Graduate Curriculum Committee Course Proposal Form
for Courses Numbered 6000 and Higher
Note: Before completing this form, please carefully read the accompanying instructions.
Submission guidelines are posted to the GCC Web site: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gcc/index.cfm
1. Course prefix and number:
PHYS 6720 / PHYS 6722
2. Date:
12/02/2011
3. Requested action:
X
X
New Course
Revision of Active Course
Revision & Unbanking of a Banked Course
Renumbering of an Existing Course from
from
to
#
X
Required
#
Elective
4. Method(s) of delivery (check all boxes that apply for both current/proposed and expected
future delivery methods within the next three years):
Current or
Proposed Delivery
Method(s):
x
On-campus (face to face)
Expected
Future Delivery
Method(s):
x
Distance Course (face to face off campus)
Online (delivery of 50% or more of the instruction is offered online)
5. Justification (must cite accreditation and/or assessment by the graduate faculty) for new course
or course revision or course renumbering:
Assessment of Graduate Faculty in the Department of Physics upon recommendation of the Medical
Physics Studies Committee recommends revision of the existing course PHYS 6720 and addition of a new
laboratory component PHYS 6722 to be in compliance with recommendations from the American
Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics
Educational Programs (CAMPEP), the accrediting body for the Medical Physics concentration of the
Master’s degree program. All recommendations were approved by the Physics Department Graduate
Faculty on December 2 2011.
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Revised 04-06-11 and posted fall of 2011
6. Course description exactly as it should appear in the next catalog:
6720, 6722. Physics of Medical Imaging (4,0)
3 classroom and 2 lab hours per week. P: Consent of director of medical physics program. Physical
principles of diagnostic radiology. X-ray radiography (including mammography), fluoroscopy, and
computed tomography. Principles and applications of ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, SPECT and
PET.
7. If this is a course revision, briefly describe the requested change:
Update in course content, addition of laboratory component for hands-on experience. Increase credit hours
from 3 to 4 based on inclusion of laboratory component.
8. Course credit:
Lecture Hours
3
2
4
0
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
Studio
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Practicum
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Internship
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Lab
Other (e.g., independent study) Please explain.
s.h.
s.h.
s.h.
4
Total Credit Hours
s.h.
10
9. Anticipated annual student enrollment:
10. Changes in degree hours of your programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Changes in Degree Hours
MS in Physics, Medical Physics
concentration
+1
11. Affected degrees or academic programs, other than your programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Changes in Degree Hours
none
12. Overlapping or duplication with affected units or programs:
X Not applicable
Documentation of notification to the affected academic degree programs is
attached.
13. Council for Teacher Education (CTE) approval (for courses affecting teacher education):
X Not applicable
Applicable and CTE has given their approval.
14. University Service-Learning Committee (USLC) approval:
X Not applicable
Applicable and USLC has given their approval.
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Revised 04-06-11 and posted fall of 2011
15. Statements of support:
a. Staff
X Current staff is adequate
Additional staff is needed (describe needs in the box below):
b. Facilities
X Current facilities are adequate
Additional facilities are needed (describe needs in the box below):
c. Library
X
Initial library resources are adequate
Initial resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief explanation and an
estimate for the cost of acquisition of required initial resources):
d. Unit computer resources
X
Unit computer resources are adequate
Additional unit computer resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief
explanation and an estimate for the cost of acquisition):
e. ITCS resources
X
ITCS resources are not needed
The following ITCS resources are needed (put a check beside each need):
Mainframe computer system
Statistical services
Network connections
Computer lab for students
Software
Approval from the Director of ITCS attached
16. Course information (see: Graduate Curriculum and Program Development Manual for
instructions):
a. Textbook(s) and/or readings: author(s), name, publication date, publisher, and
city/state/country. Include ISBN (when applicable).




Textbook: Bushberg, Seibert, Leidholt and Boone, The Essential Physics of Medical Imaging,
3nd edition, 2012, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN-10: 0781780578; ISBN-13: 9780781780575.
Reference book: William R. Hendee, Medical Imaging Physics, 4th edition, 2002, Wiley-Liss.
ISBN-10: 0471382264; ISBN-13: 978-0471382263.
AAPM report No. 197: http://www.aapm.org/pubs/reports/RPT_197.pdf
RSNA Resource for Education – RSNA/AAPM Online Physics Modules:
http://physics.rsna.org/default.asp
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b. Course objectives for the course (student – centered, behavioral focus)
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
 Recognize fundamental physics concepts applied to medical imaging.
 Synthesize the application of basic concepts and principles with advanced technical concepts
and theoretical models.
 Apply concepts in imaging to diagnostic procedures in Medical Physics.
 Distinguish between various imaging modalities and their advantages/disadvantages.
 Visualize the theoretical concepts in hands-on experiences in laboratory sessions.
c. Course topic outline
The following topics will be covered in a lecture format:
 Radiation Physics and Dosimetry.
 X-ray production, x-ray tubes and Generators.
 Basic Imaging Science and Technology.
 X-ray Projection Imaging Concepts and Detectors.
 Radiation Protection and Associated Regulations.
 General Radiography.
 Fluoroscopy and Interventional Imaging.
 Mammography.
 Ultrasound.
 Computer Tomography.
 Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
 Nuclear Medicine Imaging procedures.
 Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography.
 Positron Emission Spectroscopy.
The following topics will be covered in laboratory sessions:
 General Radiography: X-ray imaging.
 Fluoroscopy.
 Mammography.
 Ultrasound.
 Computer Tomography (CT).
 Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
 PET/CT.
The laboratory sessions are hands-on demonstrations provided/done at the Leo Jenkins Cancer Center,
the ECU Heart Institute, and the Department of Radiology of Pitt County Memorial Hospital.
d. List of course assignments, weighting of each assignment, and grading/evaluation system
for determining a grade
Course assignments include regular homework sheets and a research article review and presentation.
Students will also write laboratory reports.
Grading is based on a point system:
 Homework 100 points

Research Article Review and Presentation 50 points

two intermediate tests 100 points each
 final exam 150 points
Total points possible: 500 points.
Grades:
 A: 450 – 500 points
 B: 400 – 449 points
 C: 300 – 399 points
 F: 299 points or below
Laboratory reports are graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
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Revised 04-06-11 and posted fall of 2011