Healthcare Science

Nuclear medicine is a healthcare science that uses radioactive materials to diagnose and, increasingly, to treat disease. It is a small but highly specialised field that sits at the intersection of physics, medicine and technology, requiring professionals who understand radiation physics, radiopharmacy, image acquisition and the clinical context in which nuclear medicine investigations are used. At Swansea University, this three-year full-time BSc trains you to work as a medical physics technologist or nuclear medicine technologist in the NHS, developing the technical and clinical skills that this demanding specialism requires.

You will study radiation physics and radiation protection, the properties of radiopharmaceuticals and how they distribute in the body, the instrumentation used to detect and image gamma radiation, quality assurance and the clinical applications of nuclear medicine investigations in oncology, cardiology, neurology and other clinical domains. Clinical placement in nuclear medicine departments is a central feature of the programme, developing your practical skills and clinical judgement in real NHS environments alongside your academic understanding. Swansea's programme is designed in close consultation with the healthcare sector, ensuring that graduates emerge with the specific competencies that NHS employers and the professional regulatory framework require.

A typical entry tariff of around 104 points is expected.

Graduates work as nuclear medicine technologists in NHS departments, clinical research organisations and, increasingly, in theranostics, the growing field that uses targeted radiopharmaceuticals for treatment as well as diagnosis. Registration with the Academy for Healthcare Science and the Health and Care Professions Council provides the professional framework for this career. The growth of targeted radionuclide therapy and the development of new radiopharmaceutical agents mean that nuclear medicine is a field of increasing clinical and commercial importance, and well-trained graduates are in sustained demand.