Health Physics | Programs | Health Professions Mission

Program Profile: Health Physics

Program Description

Name of program: Health Physics

Program Overview: The Health Physics Program at Idaho State University is administratively housed within the Department of Physics. The Department of Physics is an academic unit within the College of Arts and Sciences of Idaho State University (ISU). There are approximately 13,000 students at ISU. The department of Physics consistently has about 120 majors; about 60 of these are Physics Majors participating in the Health Physics options.

The Health Physics Program offers Associate, Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. degrees. The program currently maintains three full-time equivalences for faculty spread among four individuals. Many of the full time senior faculty contributing to the program have administrative responsibility along with academic responsibility.

The ISU programs specialize in Environmental Health Physics, Internal Dosimetry and Accelerator Health Physics. ISU Health Physics runs two independent radioanalytical research laboratories which independently serve the State of Idaho and the United States Department of Energy. The combined annual budget of these labs approaches about one-million dollars. ISU has an on-going partnership with the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registry (USTUR) under which students are actively engaged with improving international dosimetric models, and assessing the intake of registry participants. The Idaho Accelerator Center (IAC), which may perhaps operate more small accelerators for applied physics investigation then any other facility in the world, is in intimate partnership with the ISU Department of Physics. Many Health Physics students complete research work in collaboration with IAC staff and using IAC capital infrastructure.

The ISU Health Physics Program produces alumni who work in many other arenas than just those indicated above. The general knowledge level expected of graduates make them essential to nuclear power electrical energy generation facilities, hospitals, universities, and regulatory agencies. ISU alumni are spread throughout the nuclear infrastructure of the United States in many key roles. The program strengths are a firm foundation in the physics of radiation interaction with matter, radiation detection, and the fundamentals of radiation health and hygiene.

Accreditation

The ISU Health Physics program maintains ABET Accreditation for the B.S. and M.S. programs. The ISU Health Physics Programs were among the first accredited under ABET. ABET accreditation criteria are developed and maintained by the Health Physics Society.

Program Highlights

The ISU programs were among the first in the nation to be accredited by ABET in this discipline and are considered to be among the best programs in the nation.

About the Profession

Health Physics is the profession dedicated to the protection of humans and their environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation while provinding for its benefical uses. The demand for professional Health Physicists outstrips the current supply and this is anticipated to be the situation for many years to come. Health Physicists are employed in governmental regulatory groups, national laboratories, hospitals, universities, research institutions, and nuclear facilities.

Potential Salary: $30,000 - $180,000

Faculty

3 full-time faculty, 2 clinical faculty and 5 clinical sites.

Faculty are well known nationally and internationally with several national alocades, book publications, jounal articles, invited talks and serve in the leadership of national professional societies.

Class Size

Fixed Seats: No

Number of students in entering class: 10

Total number of students enrolled in program: 60

Length of Program

Number of academic years needed to complete the program: 1

Locations

Locations offered: Pocatello, Idaho Falls

Program offered fully online? No

Program delivered through distance presentation? Yes

Prerequisites

Required Degree:

Costs

Tuition: Annual tuition set by University for residents or non-residents.

Professional fees: None

Equipment: None

Books: ~$500/semester

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Scholarship Deadline: Contact the Scholarship Office for more information.

Financial Aid Deadline: Contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.

Other Information: The department supports many graduate students and a large fraction of the undergraduates in research and service activities.

How to Apply

Application Deadline: Consistent with University requirements

Program Start Date: Either Fall or spring semesters