Medical Imaging - Radiography

Radiologic technologists (radiographers) are needed in every health care setting, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and physicians’ offices. Radiographers are essential members of the healthcare team performing radiologic procedures that are vital to the diagnosis of many injuries and medical conditions. When a patient is having an X-ray or other diagnostic imaging procedure, the radiographer positions the patient, operates the equipment to record the image, and then provides the image to a radiologist for diagnosis. Clinical specialties within the profession range from orthopedics to cardiac catheterization. Elgin Community College’s Radiography Program has a well-deserved reputation. Graduates of ECC’s program are highly skilled and qualified to sit for the national certification examination by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) and are ready to enter a profession that combines technology with compassion. There are a variety of specialties that you can pursue following your successful completion of ECC’s Radiography Program. ECC offers advanced certificate programs in the specialties of mammography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance. The boundaries of your career in radiologic technology are determined only by your own abilities and interests.

Accreditation

The Radiography Program is accredited by

The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT)
20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 2850
Chicago, IL 60606
312-704-5300
jrcert.org

Entrance Requirements

All requirements below must be completed prior to the December 15th application deadline.

Attending a mandatory information session: https://elgin.edu/admissions/visit-ecc/program-information-sessions/

Successful completion with a grade of C or better in 5 prerequisite courses:

  • BIO 110 Principles of Biology or equivalent.
  • HPE 112 Intro to Medical Terminology or equivalent.
  • College-level math (MTH 102 General Education Statistics preferred) or equivalent.
  • PSY 100 Intro to Psychology or equivalent.
  • BIO 245  Human Anatomy and Physiology I or equivalent (must be completed prior to summer enrollment in the program).

General education courses required for degree completion (may be taken before the program enrollment and will be considered for admissions) must be completed with a C or better

  • BIO 246 Anatomy & Physiology II (must have been earned within the last 10 years) 
  • CMS 215 Intercultural Communication 
  • ENG 101 English Composition I 
  • ENG 102 English Composition II 
  • Humanities & Fine Arts (HUM 216 Ethics preferred) 
  • PSY 218 Human Growth & Development

All applicants will undergo ranking based on a grade point system. Please refer to the evaluation criteria below.  Top 16 qualified applicants will be selected for admission to the Radiography Program. Refer to elgin.edu/radiography for a description of the applicant screening process. Students from districts outside of District 509 may apply. Go to Joint Agreements to learn more.


All Candidates are evaluated using the following criteria:
1. GPA for 6 required general education courses for AAS in radiography

  • Letter grade scoring points: A= 6 points, B=4 points, C= 2 points

2. GPA of the 5 prerequisite courses

  • Letter grade scoring points: A= 12 points, B= 8 points, C= 4 points

Maximum number of points that a student can achieve is 96 in total. 
New radiography classes start each summer semester.

Admission Procedures

Admission to the program is selective.  For more information, please see admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Students must complete all required courses with grades of C or better and meet graduation requirements in order to be eligible to apply to sit for the ARRT national certification exam in radiography offered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and to be eligible for IEMA-DNS state licensure. Prior credits in BIO 245 Human Anatomy and Physiology I/BIO 246 Human Anatomy and Physiology II must have been earned within the last 10 years. Students must provide their own uniforms and transportation to and from all clinical sites.

Policies and Procedures for the Radiography Program

All students applying to the Radiography Program attend a face-to-face information session prior to applying to the program. Students admitted to the program will be required to attend an orientation meeting in March before radiography classes begin.

Any student demonstrating a positive background check will be denied admission to any health professions program.

Before attending clinical training, students must submit documentation through the Castlebranch portal including: completed medical form which includes proof of immunizations/titer results, COVID vaccine required, proof of health insurance coverage, TB test, and proof of healthcare provider CPR certification. Background checks and drug testing are also conducted through Castlebranch.

Health professions students will be required to update their drug test, TB test/TB survey, and flu vaccine information on an annual basis. Any student demonstrating a positive drug test will be dismissed from the health professions division.

The standards, policies, and procedures of the Radiography Program are published in the radiography student handbook. Copies of the student handbook may be obtained online at the Radiography Program.