Medical Physics (MS)

Program Code: G-MPH-MS
Degree Designation: Master of Science
Department: Medical Physics
Website: medicalphysics.duke.edu

Program Summary

Medical physics is a field that applies principles of physics to the clinical needs of medicine and healthcare. It has been instrumental in the development of the medical fields of radiology, radiation oncology, and nuclear medicine. The Medical Physics Program offers both an MS and a PhD degree, organized into four academic tracks: diagnostic imaging physics, radiation oncology physics, nuclear medicine physics, and medical health physics. Graduates are trained for employment opportunities in academic settings, clinical service, industry, government labs, and consulting.

The Medical Physics Program is a collaborative interdisciplinary program with faculty from the Departments of Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Occupational and Environmental Safety (health physics), Biomedical and Electrical Engineering, and Physics with current research interests focused on: magnetic resonance imaging and microscopy, advanced digital imaging instrumentation and algorithms, detector and display characterization, computer-aided diagnosis, ultrasound, monoclonal antibody imaging and therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy, on-board imaging in radiation therapy, SPECT and PET imaging, neutron and X-ray scatter imaging, radiomics and big-data, machine learning, and dosimetry.

The Duke Medical Physics program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP).

Academic Requirements

All students take core courses focused on topics from all four academic tracks in the first year, followed by concentration-specific courses in their chosen major track of study, which includes practical clinical training and more advanced didactic courses. MS students can pursue either a thesis or a scholarship research project during their two years.