Medical Physics Graduate Courses

Academic Integrity

The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Student Academic Integrity Policy and the Student Conduct Policy (on the University of Alberta Policies and Procedures Online (UAPPOL) website) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.

MSc Course Requirements

The first two semesters for the M.Sc program require that the student complete all of the courses listed in the First Term, Second Term and Spring Session Tables below. Credit will be given for equivalent courses already completed. At the completion of these courses the student will then undergo research for an MSc thesis.

First Term (Fall) MSc Courses

Second Term (Winter) MSc Courses

Spring Session MSc Courses

Additional Requirements

As a Department of Oncology Medical Physics Graduate student, you are also responsible for:

• Completing at least 8 hours of mandatory ethics and academic integrity training
• Registering and completing BME 320 or 321 any time during the program
• Students admitted on or after September 1, 2016 must submit an individualized Professional Development plan within the first 12 months for master's students and within the first 18 months for doctoral students.
• Completing 8 hours of professional development before the defense for Masters students and by the end of year 3 for PhD students.

Additional Elective Courses (to be completed by the finish of the program)

PhD Couse Requirements

The PhD course requirements are:

• Take all the courses required for the M.Sc program listed above. Students transferring from a different program or University will be given credit for equivalent courses which have already been taken.
• Take one or two additional courses based on research interests and in discussions with the candidate's supervisor and the leader of the Medical Physics program. Students who wish to complete a PhD specializing in:
  • Magnetic Resonance Physics should take:
    • Oncology 690 and Oncology 691
  • Radiological-Nuclear Imaging Physics should take:
    • Oncology 692
  • Radiotherapeutic Physics should take:
    • Oncology 693

First Term (Fall) Ph.D Courses

Second Term (Winter) Ph.D Courses

Course Descriptions

ONCOL 550 Medical Radiation Physics

Fundamentals of radiation physics, production and properties of ionizing radiation and their interactions with matter and tissue. Interactions of photons and of charged particles with matter. Concepts of radiation dosimetry (theoretical and experimental, cavity theory and ionization chambers).
First term, 3 credits (3 lecture hr/wk, 13 wks)
Consent of Department required.
Instructor: G Menon, B Burke and T Wood.

ONCOL 552 Fundamentals of Applied Dosimetry

Theory and practical techniques of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy. Topics include single and multiple external beams, scatter analysis, inhomogeneity corrections, fundamentals of brachytherapy, and brachytherapy dosimetry systems.
Second term, 3 credits (3 lecture hr/wk, 13 wks).
Prerequisite: ONCOL 550.
Instructor(s): M MacKenzie, G Menon and B Warkentin.

ONCOL 554 Laboratory in Medical Radiation Physics

Practical aspects of medical physics as applied to radiation therapy. Exposure to the operation of various therapy units and dose measuring devices. Application of techniques to measure physical parameters of radiation beams. Introduction to radiation treatment planning with techniques for specific tumor sites.
Spring session, 2 credits (4 lab hr/wk)
Prerequisite: ONCOL 550. Corequisite: ONCOL 552.
Instructors: M Larocque, B Warkentin, G Menon, E Yip, T Wood, M Reynolds, S Yaghoobpour Tari, A Swan, A Ghila, M Shahzad and N Johnson.

ONCOL 556 Laboratory in Imaging

Provides clinical and practical experience with diagnostic imaging equipment, to adequately provide consultative support required of a clinical medical physicist in imaging. Perform calibration and quality assurance procedures on medical imaging modalities.
Spring session, 2 credits (4 lab hr/wk)
Prerequisites: ONCOL 550 and 562. Corequisites: ONCOL 568 and 564.
Instructors: A Yahya, HS Jans, K Wachowicz, N De Zanche, T Riauka, G Menon and D Baillie.

ONCOL 558 Health Physics

Sources of radiation, basic dosimetry, and hazards of ionizing radiation. Basics of radiation safety. Techniques for the detection, use, and safe handling of radiation sources. Radiation safety codes, laws and regulations.
First term, 2 credits (2 lecture hr/wk, 13 wks)
Consent of Department required.
Instructor: S Yaghoobpour Tari, E Yip, A Ghila and D Liu.

ONCOL 560 Technology in Radiation Oncology

Explore the use of computers and electronics in the diagnosis, tumour and normal tissue localization, treatment planning, treatment delivery, and treatment verification as applied to cancer patients. Computing tools for the Medical Physicist.
First term, 2 credits (2 lecture hr/wk, 13 wks)
Consent of Department required.
Instructor: N De Zanche and A Heikal.

ONCOL 562 Theory of Medical Imaging

A system theory approach to the production, analysis, processing and reconstruction of medical images. An extensive use of Fourier techniques is used to describe the processes involved with conventional radiographic detectors, digital and computed radiography. Review and application of image processing techniques used in diagnostic and therapeutic medicine.
First term, 3 credits (3 lecture hr/wk, 13 wks)
Consent of Department required.
Instructors: G Fallone, K Wachowicz, S Steciw and A Swan.

ONCOL 564 Physics of Nuclear Medicine

Discussion of the fundamental physics of radioactivity, the use of unsealed sources in medical diagnosis and treatment. Unsealed source dosimetry, nuclear measurement instrumentation, spectrometry. Design and function of gamma cameras, single photon emission tomography, and positron emission tomography.
Second term, 3 credits (3 lecture hr/wk, 13 wks)
Prerequisites: ONCOL 550 and 562.
Instructor: HS Jans and T Riauka.

ONCOL 566 Radiation Biophysics

Theories and models of cell survival, survival curve and its significance, modification of radiation response. Radiobiology of normal and neoplastic tissue systems. Late effects of radiation on normal tissue and radiation carcinogenesis, genetic effects of ionizing radiation.
First term, 3 credits (3 lecture hr/wk, 13 wks)
Consent of Department required.
Instructor: B Warkentin and A Gamper.

ONCOL 568 Physics of Diagnostic Radiology

Rigorous development of the physics of x-ray production, interaction and detection in diagnostic radiology, including mammography. In-depth analysis of analog and digital systems in radiography and fluoroscopy is given. The description and design of computed tomographic systems as well as the associated reconstruction algorithms from single to multislice helical systems are studied.
Second term, 3 credits (3 lecture hr/wk, 13 wks)
Prerequisites: ONCOL 550, 562.
Instructors: S Rathee, S Steciw, A Yahya and HS Jans.

ONCOL 600 Graduate Medical Physics Seminar

Weekly seminars given by faculty on topics of interest to the medical physics community that are not formally included with the other didactic courses. Includes medical statistics, anatomy/physiology for medical physics, site-specific cancer, experience in clinic, inverse treatment planning optimization, photodynamic therapy, proton and neutron therapy, and image fusion.
Both terms, 2 credits (1 seminar hr/wk)
No prerequisite.
Organized by S Rathee

ONCOL 690 Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Methods and Applications

Advanced course on modern magnetic resonance techniques including in-depth description of hardware; advanced imaging sequences and image reconstruction methods; methodologies for in-vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
First term, 3 credits (3 lecture hr/wk, 13 wks)
Prerequisite: BME 564, Oncol 600 and consent of Instructor
Organized by: N De Zanche, K Wachowicz and A Yahya.

ONCOL 691 Advanced Magnetic Resonance Physics

Guided reading course with preparation and delivery of teaching lectures on a current topic of Magnetic Resonance research in conjunction with ONCOL 692 and ONCOL 693 presentations.
Second term, 3 credit (3 hr/wk, 13 wks)
Prerequisite: BME 564, Oncol 600, Oncol 690 and consent of Instructor.
Organized by A Yahya, N De Zanche, K Wachowicz and G Fallone.

ONCOL 692 Advanced Radiological and Nuclear Imaging Physics

Guided reading course in advanced ultrasound, fluoroscopy, X-Ray CT, or nuclear imaging with preparation and presentation of teaching lectures in conjunction with ONCOL 691 and ONCOL 693 presentations.
Second term, 3 credits (3 hr/wk, 13 wks)
Prerequisite: Oncol 562, 564, 568, 600 and consent of Instructor.
Organized by G Fallone, T Riauka and S Rathee.

ONCOL 693 Advanced Radiotherapeutic Physics

Guided reading course with preparation and delivery of teaching lectures in novel radiotherapeutic techniques, advanced radiation techniques and delivery in conjunction with ONCOL 692 and ONCOL 693 presentations.
Second term, 3 credits (3 hr/wk, 13 wks)
Prerequisite: Oncol 550, 552, 600 and consent of Instructor.
Organized by G Fallone and S Rathee.

BME 320 Human Anatomy and Physiology: Cells and Tissue

First term, 3 credits (3 lecture hr/wk, 13wks)
See the desciption of this course on the uAlberta Course Catalogue: BME 320

BME 321 Human Anatomy and Physiology: Systems

Second term, 3 credits (3 lecture hr/wk, 13wks)
See the desciption of this course on the uAlberta Course Catalogue: BME 321

BME 564 Fundamentals of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI

First term, 3 credits (3 lecture hr/wk, 13wks)
See the desciption of this course on the uAlberta Course Catalogue: BME 564