Radiography

Step into the World of Medical Imaging with Radiography

Are you fascinated by medical imaging and technology? If you have an interest in healthcare and want to make a difference in patient care, CVCC’s Radiography program will help you achieve your goal.

When you study Radiography at CVCC, you’ll learn how to use radiation to create images of tissues, organs, bones, and blood vessels, which are essential for diagnosing and treating patients. The curriculum covers patient care, radiation protection, imaging techniques, equipment maintenance, and professional responsibility. You’ll receive a well-rounded education with classroom instruction, laboratory training, and clinical experiences.

Students will be well-prepared to work in hospitals, clinics, physician’s offices, and more, under the supervision of qualified physicians. Graduates are eligible to take the national exam administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) for certification and registration as medical radiographers.

Beginning in Fall 2026, Catawba Valley Community College will launch a first-of-its-kind Limited Practice Radiography program. CVCC is the first school in North Carolina to offer this program.

The Limited Practice Radiographer curriculum prepares individuals with the foundational knowledge and clinical skills necessary to safely perform quality, limited diagnostic X-ray procedures on selected anatomical sites. Coursework includes radiographic procedures, patient safety and care, radiation protection, and image production and quality. Graduates of programs are prepared for employment in outpatient healthcare settings, and may be eligible to apply for the ARRT Limited X-Ray Machine Operator exam. This curriculum may provide a pathway to advanced study in radiography.

Program Information

Please see the catalog for more information about the degree option in this curriculum.

2026 Radiography Application Packet

Information Sessions

Please contact the Program Director to get information on how to attend the next information sessions. Program Director:  Scott Vandevander

Information Session Dates for 2025–2026 Program Application Cycle:

  • Monday, September 8th

  • Monday, November 10th

  • Monday, December 8th

  • Monday, January 26th

  • Monday, March 2nd

  • Monday, April 13th

  • Monday, May 18th

  • Wednesday, May 27th

All information sessions are virtual and start at 4:00 PM.

Program Effectiveness Data

The following is the most current program effectiveness data. Our programmatic accreditation agency, the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), defines and publishes this information. Click here to go directly to the JRCERT webpage.

Credentialing Examination: The number of students who pass, on the first attempt, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification examination, or an unrestricted state licensing examination, compared with the number of graduates who take the examination within six months of graduation. The five-year average benchmark established by the JRCERT is 75%. The CVCC five-year average AART pas rate is 98%.

5-yr Average ARRT Pass Rate
Year Percentage Number of Students Taking Exam Number of Students Passing
2024 100% 13 13
2023 100% 7 7
2022 100% 11 11
2021 92% 11 12
2020 100% 8 8

 

Job Placement:The number of graduates employed in the radiologic sciences compared to the number of graduates actively seeking employment in the radiologic sciences within twelve months of graduating. The five-year average benchmark established by the JRCERT is 75%. The CVCC five-year average job placement rate is 100%.

5-yr Average Job Placement
Year Percentage Number of Students Number of Students Employed
2024 100% 13 13
2023 100% 7 7
2022 100% 11 11
2021 100% 12 12
2020 100% 8 8

 

Program Completion Rate: The number of students who complete the program within the stated program length. The annual benchmark established by the program is 75%. The CVCC annual completion rate is 100%.

 
Year Percentage Number of Students Beginning Program Number of Students Graduating Program
2024 100% 13 13

Important Note:

  • Dental Hygiene
  • Emergency Medical Science
  • Health and Fitness Science
  • Health Information Technology
  • Healthcare Management Technology
  • Human Services Technology
  • Medical Office Administration
  • Nursing
  • Polysomnography
  • Radiography
  • Respiratory Therapy
  • Surgical Technology
The Radiography Program is accredited by the
Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology

20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 2850
Chicago, IL 60606-3182
(312) 704-5300
[email protected]
www.jrcert.org

The program’s current award is 8 Years. General program accreditation information and the current accreditation award letter can be found here.

Next Scheduled Review:  10/2/2027

The radiography program sponsored by CVCC  has revised its policy, effective 2016, regarding the placement of students in clinical mammography rotations to observe and/or perform breast imaging. (Additionally, the policy may be applied to any imaging procedures performed by professionals who are of the opposite gender of the patient.)

Under the revised policy, all students, male and female, will be offered the opportunity to participate in clinical mammography rotations. The program will make every effort to place a male student in a clinical mammography rotation if requested; however, the program is not in a position to override clinical setting policies that restrict clinical experiences in mammography to female students. Male students are advised that placement in a mammography rotation is not guaranteed and is subject to the availability of a clinical setting that allows males to participate in mammographic imaging procedures. The program will not deny female students the opportunity to participate in mammography rotations if clinical settings are not available to provide the same opportunity to male students.

The change in the program’s policy regarding student clinical rotations in mammography is based on the sound rationale presented in a position statement on student clinical mammography rotations adopted by the Board of Directors of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) at its April 2016 meeting. The JRCERT position statement is included as Addendum A to the program’s policy and is also available on the JRCERT Web site, www.jrcert.org, Programs and Faculty, Program Resources.

Classes are held at the college and clinical experience is gained in area hospitals and doctor’s offices. For students taking the curriculum as outlined, the weekly time commitment varies from 24 hours per week to 34 hours per week.

Please note

Clinical facilities now require students to undergo criminal background checks and drug testing. Students will be responsible for the cost of these checks and tests. Students excluded from clinical facilities as a result of positive background checks or drug testing will not be re-assigned to another facility. A student excluded from clinical facilities will not be able to complete clinical requirements of the program and must withdraw from the program. In addition, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists requires disclosure of any conviction, felony or misdemeanor, on the registry application. At the sole discretion of the Registry, convictions may disqualify the student from the registry examination. Applicants with a felony or misdemeanor conviction should file a pre-application with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists to determine registry eligibility prior to enrolling in the program (see the ARRT link below).

Radiography students will be required to complete clinical rotations which may require them to travel as much as one hour from campus. All students will also be required to complete rotations during the late afternoon and early evening hours (3:30 PM – 10:00 PM).

CVCC’s Radiography program has provided me with hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge that truly prepares you for the field. The instructors care about your success and push you to be your best.

Morgan M.
CVCC Alum

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