Diagnostic Radiography
Diagnostic radiography combines the empathy and compassion of healthcare with the expertise of managing advanced imaging technology. Radiographers are healthcare professionals who use equipment including X-ray, CT, MRI, fluoroscopy, and ultrasound to produce the images that enable diagnosis across the full range of medical conditions, from broken bones and chest infections to cancers and neurological disorders. High-quality diagnostic imagery is fundamental to modern medicine, and the radiographer's role requires both clinical skill and human sensitivity, since patients undergoing imaging are often anxious, in pain, or seriously unwell.
At the University of Leicester this three-year full-time programme prepares you to work as a diagnostic radiographer, qualifying you to register as a healthcare professional. You will develop knowledge of anatomy and physiology, pathology, radiographic physics, imaging technology, radiation protection, and the clinical decision-making that connects image quality to diagnostic outcomes. The programme recognises that you need to understand both how your equipment and software work and how a human body works, and these two bodies of knowledge are integrated throughout the course.
Practical placements in NHS imaging departments are central to the programme, developing the clinical competence and professional confidence that patient-facing practice demands. The typical entry tariff of 136 points reflects the scientific and clinical standard expected.
You will graduate as a professional eligible to register with the Health and Care Professions Council and to work in NHS and independent hospitals across a wide range of imaging modalities.
Graduates work as diagnostic radiographers and may develop specialist practice in areas such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, fluoroscopy, or reporting radiography. Postgraduate study enables further specialisation, and many radiographers move into clinical leadership, education, and research over their careers.