Mammography
Increase your skills and earning potential by adding an additional credential after your name. Mammography is a patient-centered modality, which requires a high level of technical skill.
The medical imaging modality of mammography is an important tool used in the diagnosis of breast cancer. This program will assist you in obtaining the necessary didactic education and mandatory clinical competencies to prepare you to sit for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) Mammography Certification Examination.
This post-primary certificate will increase your employment options and earning potential. Designed with the working technologist in mind, we are offering an online didactic course and weekday internship opportunities throughout the Denver metro area. This certificate includes a three-credit online course that exceeds the requirements of the ARRT. Topics emphasized are patient interactions and MQSA safety, data acquisition, image production and quality, mammography positioning and anatomy.
American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology.
This program exceeds the 16 ARRT requirements of didactic education and the 40 contact hours of instruction required by the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) of 1992 and 1998.
Some programs and/or courses may require additional fees in addition to the base tuition and fees. High-cost course fees are used to support the maintenance and development of the course labs and are embedded within your general tuition.
The following courses have additional fees:
RTE 2091
View the 2024-2025 Course Specific Fees
This program is not eligible for federal student aid. See if you qualify here. Also, view more scholarships and apply.
To be successful, you will need to possess the critical thinking skills necessary to move into your clinical internship and an autonomous working environment. The online course progresses at a flexible pace for an individualized learning experience. Once completed, you’ll enroll in a clinical internship offered at clinics and hospitals located along the Front Range.
Your internships will prepare you to be job ready and are arranged by CCD’s mammography clinical instructor. The required clinical internship is 4 credits, or two days per week for 10 weeks. To complete the program, you’ll be evaluated by the supervising technologist and CCD’s mammography clinical instructor to ensure you demonstrate your clinical skills, obtain competencies, and to attain autonomy in the clinical setting.
Additional internships are available should you need additional time.
What Can I Do with My Major?
The job growth for mammography is the same for radiologic technologists. The radiologic technologist acquires post-primary certification after completing structured education requirement and clinical skills. Overall employment of mammography technologists is projected to grow 24 percent in Colorado from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations. As the population grows older, there will be an increase in medical conditions that require imaging as a tool for making diagnoses. This post-primary certification will increase your employment options and earning potential.
This post-primary certification will increase your employment options and earning potential. Designed with the working technologist in mind. This certificate includes a three-credit online course, exceeding the requirement of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologies (ARRT).
How Much Can I Expect to Earn?
The median annual wage for mammography imaging technologists was $73,410 in May 2022.
This information provided here was taken from Onet and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Total of 2019 Graduates | Total Students Employed in their Field of Study | Total Students Who Have Transferred to 4-Year Degree or Other Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 5 | 0 |
Fall Semester Start: June 1 - July 15
Spring Semester Start: October 1 - November 15
Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Some clinical sites may interview potential applicants at their discretion.
*This program is not eligible for financial aid.
Review the information below to learn more about how to prepare for your application to the Mammography Certificate program.
- Enrolled as a CCD student. Admission to CCD does not guarantee placement in the mammography certificate program.
- Candidates must pass a 10-year background check and drug screen when instructed by the program coordinator. Enrollment in the courses is restricted by the coordinator.
- You must hold current certification in radiography by the ARRT.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Prepare Your Supplemental Materials
The mammography certificate application requires supplemental materials to be prepared prior to applying.
The supplemental materials include:
- vaccination and medical records;
- AHA CPR card
- Radiology License ARRT, ARDMS or NMCTB
- Resume
- Current Health Insurance card
Please save and name all completed documents using the following format: Last Name-Document Name (ex. "Smith-CPR.pdf").
Vaccination and Medical Records
Applicants to the mammography certificate program are required to submit specific vaccination and medical records as part of their application supplemental materials.
You will need to provide the following records:
- A negative Tuberculosis (TB) skin test OR QuantiFERON (QFT) Gold test OR clear chest x-ray image within 3 months of applying
- Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine;
- Varicella vaccine;
- Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) vaccine within the last 10 years
- Flu vaccine;
- Hepatitis B vaccine;
- Physical within the last year
- COVID-19 vaccine
The Health Center can help you obtain any vaccines or tests you may need and provide the required records above.
Admission to the College does not guarantee admission to the mammography program. Admission to the mammography program is dependent upon clinical site availability and fulfillment of the other program admission requirements.
Have Questions? Contact Cybele Antonow.
- Please do not begin the background check process until instructed to do so by the mammography program coordinator.
- Regardless of a previous employment background check (BGC), a new one must be initiated through Castle Branch.
- There is a non-refundable fee of $80.
- You must provide proof of completion date and receipt of the background check and drug screen to the program coordinator.
- Read, sign, and print the CCD Informed Consent for Background Check and include it in your application packet.
Once you are accepted into the program, complete the application for a Colorado provisional mammography license via the State of Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment.