CHEM-461-krista_nishida-2026-09-25-12-46-13

Advanced Health Physics

CHEM 461

Spring Semesters

Number of Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisites: CHEM 361, or instructor permission.

Course Details

LECTURE, Dodgen 150:
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 1:10 - 2:00 pm

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor Name: Prof. Zachariah Heiden

Instructor Contact Information: email: zachariah.heiden@wsu.edu, phone: 509-335-0936

Office: Dodgen 250C Office hours: by appointment

Course Description

Chem 461 : Advanced Health Physics 3 Course Prerequisite: Chem 361 or instructor permission. Focuses on the understanding of how ionizing radiation affects the environment and human body, with an emphasis on radiation safety, utilizing critical thinking to address and lead in the safe handling of health physics scenarios. Health physics scenarios include scenarios where radiation is encountered in medical facilities, universities, power reactors, research facilities, nuclear power reactor facilities, and the environment. Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

Course Materials

Books: None Required

Below is a list of textbooks you may find useful as general references. Recommended

“Basic Health Physics” by Joseph John Bevelacqua (ISBN: 978-3527408238)
“Introduction to Health Physics” - 6th Edition by Thomas E. Johnson (ISBN: 978-1929169245)

Other Materials: None

Fees: None

Learning Goals, Course Objectives

Chemistry 461 is designed to advance students toward the WSU Learning Goals, especially Scientific Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Quantitative Reasoning, Communication, and Information Literacy. This course emphasizes critical thinking and will provide undergraduate students with experiences in recognizing, assessing, and addressing health physics scenarios where radiation is encountered in medical facilities, universities, power reactors, research facilities, nuclear power reactor facilities, and the environment.

**Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) [add more lines if necessary]**
Course Learning Outcomes (students will be able to:)	Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes	Assessment of the Learning Outcomes
Assess and address health physics scenarios in medical facilities	Lectures 7 – 11	Homework Sets Exams Reports from Hands-On Mini-Experiments
Assess and address health physics scenarios in university facilities	Lectures 12 – 16	Homework Sets Exams Reports from Hands-On Mini-Experiments
Assess and address health physics scenarios in relation to the nuclear fuel cycle	Lectures 17 – 21	Homework Sets Exams Reports from Hands-On Mini-Experiments
Assess and address health physics scenarios at power reactors	Lectures 22 – 26	Homework Sets Exams Reports from Hands-On Mini-Experiments
Assess and address health physics scenarios in the environment	Lectures 27 - 30	Homework Sets Exams Reports from Hands-On Mini-Experiments
Assess and address health physics scenarios at accelerators	Lectures 31 - 35	Homework Sets Exams Reports from Hands-On Mini-Experiments
Assess and address health physics scenarios involving non-ionizing radiation	Lectures 36 - 41	Homework Sets Exams Reports from Hands-On Mini-Experiments

**Course Schedule**

**[Please note that a WSU semester is 15 weeks + Thanksgiving/Spring Break. The schedule below does not include the break.]**
Dates	Lesson Topic	Assignment	Assessment
Week 1 [dates]	Chapter 1: Basic Concepts in Health Physics
Week 2 [dates]	Finish Chapter 1: Basic Concepts in Health Physics
Week 3 [dates]	Chapter 2: Medical Health Physics	Homework #1
Week 4 [dates]	Finish Chapter 2: Medical Health Physics		Midterm Exam 1
Week 5 [dates]	Chapter 3: University Health Physics	Homework #2
Week 6 [dates]	Finish Chapter 3: University Health Physics
Week 7 [dates]	Chapter 4: Fuel Cycle Health Physics
Week 8 [dates]	Finish Chapter 4: Fuel Cycle Health Physics	Homework #3
Week 9 [dates]	Chapter 5: Power Reactor Health Physics
Week 10 [dates]	Finish Chapter 5: Power Reactor Health Physics	Homework #4
Week 11 [dates]	Chapter 6: Environmental Health Physics
Week 12 [dates]	Finish Chapter 6: Environmental Health Physics		Midterm Exam 2
Week 13 [dates]	Chapter 7: Accelerator Health Physics	Homework #5
Week 14 [dates]	Finish Chapter 7: Accelerator Health Physics Chapter 8: Non-ionizing Radiation Health Physics
Week 15 [dates]	Finish Chapter 8: Non-ionizing Radiation Health Physics	Homework #6
Finals Week			Final Exam

Expectations for Student Effort

For each hour of lecture equivalent, students should expect to have a minimum of one hour of work outside class.

Grading

The grading scale will be administered in accordance to the policies of the WSU university registrar. There will be no exams given in this course. The student's final grade will be based on homework sets, hand-on mini-experiment reports, two midterm exams, and a final exam.

Assignment Breakdown
Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc)	Points	Percent of Overall Grade
Homework Sets	500	50
Midterm Exams	300	30
Final Exam	200	20

Grading Schema
Grade	Percent	Grade	Percent
A	92	C	72
A-	90	C-	70
B+	87	D+	67
B	82	D	62
B-	80	F	below 62
C+	77

HOMEWORK SETS: The homework sets will be assigned weekly on Monday and typically be due at 7:45 am the following week. Late homework sets will not be accepted. There will be six homework sets, with five highest scores counting towards the final grade (the lowest score will be dropped, if all fourteen are completed). Homework sets are designed to extend the knowledge of a student beyond the material discussed in class.

MIDTERM EXAMS: There will be two midterm exams and a comprehensive final given during class time. All exams will be short answer and administered in class. These exams are closed book and closed note exams. No make-up exams will be given. If you are unable to take a scheduled exam for documented academic reasons beyond your control, you will be allowed to schedule the exam at an earlier time.

FINAL EXAM: Final exams are scheduled for last week of the semester; the Final Exam Schedule is posted on the Registrar’s website (www.registrar.wsu.edu).

LECTURES: Lectures will be presented in person at the scheduled class time in Dodgen 150. A copy of the slides presented during a particular lecture will be available on Canvas within twenty-four hours after the lecture.

Attendance and Make-Up Policy

Students should make all reasonable efforts to attend all class meetings. However, in the event a student is unable to attend a class, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor as soon as possible, explain the reason for the absence (and provide documentation, if appropriate), and make up class work missed within a reasonable amount of time, if allowed. Missing class meetings may result in reducing the overall grade in the class.

Academic Integrity Statement

All members of the university community share responsibility for maintaining and promoting the principles of integrity in all activities, including academic integrity and honest scholarship. Students are responsible for understanding the full Academic Integrity Statement.

You are responsible for reading WSU’s Academic Integrity PolicyLinks to an external site., which is based on Washington State lawLinks to an external site.. If you cheat in your work in this class you will:

Fail the assignment without the option for a retake.
Be reported to the Center for Community StandardsLinks to an external site..
Have the right to appeal my decision.
Not be able to drop the course or withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished.

If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.

If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the formLinks to an external site. at the Center for Community StandardsLinks to an external site. website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.”