This text is meant to serve as the basis for a two-course series in the study of radiation protection (a. k. a. “health physics”). The ?rst course would be an introduction to and fast-paced overview of the subject. For some, this is the only course in radiation protection that they will take, and thus all material must be covered in a fairly super?cial and rapid fashion. The second course is a more in-depth and applied study of radiation protection, bringing in current materials from the literature, a detailed study of regulations, practice with re- world dose and shielding calculations, and perhaps application in a semest- long student project assigned by the instructor. Several chapters include an additional section of suggested readings and other resources that can be used by the instructor to build such detailed investigations in a second course of this nature. In the ?rst course, the chapter may be basically studied, with reference to the idea that a much richer literature base exists than can be covered in a broad overview of radiation protection. Through exploration of this literature base, and other similar materials that the instructor may be aware of that are not speci?cally cited, this second, more in-depth course may be developed. A routine part of any good health physics program is a complete course in radiation detection and measurement. My brief overview chapter here cannot provide the depth needed for this subject.
