Brochures are currently available online only. We no longer print copies of the brochures to be handed out

 All applicants must have a minimum of a grade point average of 2.5 in the completed prerequisite courses, overall, 2.0 in the completed general education courses with an Associate Degree or higher.  A grade of "D" or "F" in any of the prerequisite courses will not be accepted.

YES. Official transcript(s) of ALL U.S. colleges and universities attended including Pasadena City College and verification of the advanced degree must be uploaded with your online application. Transcripts must be scanned and saved in a PDF format.

 NO. However, some courses may have the same course number at different colleges, but they may contain different course materials.  An example is LACC offers 100 & 101 classes and they are completely different from our RDTC 100 & 101 classes. A student may petition to have the pre-requisite courses accepted and those course petitions are sent to the appropriate deans of that division.  We do not have the means to test a student out of a course since all of the courses are required to meet the accreditation board and the state board requirements. If courses are taken at another college, please provide a course description with the application. However, courses may not be acceptable unless verified by the counseling office.

 For upper division coursework questions you may contact the Health Sciences Division Counselor, Lori Gabrielian at lxgabrielian@pasadena.edu 

 All pre-requisite courses need to be completed by the end of the application period. We will not accept WIP or course substitutions for the pre-requisites. ALL PRE-REQUISITES MUST BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO APPLICATIONS BEING SUBMITTED. WE DO NOT ACCEPT WORK IN PROGRESS.

 Acceptance letters are sent out within 8-10 weeks after the application period ends, rejection letters may take somewhat longer. The Health Science Division Office tries their best to get them out as soon as possible. All letters will be sent out via PCC email. Please make sure the email is correct when submitting applications, as we are not responsible for emails returned, spam etc. 

NO. Associates degree or higher is required in order to take the board exam. Foreign degrees are not acceptable by the accrediting board. 

Proof of a high school diploma is not required. An Associate’s Degree is not required as a pre-requisite to apply to the program. All general education requirements for PCC's Associate's Degree must be completed prior to applying. General education courses are waived with an Associate’s Degree  or higher from any regionally accredited college in the United States. An Associate's degree or higher is required along with a certificate in Radiologic Technology is required to take the Board Exam. 

 At the present time if a student is accepted into the program and fails with a D or F they are not permitted to continue. Remediation and taking refreshers courses may allow students to reapply to the program. If a student voluntarily withdraws, they are permitted to re-apply and be placed on the alternate list and may be accepted if there is space available. (Each circumstance is considered) 

Students will need to have their transcripts evaluated by one of the three acceptable evaluation agencies:  International Education Research Foundation (IERF), Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI), or American Education Research Corporation (AERC).  The evaluation report will need to be reviewed by the Health Sciences counselor.

Anywhere from 100-125 apply to the program, the number of students accepted vary from 20-28 per year.

Anywhere from $30.00 to $40.00 per hour depending in the area.  Generally there is no pay difference for AA or BS degrees unless the individual wants to go into management, PACS Administration or Education.  Some facilities pay more for advanced licenses such as CT, MRI, Mammography, Fluoroscopy, and Interventional Radiology.

 

The comprehensive evaluation is required.  PCC accepts only the following agencies: International Education & Research, Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute & American Education Research Corporation. The student may receive credit for courses such as humanities, PE & Math.  We do not count GPA for courses taken in another country.

You do not need this to apply, however, after acceptance into the program that is part of the health clearance process. TB tests are required every year. CPR renewal is required every two years.

NO. Students are not required to retake the Science courses as long as they have passed them with a C or higher. However, students are encouraged to take these courses again if they do not remember the content taught in these courses. This program is a fast pace program and there is limited time to review previous taught material from other courses. Example: In the RDTC 104 Course there are a lot of math equations and calculations and it is very difficult for the instructor to go back and review basic college algebra. It is suggested that pre-requisite courses have been taken within a 3 year period. Medical Terminology is recommended 1 year prior.

Social Security Number is mandatory for licensure and required for radiation monitoring badges and background checks. This information is needed before the student begins the summer session and is part of the application packet.

The partner clinical facilities for the RDTC program require every student to have a CLEAR criminal background check in order to participate in the clinical portions of the RDTC program. If students are not sure whether their conviction will prevent them from attending the clinical facilities, they can meet with the program director. At that time it will be required that the student submit a Pre-Application on Ethics to arrt.org before the student can continue in the fall. If the student had the convictions expunged that is acceptable. Any student on probation or does not have a clear background check will be denied admission to the program. In addition clinical facilities may do their own background checks and if something is flagged the student will not be able to participate in the program and clinical experiences.

Anatomy 025 + Chemistry 002A, then Physiology 001

Human Anatomy and Chemistry course with a lab component must be completed prior to taking Human Physiology.

 American Society of Radiologic Technologists, (asrt.org), California Society of Radiologic Technologists (csrt.org), American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (arrt.org). 

 

Chemistry 022 or Chem 001A or a College Chemistry course will meet the requirement.  Students do not need to fill out a “Course Substitution” form.

 At the present time we do not have an information session because the program generally does not need to recruit students. If an orientation session is needed it will generally be in the fall semester. Information session dates will be posted on the website. Barbara Kissel, RDTC program Director is available by email at bakissel@pasadena.edu.

 No. Medical Terminology must be a 3 unit semester course or a 4 quarter unit course.

Intermediate Algebra or any college level math course such as College Algebra or Statistics is accepted.

RDTC graduates may continue their education to receive certification in MRI. MRI training is not currently offered at PCC. Sonography is a stand alone certificate program that some community colleges and vocational schools offer but is not a part of the Pasadena City College RDTC program or training.

No. Limited x-ray programs have different curriculum and the full-time radiology program has to report to the State of California in terms of clinical hours and courses requirements.

No. We have done so in the past and we have not had not been successful with them.

Class of 2011 all passed their boards within one month after June 2011 graduation.

Class of 2012 all passed their boards within one month after June 2012 graduation.

Class of 2013 all passed their boards with one month after June 2013 graduation.

Class of 2014 all passed their boards within three weeks after June 2014 gradation

Class of 2015 all passed their boards within two weeks after June 2015 graduation

Class of 2016 all passed their boards within 30 days after June 2016 graduation.

Class of 2017 all passed their boards within 60 days after June 2017 graduation

Class of 2018 all passed their boards within 60 days after June 2017 graduation

Information is also posted online under Program Effectiveness Data on the RT home page

If you applied for your degree before the Rad Tech application deadline, you may be eligible for consideration with proper documentation.

U.S. Veterans will receive priority consideration providing all of the minimum requirements have been met.  U.S. Veterans must be honorably discharged and show proof by providing a DD214 uploaded as a PDF file with their online application.

Failing courses, didactic and/or skills portion of the class. Falsification of documents, cheating, not adhering to program/school policies.  Excessive tardiness from class or clinical, lack of participation.  Any infractions, such as arrest, misdemeanor, felony convictions etc. Unable to pass the background clearance successfully or unable to adapt to the program and school requirements.