MSc in Medical Physics

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

University of Galway

Program Overview

The MSc in Medical Physics at the University of Galway is a professional master’s designed to train physicists to apply physical science and engineering principles to medical technologies, especially in radiation physics, imaging, and clinical environments. It’s ideal for science graduates (e.g., Physics, Electronic Engineering, or related disciplines) who want a career as a Medical Physicist in healthcare, research, or clinical technology.

🧠 Curriculum structure

Year 1 (Full-time, 1 year)

In the first part of your MSc, you learn core concepts that underpin how physics applies in medicine, including radiation physics, medical imaging, and safety — essential foundations for clinical practice. As you progress, you’ll engage with clinical instrumentation, hospital radiation procedures, and applied anatomy & physiology, often delivered in close collaboration with professionals from University Hospital Galway, giving you a real-world context for what you study.

By the second half of the year, you’ll undertake practical training and a research project that reflects current healthcare technology needs, such as imaging optimisation, radiation safety protocols, and medical device applications. This blend of academic and clinical exposure prepares you both for professional roles and for research-focused pathways in medical technology and healthcare physics.

🔬 Focus areas (in a string):

Radiation physics in medicine, medical imaging systems, radiation safety, clinical instrumentation, applied anatomy and physiology, hospital practice exposure, research project.

🎯 Learning outcomes (in a string):

Apply physics and engineering principles to medical technologies; analyse and solve clinical physics problems; understand imaging and radiotherapy physics; integrate safety and regulatory knowledge; complete independent research in a medical physics context.

📜 Professional alignment (accreditation):

This MSc is CAMPEP-accredited (Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programmes), a major professional benchmark in medical physics education — helping with eligibility for clinical training and residencies in the USA and Canada and signalling strong international quality.

🌍 Reputation (employability rankings):

The University of Galway’s MSc Medical Physics is one of the first European programmes to receive CAMPEP accreditation and has a strong track record of graduates employed as medical physicists in public healthcare, research institutes, and clinical technology roles worldwide — including in Ireland’s health services and internationally.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

In the MSc in Medical Physics at University of Galway, your learning goes far beyond lectures — you’ll gain real clinical and practical skills that prepare you for professional roles in healthcare physics, imaging and radiation safety. The programme is closely integrated with University Hospital Galway, giving you exposure to real medical physics environments, contemporary clinical instrumentation, and supervised research. You’ll also build your competence with industry-relevant tools, data analysis and AI applications specific to medical imaging and therapy:

Your experiential learning includes:

Clinical training in a hospital setting: The course is closely integrated with University Hospital Galway, enabling you to see first-hand how physics principles are applied to radiation therapy, diagnostic imaging and patient safety in a busy clinical environment.
Hands-on laboratory sessions and tutorials: The programme includes workshops, lab work and tutorials where you put theory into practice — for example through Radiation Fundamentals and Medical Imaging modules that involve practical measurement and detector calibration.
Clinical instrumentation experience: You’ll engage directly with modules like Clinical Instrumentation and Radiological Imaging Technology and Safety, gaining familiarity with actual equipment used in medical diagnostics and radiation therapy.
Applied computational and data tools: In modules such as AI Applications in Medical Physics, you’ll use software (notably Python and scientific libraries) to analyse medical data, explore statistical techniques and develop AI methods relevant to imaging and treatment optimisation.
Biostatistics and human anatomy practicals: Through Introduction to Biostatistics and Human Body Structure, you’ll apply statistical reasoning and anatomical knowledge directly to clinical case scenarios, strengthening your ability to interpret data in real contexts.
Independent research project: A key experiential element is the Research Project (30 ECTS), where you carry out supervised research on a clinical or physics problem, learn research ethics, and present findings to professional standards — transitioning from student to practitioner-researcher.
Access to specialised facilities and supports: You’ll be supported by the University of Galway’s strong research and teaching infrastructure, including physics and medical research labs, scientific computing resources, and the University Library’s extensive scientific collections for literature review and data work.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the MSc in Medical Physics at University of Galway are highly sought after in clinical, research and healthcare technology environments, stepping confidently into roles such as Medical Physicist, Clinical Scientist (Medical Physics), Radiation Safety Officer, and Imaging Physics Specialist. With its strong emphasis on practical clinical exposure and internationally recognised accreditation, this programme equips you with the professional skills, hospital-linked experience and theoretical depth that employers value globally:

Career progression and support include:

University employability services: You’ll receive tailored guidance from the Career Development Centre, including CV workshops, interview preparation, employer networking events, and access to job vacancies — helping bridge the gap between academic achievement and clinical employment.
Professional recognition and salary potential: The MSc is CAMPEP-accredited, one of the key credentials recognised internationally for clinical physics careers, enhancing employability in healthcare systems across Ireland, the UK, Canada and the USA; medical physicists in these regions typically earn competitive professional salaries (e.g., clinical physicists in Ireland and the UK report median salaries in line with allied health science roles and minimum postgraduate earnings — consult specific employer scales via national health services).
Hospital and industry engagement: The programme’s close integration with University Hospital Galway gives you direct exposure to clinical physics practice, which opens doors to hospital physics departments, private healthcare providers and imaging companies.
Long-term qualification value: The combination of hands-on clinical training, applied instrumentation modules and a research project — together with CAMPEP accreditation — positions you for advanced roles in clinical physics, radiation safety, therapeutic and diagnostic technology sectors.
Graduate outcomes: Many students move into permanent roles within hospital medical physics departments, diagnostic imaging services, radiotherapy centres, or technology providers specialising in medical instrumentation and clinical data analysis.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the MSc in Medical Physics, you can progress to PhD research in areas such as medical imaging, radiation physics, biomedical engineering or clinical technology. The research project within the programme provides a strong foundation for doctoral study, and University of Galway’s research community offers pathways into funded postgraduate research positions and collaborations with clinical partners.