Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

This course is directed towards healthcare professionals currently involved in the acquisition of DXA scans, or those who wish to gain theoretical knowledge in scanner technology and scan acquisition.  It may also be suitable for referring clinicians and those who report on DXA scans to gain a better understanding of the modality and how results are generated.

Applicants must:

• Hold a primary degree in healthcare e.g. medicine, radiography, physiotherapy, nursing or equivalent.
• Have access to computing facilities and reliable internet access as all learning content is made available through an online learning platform.

With an ageing population, the use of DXA examinations to detect signs of osteoporotic change  plays an increasingly pivotal role in the diagnosis of this condition, including recommendations on its management. As DXA examinations are extremely operator dependent and very sensitive to discrepancies in technique, this academic qualification has been designed to enhance patient outcomes and DXA service provision by targeting health care professionals currently involved in the everyday practice and interpretation of DXA scanning in order to standardise their practice.

A flexible online approach has been taken in the development of material in order to accommodate busy health care professionals and clinical site planning. This course leads participants from basic to advanced practice in DXA, delivered by experts in the field.  The course structure has been specifically designed to accommodate both students and employers through use of e-learning and reduced contact hours, thus allowing flexibility and autonomous learning to maximise student engagement.  The assessment strategy includes a online multiple choice exam as well as a case study from clinical practice and an open book scenario based assignment based on best clinical practice.

• Analyse and critically evaluate their examination techniques and compare against standard practice to ensure optimal standards of operation.
• Analyse and critically evaluate their understanding of international best practice guidelines and the influence of best practice on local protocol.
• Apply their knowledge and understanding of the treatment and care pathways involved for patients diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis.
• Apply their knowledge in order to optimise preliminary report provision prior to radiologist approval.
• Apply their knowledge into the physical principles, equipment and different types of scanning technology involved in this modality area.
• Apply their knowledge into the relevant legislation which governs clinical practice within this modality.
• Apply their knowledge of operational, technical and positioning skills required to produce optimal scan results.

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For information on course fees please visit:

EU applicants fees

Non EU applicants fees

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International applicants should contact the academic programme director for a full list of entry requirements.

A list of FAQs for international applicants is available here.

Information on studying at UCD as international students is available here. 

This course is directed towards healthcare professionals currently involved in the acquisition of DXA scans, or those who wish to gain theoretical knowledge in scanner technology and scan acquisition.  It may also be suitable for referring clinicians and those who report on DXA scans to gain a better understanding of the modality and how results are generated.

Applicants must:

• Hold a primary degree in healthcare e.g. medicine, radiography, physiotherapy, nursing or equivalent.
• Have access to computing facilities and reliable internet access as all learning content is made available through an online learning platform.

The following entry routes are available:

Applications should be submitted via the online application portal at www.ucd.ie/apply