The MRI program is offered in the fall semester of each academic year.  Please feel free to contact the program director for specific programmatic & course information.

Curriculum Details

Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a rapidly growing field of Allied Health. Chattanooga State's newly redeveloped MRI program coursework is offered online to meet the needs of the adult working Imaging Technologist. Our MRI students are hosted by clinic sites throughout the region. The curriculum follows the ARRT content specifications and is designed to prepare you for the MRI registry. Completion of both didactic courses will satisfy the structured education requirement for 16 hours of MRI relevant education to be eligible for the post-primary exam offered by the ARRT. Completion of the MRIT 2300 clinic course will make it possible for you to obtain the 125 exams required by the ARRT. Please note that all MRI program applicants must hold primary certification in Radiography (ARRT), Radiation Therapy (ARRT), Nuclear Medicine (ARRT or NMTCB), or Sonography (ARRT or ARDMS) for eligibility. 

MRI Certificate Program Curriculum

• MRIT 2000 MRI Anatomy & Pathology (4)
• MRIT 2200 MRI Physics & Procedures (4)
• MRIT 2300 MRI Clinical (8)

The following topics are included in the curriculum:

• patient care & management
• whole body cross-sectional anatomy
• pathology
• imaging procedures & protocols in MRI
• scanning methods
• quality control
• equipment operation
• safety measures & protocols
• history of MRI
• fundamentals in electromagnetism 

The official MRI certificate will only be awarded to students who complete requirements for all three courses. The clinical education component is conducted at an approved clinical education center under the guidance of an approved clinical preceptor. Clinical experience includes a minimum of 180 hours of training per semester and competency evaluation of a variety of exams required to sit for the ARRT MRI registry. Students affiliated with clinical sites in Tennessee are required to complete a series of general clinical orientation quizzes. All accepted students will be provided instructions for programmatic requirements prior to program start date. Students enrolling in the clinical course will be required to submit the following documentation at their own cost:

• 12-panel drug screen
• criminal background check
• physical exam
• online record documentation fee
• liability insurance (Chattanooga State Online Marketplace)
• radiation badge (Chattanooga State Online Marketplace)
• N95 respirator fit test
• TB skin test
• CPR (American Heart Association - BLS for Healthcare Provider)
• immunizations or titers (hepatitis B, MMR, Tdap, varicella, seasonal flu)

Tuition and fee costs can be viewed at https://www.chattanoogastate.edu/financial/tuition-fees/erate-fee-table

All program courses are eligible for financial aid assistance. Financial Aid information can be viewed at https://www.chattanoogastate.edu/financial/financial-aid