"NEW Health Physics Master
of Science degree Program
beginning in the Fall 2003 or Spring 2004".
San Jose State University is building a Master of Science degree
program in Radiological Health Physics. The program is scheduled to begin in the
Fall of 2003 or the Spring of 2004.
People with training and experience in the field of radiation safety are
needed by hospitals, academic and research institutions, government, and private
industry. The activities of an internal University committee have been designing
and planning for the program to be offered again in the beginning of the 2003
Fall semester.
Radiation Safety specialists (also commonly called Health Physicist) are
professionals concerned with radiation protection as it applies to a wide array
of uses such as medicine, research, teaching industry or government.
Here are some web sites with more information about the profession of Health
Physics:
http://www.hps.org/
http://www.ncchps.org/
http://www.umich.edu/~radinfo/
http://www.ans.org/
The University program will utilize the Nuclear Science Facility, a unique
facility specifically designed as a training tool to teach about radiation and
radiation protection tools.
The curriculum will feature classes in radiation physics, biological
affects, radiation protection fundamentals, radiation detection, dosimetry, etc.
The program is designed to be continuous all year and will allow for the
completion of the degree in ~2.5 years. The program will be particularly
designed for the working student with evening and Saturday classes
offered.
 
One of our (initial) goals is to explore industry to determine what they want
a Health
Physicist to know or be able to do. We intend to determine, more precisely, what
instrumentation and equipment they should be able to use. It is important for us to
provide a quality education. We will be looking toward
industry to provide some assistance in designing the course materials.
We plan on introducing new courses; for example, a training course in
emergency operations for dealing with terrorist attacks.
Proposed Courses for the Master of Science Degree
in
Radiological Health Physics
| Course # |
Title |
Description |
| Nucs-121S |
Radiation Safety |
Health hazards involved in working with
radioactive substances. Physical nature of hazards, biological effects,
standards of permissible exposures, safety precautions, surveys,
contamination control and protection techniques. |
| Nucs-123 |
Radiation and Biological systems |
|
| Nucs-126 |
Introduction to Nuclear Science |
Properties of the atomic nucleus. Applications
of nuclear science in biology, chemistry, engineering, geology and
physics. |
| Nucs-127 |
Nuclear Science Lab |
Basic techniques and procedures used in nuclear
science. Nuclear decay, nuclear reactions, radiation detection and
measurements, nuclear analytical methods and tracer techniques. |
| Nucs-205 |
Environmental Monitoring |
Radiation and radioactivity in the environment.
Natural and man-made sources, radiation detection techniques and the
problems and pitfalls in environmental sampling and analysis. Examples of
typical measurement problems and methodologies. |
| Nucs-206 |
Advanced Nuclear Instrumentation |
Radiation detection and measurement. The
laboratory builds on techniques learned in Nucs-127, leading students to
building innovative detector systems for special applications. |
| Nucs-208A |
Advanced Radiation Protection |
Discussion of laboratory, industrial and
environmental sources of radiation; in-depth review of the interactions of
radiation with matter; concepts of radiation dose from external and
internal sources; review of radiation measurements, radiation protection
standards and procedures. |
| Nucs-208B |
Applied Radiation Protection |
Practical exercises in personnel monitoring,
area monitoring, radiation surveys, hazards evaluations, storage
operations, radioactive waste disposal, etc. |
| Nucs-208C |
Medical Radiation Protection |
Introduction to concepts of diagnostic
radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy and overview of the role of
the radiation safety officer in medicine. Topics include imaging, organ
function test, external and internal x and gamma sources, quality control,
treatment planning, equipment calibration. |
| Nucs-209A |
Dosimetry and Shielding I |
An advanced treatment of dosimetry of ionizing
radiation for medical and biological applications. Topics include:
Bragg-Gray cavity ionization measurements, chemical dosimetry, calorimetry,
solid-state dosimetry, TLD, dose distribution, and microdosimetry. |
| Nucs-209B |
Dosimetry and Shielding II |
Extension of concepts presented in Nucs-209A
through practical exercises in effective use of dosimeters (chemical, TLD,
solid state). |
| Nucs-209C |
Internal Dosimetry |
The physical, chemical and biokinetic basis for
calculations of dose from internally deposited radionuclides. Topics
include biokinetic models, performance and interpretation of bioassay
sampling and regulatory requirements. |
| Nucs-255 |
Advanced Topics in Nuclear Science |
|
| Nucs-285 |
Seminar in Nuclear Science |
|
| Nucs-272 |
Introduction to Site Decommissioning |
|
| Nucs-273 |
Emergency Operations |
|
| Nucs-275 |
Responsibilities of the RSO |
Design, development and implementation of a
radiation safety program. Perform activities of an intern. |
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If you are interested in registering for
the program we would like to know as early as possible. The start up date will
depend on how many students are available to begin. Contact the program
coordinator, Victor Maraschin
victor.maraschin@sjsu.edu
and put "Health Physics Degree Program" on the subject line. As
soon as we have 18 to 24 students identified to start the program the starting
schedule will be finalized.
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