Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants must:

• meet the general admission requirements for the college.
• hold a high school diploma or GED.
• have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) ≥ 2.75 based on the GPA calculated at the most recent institution/college at which you completed at least 12 college credit hours.

The following are the prerequisites for Fall 2026 consideration:

• One unit of high school or college lab science (biology, chemistry, or physics) 
  Note: BIO 141 cannot be used to fulfill the lab science requirement.
• BIO 141 Human Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits)
• HLT 141 Introduction to Medical Terminology (1 credit)
• MTH 161 Pre-Calculus I (3 credits)
• SDV 101 Orientation to Health Professions (2 credits)

Each course must be completed with a C or higher by the end of the spring 2026 semester. Please note: if you achieve a C in each of the prerequisite courses, the prerequisite GPA will not be 2.75 or higher.

A high school deficiency in a mathematics course may be satisfied by completing an equivalent or higher-level college course. Sciences must have a lab component.

If your college offers a one-credit SDV 100 and a one-credit SDV 101, we can combine those two courses to equate to the two-credit SDV 101 prerequisite, provided the final grades are a C or higher.  Alternately, if you have completed an Associate degree or higher, upon receipt of the official transcript showing degree completion we can use the previous degree to award credit for prior learning for the two credit SDV prerequisite.

If your college only offers the one-credit SDV, we can use the one credit of SDV and a completed HLT or PED course for the second SDV credit. In addition, several community colleges, including Virginia Western, offer their two credit SDV courses online. You can apply to that college and complete the two credit SDV online.

The Radiation Oncology Program is very competitive with a limited number of students accepted each year at both the Virginia Western and Northern Virginia campuses. Only 10-12 students are accepted a year.

Program admission decisions are based on:

• academic record and GPA
• strength in sciences and math
• interview results based on interviews conducted by program faculty
• two letters of recommendation.

Additional consideration is given to those with any of the following:

• CNA or CCMA credential
• EMT credential
• paramedic credential
• corpsman
• phlebotomist
• 12 months of healthcare experience in patient care related role with letter of recommendation from supervisor

Please be prepared to submit a copy of certification or healthcare credential with the online application. Healthcare experience without a credential is considered with a supervisor’s recommendation indicating 12 months of healthcare experience related to patient care. Please submit recommendation letter with your application only if you do not have a current healthcare license or certification but do have 12 months of patient care. Please have the supervisor send the recommendation letter to pwoody@virginiawestern.edu or healthprofessions@virginiawestern.edu.

There is not a waiting list. All applicants who meet the deadline and are minimally qualified will be considered for the program.

This program is only offered during the day due to the hours of operation of the clinical facilities and labs involved. It is strongly recommended that students limit working hours if admitted into the program. The ROC part of the curriculum must be completed in the sequence outlined.

The Radiation Oncology curriculum has a heavy emphasis on mathematics, physics, and general and radiation sciences, as well as clinical sessions which demand technical and lecture application skills. All courses within the AAS in Radiation Oncology must be passed with a grade of C or above. Satisfactory progress is necessary for eligibility to take licensure examinations.

Some applicants elect to complete general support classes such as English Composition, Ethics, and Developmental Psychology while they are being considered. Grades must be a C or better to be used towards the program.

It should be understood that these general education or support courses are not the same as required prerequisites. Interested students are encouraged to work with the pre-Radiation Oncology advisor Rhonda Perdue or to reach out to one of the team members in the HPAAO to see if taking support classes is feasible based on their individual circumstances. This is a restricted program and only 10-12 students are accepted a year.

We accept permanent residents, asylee, refugees and most visa types. However, we do not accept students on F1 or M1 visas as those visas are affiliated with a particular school. Students on F1 or M1 visas are not allowed to pursue a degree or certificate program with Virginia Western. Students on B1 and B2 visas are also not allowed to enroll at Virginia Western.

The Introduction to Radiation Oncology CSC allows applicants who may not be accepted into the AAS program to academically prepare to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) certification exam, if the EMS 111/120 course sequence is completed. 

Additionally, if you already have a healthcare licensure/certification (such as CCMA, CNA, Phlebotomist, etc,) if you submit a copy of your current license to the HPAAO, we can complete paperwork on your behalf to determine if Credit for Prior Learning can be awarded for one of the options under the job skill portion of the Introduction to Radiation Oncology CSC.

The Introduction to Radiation Oncology CSC consists of specific coursework that is designed to allow applicants to the Radiation Oncology program to complete some of the courses required within the AAS and to also offer a job skill option in case of non-admittance to the program. Not all prerequisite and support classes are included in the CSC. BIO 142 is not included in the CSC and the course options offer PSY 230 (SOC 200/PSY 200) OR PHI 220. 

If you are using financial aid to cover the cost of classes, financial aid will only cover the cost of either PSY 230 OR PHI 220, if you are eligible for financial aid.

If you wish to complete these courses prior to entry, you need to pay for those courses out of pocket.  If you are accepted into the AAS Radiation Oncology program, financial aid will then cover those courses. The plan change for accepted students from the CSC to the AAS typically occurs in late May or early June and will not be effective until the fall term.

Applicants for admission to the Radiation Oncology program are considered for class positions based on their ability to meet the program admission standards, without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin, or other non-merit factors.

Applicants can complete the GED and submit official scores of the GED to the HPAAO. Applicants can also submit their transcripts to one of the organizations who are members of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) and have the official report that verifies completion of United States High School education equivalency sent to the HPAAO. Either the copy of the GED scores or the official report from a NACES organization member must arrive by the application deadline of March 15 to be considered for the fall program. Here is a link to the current members of the NACES.

We have a team of advisors for Health Professions.

Submission of all academic materials including application and official transcripts from High School and all colleges attempted should be directed to: Attention: Pam Woody; VWCC; School of Health Professions; 3091 Colonial Avenue, SW; Roanoke VA 24015.

You may also contact the team of advisors at healthprofessions@virginiawestern.edu.

Specific questions about the Northern Virginia joint venture program classroom, clinical sites, and schedule should be directed to Program Director Tillie Conner at 540-857-6104 or mconner@virginiawestern.edu, or to the Site Coordinator at Northern Virginia Community College Kerry Cropper at kcropper@nvcc.edu.

Admission decisions are made by a Radiation Oncology Admissions Committee. Admission decisions are emailed to the applicants as soon as possible, usually by late May.

Incoming freshman students will attend classes during the first semester. Classes will be offered via Canvas, Zoom, and in the classroom. 

Beginning second semester, students attend clinicals on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-4:30 PM, and ROC classes on Wednesdays.

Summer semester is clinical for 5 days/forty hours per week. In the first semester of their final year, students attend clinicals on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and classes on Thursdays. In the final semester, classroom is Thursdays and clinicals are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Virginia Western Community College faculty and students must comply with the policies required by clinical facilities with which we have legal agreements. If a student refuses to comply with a clinical facility immunization and vaccination requirement, Virginia Western Community College will attempt, but cannot guarantee, to assign a student to an alternative clinical facility. A student will be placed in an alternative location only if it meets the educational objectives of Virginia Western Community College and program requirements for clinical placement. Faculty also must be available to appropriately supervise students at the clinical facility. Refusal to comply with a clinical facility immunization and vaccination requirement by a student in our health programs may impede your progress in the program or your ability to remain in the program.

Only radiation therapy professionals who have completed the appropriate education and obtained certification(s) as outlined in these standards should perform radiation therapy procedures. Radiation therapists prepare for their roles on the interdisciplinary team by successfully completing a program in radiation therapy that is programmatically accredited or part of an institution that is regionally accredited and by attaining appropriate primary certification from the ARRT. Those passing the AART radiation therapy examination use the credentials R.T. (T).