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Radiography Selection Criteria

Pre-Program Requirements for All Students

To be considered for selection into the major, all applicants must have gained admission to the College, completed placement requirements, and have the ability to perform the essential functions established by the Radiography Program, in addition to the following:

1. Remediate any developmental requirements in math.
2. Have a cumulative enrollment grade-point average of at least 2.0 at the time of selections.
3. Have a math/science grade calculation of least 2.0 (see below for more about the math/science grade calculation).
4. Complete the following courses, or their equivalents, with a C (2.0) or higher:
   1. Combination of MTR104 (Basics of Medical Terminology) & BIO103 (Human Anatomy & Physiology Survey) OR combination of MTR100* (Medical Terminology Survey) & BIO115 (Human Anatomy & Physiology I)
   2. MTH123 (Technical Algebra & Trigonometry I) or higher (see section A below for eligible MTH courses).
      *NOTE: MTR104 is the required medical terminology course for the program; however, MTR100 (or its equivalent) will satisfy the requirement if the student has also taken BIO115 and BIO125 (Human Anatomy & Physiology II).
5. Complete at least 8 hours of job-shadowing.

Math/science grade calculation: This calculation consists of one of the following, depending on the coursework completed:

• Average of grade in BIO103 and the highest grade earned for a math course applicable to the major (see section A)

         OR

• Average of grade in BIO 115 or BIO 125 and the highest grade earned for a math course applicable to the major (see section A)

NOTE: Students must take BIO103 or a combination of BIO115 and BIO125 to satisfy degree requirements. For those taking the BIO115/BIO125 combination, BIO125 does not need to be completed prior to acceptance into the program, but must be completed by the end of the first in-program semester.

Selection

This major has a limited capacity of 30 students. Selections are finalized in June for an August start. Eligible students are ranked via the point system as detailed on the following pages. Students may earn a maximum of 100 points. In the case of a tie, students will be further ranked first by math/science grade average, then by cumulative enrollment GPA (cumulative GPA for transfer students), and then date of application to the program.

For the purposes of awarding points in Section A and B, a repeat course taken four or more years after the initial attempt will be treated as a first attempt. If a point course in either of these sections is satisfied via credit-by-exam versus attempting the course, the score on the exam will be converted to a letter grade and used to determine points earned (90% or higher = A; 80-89% = B; 70-79% = C).

A. Specific Math/Science Coursework (70%)

In this section, up to 70 points are awarded for grades in one anatomy and one math as well as the number of attempts it took the student to earn the associated grade. 
Courses considered in this section and used in the math-science grade average calculation are:

• BIO 103 – Human Anatomy & Physiology Survey
• BIO 115 – Human Anatomy & Physiology I
• BIO 125 – Human Anatomy & Physiology II
• MTH 123 – Technical Algebra & Trigonometry I
• MTH 181 – College Algebra & Trigonometry I
• MTH 191 – Pre-Calculus
• MTH 230 – Applied Calculus
• MTH 240 OR MTH 242 – Calculus I or II
• MTH 100A, MTH100D, MTH2003, MTH2004*

*Transfer Math is external college credit not specifically equivalent to a Penn College math course but determined to be an acceptable level for pre-program requirements.

The highest grade earned for an anatomy and a math course applicable to the major will be considered in this section. The student can earn up to 35 points for anatomy and up to 35 points for math, for a maximum of 70 total points. For the purposes of this section, taking both BIO115 and BIO103 will be considered a second attempt at the same course. (For example, if a student takes BIO115 and earns a C and then takes BIO 103 and earns an A, the student will receive 28 points for BIO in this section for earning an A on the second attempt at a Biology course.) 

B. Other Course Calculation (16%)

In this section, up to 16 points will be awarded for up to 4 points each for of the courses completed with a “C” or higher, as well as the number of attempts it took the student to earn the associated grade. Courses considered in this section include:

• ENL111 (English Composition I)
• SOC111 (Introduction to Sociology) or PSY111 (Introduction to Psychology)
• PHS 112 (Introduction to Physics)
• SPC 201 (Interpersonal Communication)

C. Cumulative enrollment grade-point average (10%)

In this section, points are awarded for the student’s cumulative enrollment GPA at the time of selection. Transfer students who have taken fewer than 10 credits at Penn College will automatically be assigned 2 points in this category.

D. Prior Degree/Coursework (4%)

Students may only earn points from one category in this section. For example, a student with a prior bachelor’s degree, who also has completed 10 or more credits toward this degree, will receive a maximum of 4 points from this section. 

Selection Date & Application Deadline

The admissions process is finalized in June for a fall start of classes. An early selection is done in February for up to 10 highly qualified candidates who meet the pre-program requirements at that time; any acceptances offered in February will be contingent upon the students maintaining minimum performance standards through the spring semester to hold their seats. The remaining seats will be filled during the June selection. Transfer students must have an official copy of all transcripts submitted to the College’s Admissions Office by June 1 to be considered for fall acceptance.

Students who have met all selection criteria and submitted all required documentation by June 1 will be considered for selection. Eligible candidates whose materials are received after June 1 will only be considered on a space-available basis after any waitlist has been exhausted.

Job Shadowing Hours

A job shadowing experience is part of the requirements for all students applying to the radiography program. The intent is to ensure that students fully understand the career field and the level of patient interaction that is involved. The job shadowing hours (8 hours) can be done any time prior to the selection date for which a student wishes to be considered. Job shadowing can be done at any hospital or healthcare facility, but must be done within the radiography department, and must be confirmed by the appropriate personnel at that facility on department/hospital letterhead.  

The provisions within this admission ranking system are not considered an irrevocable contract between the student and the College. Typically, any changes to these admission requirements are made prior to the student’s enrollment at Penn College; however, in special circumstances, such as an observed change in program outcomes, the College President may approve more immediate changes to ensure student success. In such cases, students will receive timely written notice of the change.