Preapplication Preparation

It is recommended to meet with a CCSF counselor if you are interested in pursuing diagnostic medical imaging. The counselor can assist in selecting courses that meet the application requirements and will prepare you for the program.

Application Process

1. Complete prerequisite courses and GPA requirements as detailed in "Prerequisites Courses and GPA"
2. Complete 40 hours of volunteering as detailed in "Volunteer Guidelines"
   • Complete the Volunteer Hours Verification Form and prepare answers to the ten Radiography Profession Questions
3. Become an official student at CCSF Steps to Apply to CCSF
4. If transferring credits, meet with a counselor to discuss Course Equivalency Forms. Click here to schedule a counseling appointment.
5. Gather unofficial transcripts
   • If accepted into the program, you will submit official transcripts
6. Complete the online application

Application Instructions

• How to complete the online application
  • You may begin the online application when it opens
  • You may save the online application and then return to it at a later time
  • You must submit the online application between July 10th - August 15th
• Applications must be submitted online; no paper applications will be accepted
• Applicants who have submitted an application in previous years and wish to re-apply must submit a new application with all supporting documentation included

Selection Process

• The application process is held once yearly
  • Approximately 30 students will be admitted into the DMI program
    • Approximately 15 students begin in the Spring and 15 students in the Fall of next year
      • Example: Accepted students who applied in August 2024 will start in Spring 2025 or Fall 2025
    • Selection into the Spring or Fall semester is based on lottery rank
• Program acceptance is determined by a random selection lottery process of qualified applicants
  • All qualified applicants will have their names entered into the lottery once
  • No qualified applicant, under any circumstance, may have their name entered into the lottery more than once
• If accepted into the program, the student must submit official transcripts, complete and pass health requirements, a background check, and a drug screening

Communication

• Communication regarding application status can be sent by e-mail to DMI@ccsf.edu
• All application status correspondence will be through your official CCSF email

Prerequisite Courses to Complete Before Application

These courses must be completed before applying to the program. These courses must be completed within seven years of the application date, with the exception of English. English does not have an expiration date. Higher-level courses without a lab do not meet the requirements for Chemistry, Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, and Physics. 

• General College Chemistry with Lab
  • Acceptable courses at CCSF
    • General College Chemistry (CHEM 101A); or
    • Introduction to Medical Chemistry (CHEM 32)
  • Acceptable courses from other California colleges/universities
    • General Chemistry for Science Major I, with Lab (C-ID: CHEM 110)
  • CCSF's Introduction to Chemical Principles (CHEM 40) does not meet this requirement
• English
  • Acceptable courses at CCSF
    • English (ENG 1A)
  • Acceptable courses from other California colleges/universities
    • College Composition (C-ID: ENGL 100)
  • There is no seven-year recency requirement for the English requirement
  • Advanced Placement (AP)
    • Students who have Advanced Placement credits for Language & Composition or Literature & Language Composition and can furnish College Board transcripts with test results of 3 or higher can fulfill this prerequisite requirement
• Human Anatomy and Human Physiology with Lab
  • A student needs a minimum of eight-unit hours of Human Anatomy and Physiology, including lecture and lab
  • Acceptable courses at CCSF
    • General Human Anatomy (BIO 108), and
    • General Human Physiology (BIO 112) or Human Physiology (BIO 111)
  • Acceptable courses from other California colleges/universities
    • Human Anatomy with Lab (C-ID: BIOL 110 B) and Human Physiology with Lab (C-ID: BIOL 120 B); or
    • Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab (C-ID: BIOL 115 S)
  • CCSF's Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology (BIO 106) does not meet this requirement
• Mathematics
  • Acceptable courses at CCSF
    • Any course that satisfies CCSF's Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning mathematics graduation requirement
  • Advanced Placement (AP)
    • Students who have Advanced Placement credits for Calculus AB or BC and can furnish College Board transcripts with test results of 3 or higher can fulfill this prerequisite requirement
• Introductory Physics with Lab
  • Acceptable courses at CCSF
    • Conceptual Physics (PHYC 10 and PHYC 10L); or
    • Physics 2 series (PHYC 2A, 2AL, 2B, and 2BL); or
    • Physics 4 series (PHYC 4A, 4AL, 4B, 4BL, 4C, and 4CL
  • Advanced Placement (AP)
    • Students who have Advanced Placement credits for both Physics 1 and Physics 2 and can furnish College Board transcripts with test results of 3 or higher can fulfill this prerequisite requirement
    • Students must have completed both Physics 1 and Physics 2 with a test result of 3 or higher to meet this prerequisite requirement
    • Advanced Placement Physics C does not meet this requirement

Highly Recommended Courses to Complete Before Application

These courses are not required to be completed before applying to the program; however, these courses serve as prerequisites or corequisites to DMI courses as early as the first semester of the program. These courses do not have to be completed within seven years of the application date.

• Advanced First Aid and Basic Life Support (EMT 14)
  • Must be taken at CCSF
  • A CPR license is not a substitute for this requirement
  • Prerequisite or corequisite for DMI 52 (first-semester course)
  • Prerequisite or corequisite for DMI 51A (second-semester course)
• Intro to Radiologic Technology (DMI 49)
  • Must be taken at CCSF
  • Prerequisite or corequisite for DMI 50A (first-semester course)
  • Prerequisite for DMI 51A (second-semester course)
• Medical Terminology (HIT 50A)
  • Any college-level medical terminology will meet this requirement
  • Prerequisite or corequisite for DMI 51A (second-semester course)
• General Psychology
  • Acceptable courses
    • General Psychology (PSYC 1); or
    • Applied Psychology (PSYC 26)
  • Prerequisite or corequisite for DMI 52 (first-semester course)
• Public Speaking
  • Acceptable courses
    • Elements of Public Speaking (CMST 1A); or
    • Fundamentals of Oral Communication (CMST 12)
  • Interpersonal Communication is not an acceptable alternative course
  • Prerequisite for DMI 62 (third-semester course)

In-person and Remote Courses

• Lectures
  • We accept all in-person, remote, or online prerequisite lecture courses, regardless of when they were taken.
• Labs
  • We accept remote or online prerequisite lab courses taken during Spring 2020 semester/quarter through Spring 2025 semester/quarter. 
  • We do not accept remote or online prerequisite lab courses taken during or after Summer 2025 semester/quarter.

GPA and Transcripts

• In the application, you must upload all unofficial transcripts from every domestic and international college/university you attended
  • If accepted into the program, you must provide official transcripts from every domestic and international college/university you attended to the DMI program
• An overall 2.0 GPA is required for all domestic and international college courses attempted and listed on your unofficial transcript(s)
  • Calculate all courses regardless of repeat/replace or academic renewal
• A combined 2.5 GPA is required for all "Prerequisite Courses to Complete Before Application" (except English) attempted within seven years
  • Only calculate courses taken within the past seven years
  • Calculate every attempt at the course within the past seven years
  • Calculate every attempt at the course regardless of repeat/replace or academic renewal
  • Convert plus and minus grades to the standard letter grade (ex. A- becomes an A; B+ becomes a B)
• Grades of “C-” or lower and "Pass/No Pass" are not acceptable in the prerequisite courses for the program
• Prerequisite courses may be taken at any accredited college, but they must be evaluated as the exact equivalent of those offered at CCSF
  • Contact a CCSF academic counselor for assistance in requesting course equivalency and/or comparability and to learn about the transcript evaluation submission process

Academic History

Academic history of more than two incomplete grades, withdrawals, or repetition of "Prerequisite Courses to Complete Before Application," due to failures, academic notice (previously called academic probation), etc. within the past seven years, may be cause for application disqualification. More than two is considered excessive by the DMI program and an indication of academic problems.

• If you have more than two incomplete grades, withdrawals, and/or repetition of "Prerequisite Courses to Complete Before Application" within the past seven years, explain the reasons for your academic history. This explanation is not a guarantee of admission, however, it will be taken into consideration.
• Any incomplete grades, withdrawals, repetition of "Highly Recommended Courses to Complete Before Application" shall not be counted toward the academic history of more than two incomplete grades, withdrawals, or repetition courses.

All applicants and hospitals must adhere to the following guidelines.

• Shadowing/volunteering must be completed within seven years of application date

• Complete 40 hours of both patient and radiographer observation during general radiographic procedures
  • Complete the Shadowing/Volunteer Hours Verification Form
    • If the hours are not verifiable or total less than 40, the hours will not be accepted and will cause the applicant to be disqualified
  • Shadowing/volunteer experience can only take place in an acute care setting (hospital)
    • Ambulatory care settings (clinic), doctor’s offices, veterinary’s offices, etc. are not acceptable
    • Hours spent shadowing/volunteering in healthcare settings other than in a hospital will not be credited towards the prerequisite
  • Some hospitals may require students to complete more than 40 hours of shadowing/volunteering
    • All hours beyond the 40 hours required in radiology can be done anywhere within the hospital system
    • Shadowing/volunteering more than 40 hours in a radiology department will not improve an applicant’s chances of admission to the program

The applicant has two options when completing shadowing/volunteer hours

1. Shadowing/volunteer 40 hours in general radiography
2. Shadowing/volunteer 30 hours in general radiography and 10 hours in special modalities
   • General radiography includes
     • General Radiology (Skeletal Radiography, Chest X-Rays, etc.)
     • Fluoroscopy (Barium Studies, HSG, VCUG, RUG, etc.)
     • Surgery (any surgical procedure)
   • Special modalities include
     • Computed Tomography (CT)
     • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
     • Ultrasound (US)
     • Mammography
     • Bone Densitometry (Dexa)
     • Interventional Radiography (IR)

It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact the hospital, schedule the shadowing/volunteer hours, and complete the requirement.

Suggested hospitals in San Francisco

• University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
  • Contact: David Poon (LapKong.Poon@ucsf.edu)
  • UCSF requires completion of Anatomy and Physiology
• California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC)
  • Contact: Mike Jao (cpmcvolunteer@sutterhealth.org)
  • Phone: (415) 600-3402 or (415) 660-0374
  • CPMC requires a minimum of 100 volunteer hours
• St. Francis Memorial Hospital
  • Contact: (855) 782-9924
• St. Mary's
  • Contact: (855) 964-1480
• Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFGH)
  • Contact: Bilal Chaney (bilal.chaney@sfdph.org)
• Veteran’s Administration Medical Center
  • Contact: VHASFCVolunteerOnboarding@va.gov 
  • Phone: (415) 750-2144

Fall Start

1st Semester - Fall

2nd Semester - Spring

3rd Semester - Summer

4th Semester - Fall

5th Semester - Spring

6th & 7th Semester - Summer & Fall

Spring Start

1st Semester - Spring

2nd Semester - Fall

3rd Semester - Spring

4th Semester - Summer

5th Semester - Fall

6th & 7th Semester - Spring & Summer

The student technologist must be capable of meeting all the following demands of the job, which are included in the job descriptions of all employers:

Motor Function

• Stand unassisted for long periods of time
• Lift patients on and off the radiographic table independently 80% of the time as well as in and out of hospital beds, stretchers, and wheelchairs
• Lift and handle radiographic accessories and equipment of at least 30 lbs. above head
• Manipulate stationary and mobile radiographic equipment
• Assist personnel and patients in emergency situations

Visual Observation

• Observe and evaluate reasonably, patient's condition using signs and symptoms
• Interpret instrument control panels, technique charts, and other materials for appropriate operation of equipment and patient care
• View and critique radiographs, interpret quality factors, identify anatomy and list technical and procedural components

Hearing Ability

• Normal hearing or have hearing corrected to within normal range when facing patients or with back turned toward patient
• Hear in situations when not able to see lips (i.e., when masks are worn)
• Hear auditory alarms (i.e. monitors, fire alarms)

Tactile

• Feel vibrations (e.g., palpate pulses)
• Detect temperature (e.g., skin and/or solutions, etc.)
• Feel differences in surface characteristics (e.g., skin, rashes)

Communication Skills

• The student must be able to transfer information by verbal and non-verbal means to personnel and patients
• The student must be able to receive and interpret communication from personnel and patients and adhere to appropriate Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) confidentiality laws
• The student must be computer literate and able to operate a variety of computer programs, instructions, and compile data on a routine basis

Behavioral and Social Skills

• The student's behavioral and social skills must be acceptable within the college and clinical locations

If accepted into the DMI program, the following requirements must be met:

• Physical examination by a physician to determine whether a student meets the physical, mental, and emotional aptitude requirements for a radiologic technologist
• Vaccination proof of COVID-19 (and booster), Tdap, seasonal influenza (flu), and Tuberculin test
• Immunization proof (titer) of Rubeola, Rubella, Mumps, Varicella, and Hepatitis B
• Negative background check
• Negative drug screen

Tuition, health fees, and other general information for CCSF may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office or through Tuition and Fees.

The estimated costs of attending the program are as follows and may change without notice. The estimated costs do not include prerequisite courses needed to complete the General Education requirements for an Associate's degree. 

Transfer and Advanced Placement

Advanced placement in the DMI program is not granted to students transferring from other radiology/medical programs, international graduates, students who were dismissed and reapply, or due to loss of a CRT licensure or ARRT certification. All accepted students must start the program from the beginning.

International Radiographer Training

The City College of San Francisco does not have a curriculum for Radiographers educated in other countries to achieve credentialing in the United States. If you would like information about the programs of this nature, please refer to the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists website.

In order to meet national certification requirements, disclosure of all misdemeanor or felony convictions must be made. Any misdemeanor, felony conviction, or positive drug finding may impact the applicant’s ability to attend the clinical education component, complete program requirements, and/or obtain eligibility for certification.

If you have a previous felony or misdemeanor conviction, you must contact the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist (ARRT) Ethics Department and request an ethics review.

Steps for Requesting an Ethics Review

1. Ethics Review Preapplication - ARRT
2. Call (651) 687-0048 ext. 8580

You may still submit an application to the DMI Program while the ARRT ethics investigation is ongoing.

The Radiologic Sciences Department is committed to providing a workplace and an educational environment free of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, threats, or coercion based on a legally protected status. Therefore it is the policy of the Radiologic Sciences Department to provide all persons with equal educational opportunities in all of its programs and activities regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnic group identification, religion, age, gender, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, disability or AIDS/HIV status, medical conditions, gender identity, or status as a Vietnam-Era veteran. This will include anyone perceived as having these characteristics or associated with anyone having these characteristics. The compliance officer for purposes of this policy is the District Title 5/EEO/ADA/ Title IX Compliance Officer, 50 Frida Kahlo Way, B213, San Francisco, CA 94112, (415) 452-5053.

Further, the Radiologic Sciences Department does not tolerate retaliation against any employee or student for making a valid complaint or charges under the provisions of its nondiscrimination procedures, or for cooperating in an investigation.

The Radiologic Sciences Department complies with all applicable laws, including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Sections 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, California Government Code Section 11135 et. seq. and all applicable regulations, and with all applicable requirements related to receipt of federal and/or state funds.

The compliance officer/coordinator for purposes of this policy is the District Title 5/EEO/ADA/Title IX Compliance Officer, 50 Frida Kahlo Way, B213, San Francisco, CA 94112, (415) 452-5053. Information concerning the provisions of the applicable laws and complaint procedures is available from the District Title 5/EEO/ADA/Title IX Compliance Officer.

The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) Standards for an Accredited Educational Program in Radiography are designed to promote academic excellence, patient safety, and quality healthcare. The Standards require a program to articulate its purposes; to demonstrate that it has adequate human, physical, and financial resources effectively organized for the accomplishment of its purposes; to document its effectiveness in accomplishing these purposes, and to provide assurance that it can continue to meet accreditation standards. Detailed information about the standards can be found on the JRCERT website.

Standard 1: Accountability, Fair Practices, and Public Information

Standard 2: Institutional Commitment and Resources

Standard 3: Faculty and Staff

Standard 4: Curriculum and Academic Practices

Standard 5: Health and Safety

Standard 6: Programmatic Effectiveness and Assessment: Using Data for Sustained Improvement