College of DuPage Offers New MRI Advanced Certificate Program

GLEN ELLYN, Ill., April 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- College of DuPage is offering a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging Advanced Certificate program that will enable existing radiographers and nuclear medicine technologists to earn certification as an MRI technologist.

Recently approved by the Illinois Community College Board, the advanced certificate program is designed for students with an existing two-year degree in radiography or nuclear medicine and who have some patient care experience. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job market for MRI technologists in the Chicago area is expected to grow more than 36 percent through the year 2022.

"College of DuPage is staying ahead of market trends in terms of our programming," said Erin Birt, Chair of the College of DuPage Board of Trustees. "This new certificate will give students an edge for careers in a growing, in-demand field."

The MRI Advanced Certificate consists of 27 credit hours and is offered over three semesters. Classes will be held on the Glen Ellyn campus with lab work one night per week at an off-campus location that provides students with hands-on experience using an MRI unit.

Jeff Papp, professor of Radiation Therapy and Diagnostic Medical Imaging and program director of the new MRI program, said that MRI uses strong magnetic fields and radio-frequency waves to obtain images of the human body.

"An MRI image shows the soft tissue better than any other imaging modality, from the brain to the heart," he said. "The MRI process does not use ionizing radiation, so there is no potential harmful radiation for patients."

Papp said students completing the program are eligible to take the certification exam in Magnetic Resonance Imaging offered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

"Even though College of DuPage's new program doesn't start until the fall, we have been receiving phone calls for months from interested students and from clinics who want to send current employees for training," he said.

For more information, email [email protected] or call (630) 942-2259 to schedule an appointment to meet with a health care program advisor.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150409/197656

SOURCE College of DuPage