(found 44 schools)
Ultrasound technicians perform non-invasive medical imaging procedures that produce images of the abdominal organs, heart, other soft tissues, fetuses and cardiovascular systems. The Bachelor degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography is a four-year post-secondary educational program that includes liberal arts courses and didactic and clinical training. Students who already have an Associate degree in the right discipline may be able to apply most of the credits and earn a Bachelor degree in sonography.
Advantages of Bachelor Degree in Sonography
There are excellent reasons why pursuing a Bachelor degree in diagnostic medical sonography is a good decision.
- Students get a well-round education that includes liberal arts classes plus health, science and technology classes and clinical training appropriate for a major in Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- It represents the greatest commitment to education and training, which is why many employers require a job applicant to have a Bachelor degree in sonography or Ultrasound Technology
- Graduate is eligible to pursue a career as an instructor or administrator in addition to working as a sonographer in a medical facility
Tips on How to Find the Best Bachelor Degree in Sonography?
Finding the best program offering a Bachelor degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography requires doing some research. It is important to select a program that offers critical coursework, lab training, and clinical training designed to prepare the student to earn the ARDMS credential and to maximize employment opportunities.
- Verify the program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs because these programs meet stringent quality standards in their requirements
- If unable to attend an on-campus program, consider completing one of the CAAHEP accredited online programs, making arrangements with the faculty to complete the clinical training at an approved facility
- Ask what percentage of students complete the program within the normal time frame for the program
- Ask what percentage of graduates find employment within six months after completing the program and the type of employers offering job opportunities to the program graduates
State | City | Institute Website | CAAHEP or ARRT | Concentration | Telephone | Contact Name | Contact Email |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arkansas | Jonesboro | Arkansas State University www.astate.edu | CAAHEP Accredited and ARRT Recognized | General | (870)972-2914 | Amber Wooten | [email protected] |
Arkansas | Little Rock | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences www.uams.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (501)686-6848 | Anthony Baker | [email protected] |
Arkansas | Fort Smith | University of Arkansas uafs.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Vascular, General | (479)788-7374 | Jodi Callahan | [email protected] |
California | Richmond | Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences www.kpsahs.org | CAAHEP Accredited and ARRT Recognized | Cardiac, General | (510)231-5083 | Nee Barnor | [email protected] |
Florida | Orlando | American College for Medical Careers acmc.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, General | (407)738-4488 | Lynda Fosnaugh | [email protected] |
Florida | Fort Lauderdale | Nova Southeastern University www.nova.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Vascular, General | (954)262-1994 | Jorge Han | [email protected] |
Florida | Orlando | Adventist University of Health Sciences www.adu.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Vascular, Cardiac, General | (407)303-7747 | Deziree Rada | [email protected] |
Georgia | Savannah | Armstrong State University www.armstrong.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | General | (912)344-2787 | Myka Bussey-Campbell | [email protected] |
Idaho | Boise | Boise State University www.boisestate.edu | CAAHEP Accredited and ARRT Recognized | General | (208)426-1382 | Joie Burns | [email protected] |
Illinois | Chicago | Rush University www.rush.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Vascular | (312)942-7286 | Eileen French-Sherry | [email protected] |
Illinois | Carbondale | Southern Illinois University www.siu.edu | CAAHEP Accredited and ARRT Recognized | General | (618)453-4980 | Jessica Whittaker | [email protected] |
Indiana | Evansville | University of Southern Indiana www.usi.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (812)464-1994 | Claudine Fairchild | [email protected] |
Iowa | Waterloo | Allen College www.allencollege.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | General | (319)226-2048 | Evalene Martin | [email protected] |
Iowa | Iowa City | University of Iowa Health Care www.healthcare.uiowa.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (319)356-4871 | Stephanie Ellingson | [email protected] |
Iowa | Des Moines | Mercy College of Health Sciences www.mchs.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, General | (515)643-6610 | Adrienne St. Clair | [email protected] |
Kentucky | Morehead | Morehead State University www.moreheadstate.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | General | (606)783-2647 | Wretha Goodpaster | [email protected] |
Michigan | Grand Rapids | Grand Valley State University www.gvsu.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | General | (616)331-5948 | Tatyana Beaves | [email protected] |
Minnesota | Rochester | Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science www.mayo.edu/education | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (507)284-0208 | Diane Youngs | [email protected] |
Minnesota | St. Paul | St. Catherine University www.stkate.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | General | (651)690-7765 | Susan Trelstad | [email protected] |
Missouri | Springfield | Cox College coxcollege.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (417)269-3063 | Michelle Masengill | [email protected] |
Missouri | Columbia | University of Missouri missouri.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Vascular, General | (573)884-2994 | Moses Hdeib | [email protected] |
Nebraska | Omaha | University of Nebraska Medical Center www.unmc.edu/alliedhealth | CAAHEP Accredited and ARRT Recognized | General | (402)559-1189 | Kimberly Michael | [email protected] |
Nebraska | Lincoln | Bryan College of Health Sciences www.bryanhealthcollege.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | General | (402)481-8732 | Julie Morbach | [email protected] |
New Jersey | Newark | Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey www.shp.rutgers.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, General | (908)889-2521 | Cynthia Silkowski | [email protected] |
New York | Brooklyn | Long Island University www.liu.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, General | (718)780-6529 | Kerry Weinberg | [email protected] |
New York | Brooklyn | Rochester Institute of Technology www.rit.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, General | (585)475-2241 | Hamad Ghazle | [email protected] |
New York | Brooklyn | SUNY Downstate Medical Center www.downstate.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, General | (718)270-7717 | Yosefa Pessin | [email protected] |
North Dakota | Fargo | Sanford Medical Center www.sanfordhealth.org | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (701)234-4984 | Stefanie Anderson | [email protected] |
Ohio | Kettering | Kettering College www.kc.edu | CAAHEP Accredited and ARRT Recognized | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (937)298-3399x55656 | Susan McLaughlin Price | [email protected] |
Ohio | Findlay | University of Findlay www.findlay.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (419)434-4708 | Susan Perry | [email protected] |
Ohio | Columbus | Ohio State University www.osu.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Vascular, General | (614)688-4895 | Angela Butwin | [email protected] |
Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center www.ouhsc.edu | CAAHEP Accredited and ARRT Recognized | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (405)271-8001x43402 | Kari Boyce | [email protected] |
Oregon | Klamath Falls | Oregon Institute of Technology www.oit.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (541)885-1918 | Robyn Cole | [email protected] |
Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Thomas Jefferson University www.jefferson.edu | CAAHEP Accredited and ARRT Recognized | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (215)503-8724 | Nandkumar Rawool | [email protected] |
Pennsylvania | Dallas | Misericordia University www.misericordia.edu | CAAHEP Accredited and ARRT Recognized | General | (570)674-6790 | Sheryl E. Goss | [email protected] |
Pennsylvania | Upland | Crozer-Chester Medical Center (Keystone) www.crozer.org | CAAHEP Accredited and ARRT Recognized | General | (610)447-2532 | Barbara Annunziato | [email protected] |
Tennessee | Memphis | Baptist Memorial College of Health Science www.bchs.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Vascular, General | (901)572-2464 | Connie Willis | [email protected] |
Washington | Seattle | Seattle University www.seattleu.edu | CAAHEP Accredited and ARRT Recognized | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (206)296-5960 | Carolyn Coffin | [email protected] |
West Virginia | Huntington | St. Mary?€?s Medical Center www.st-marys.org | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (304)526-1430 | Nancy MacClellan | [email protected] |
West Virginia | Beckley | University of Charleston www.ucwv.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (304)352-0037 | Tammy Mollohan | [email protected] |
Wisconsin | Mequon | Concordia University of Wisconsin www.cuw.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Vascular, General | (262)243-2171 | Marc Wojciechowski | [email protected] |
Wisconsin | Madison | University of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics www.uwhealth.org | CAAHEP Accredited | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (608)890-6493 | Michelle Cordio?? | [email protected] |
Wisconsin | Milwaukee | University of Wisconsin www4.uwm.edu | CAAHEP Accredited | Vascular, General | (414)229-3920 | Amanda Smith | [email protected] |
Wisconsin | Milwaukee | Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-St. Francis Hospital www.mywheaton.org/sonography | ARRT Recognized | Cardiac, Vascular, General | (414)647-5711 | Marc Wojciechowski | [email protected] |
What to Expect from Bachelor Degree in Sonography?
Prerequisites
Diagnostic Medical Sonography programs are usually offered by medicine, healthcare and/or applied sciences divisions at colleges, universities and medical centers. Students can meet the admission requirements to begin a general liberal arts degree and then apply for admission to the sonography program. The prerequisites for admission into the sonography program to begin the Diagnostic Medical Sonography track are determined by the college, but typical prerequisites include:
- Human anatomy
- Biology
- Psychology
- Math for biological sciences
- College algebra
- Computer literacy
- General education credits from a variety of disciplines
- Medical terminology
Students who have already earned an Associate degree in a radiology program and are registered with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists have usually met all the prerequisites to enter a sonography program leading to a Bachelor degree or will only need to take a few courses. The same is true for students who have an Associates degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography and are registered with the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers.
Length
A Bachelor degree is a four year program. The student will attend school for four years whether going all four years in a Bachelor degree program or first obtaining a two-year Associates degree and then completing two additional years of schooling.
Tuition Fees and Costs
The College Board reports the 2013-2014 average in-state tuition and fees for attending a public four-year program were $8,893 annually. However, rates vary significantly from state to state. For example, the highest annual tuition and fees for four-year public schools were $14,665 in New Hampshire. In contrast, the lowest tuition and fees were $4,404 in Wyoming. Scholarships can play an important role in making education affordable, so students should choose the programs they hope to attend and discuss funding opportunities with the financial aid office.
Curriculum
Students pursuing a Bachelor degree in sonography are required to take a blend of liberal arts and science courses and courses in their discipline, which in this case is sonography. The college or university will have general degree credit requirements and the sonography program will have specific courses that must be completed, in addition to laboratory and clinical training. The requirements for earning a Bachelor degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography will prepare the student to sit for the general ARDMS exams. Students can also add courses to their curriculum if they want to focus on a cardiac or vascular concentration in addition to general sonography.
General Courses
- General liberal arts, math and science courses like English, History, Speech, Communication, Science, Fine Arts, Social Science, Calculus, Music and so on
- Patient management
- Anatomy courses
- Obstetrics/Gynecological sonography and pathology
- Abdominal sonography and pathology
- Genitourinary sonography
- Breast and female reproductive system imaging
- Ultrasound physics
- Pathophysiology
- Sonography technology (imaging equipment)
- Scanning techniques
- Safety in the healthcare setting
- Medical ethics and principles
- Clinical training or practicum
Cardiac – additional courses for cardiac specialization
- Medical sonography
- Cardiac sonography
- Medical cardiac sonography technology and scanning
- Clinical foundations of ultrasound
- Ultrasound physics as related to cardiac sonography
Vascular – additional courses for vascular specialization
- Medical technology for vascular
- Abdomen sonography
- OB/GYN sonography
- Ultrasound physics
- Technology scanning for vascular
- Vascular physics
- Technology for vascular
- Neurosonography
- Quality Assurance
- Clinical training in vascular sonography
Salary and Job Outlook Details
Salaries and employment levels vary considerably by state. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers earned an average of $71,750 or $34.49 in annual wages as of the May 2016 U.S. Department of Labor survey. The top paying state was California with an average annual salary of $93,350 or $44.88 per hour. The job outlook is excellent as healthcare focuses more on the use of noninvasive technology to lower healthcare costs. The current expected growth rate for 2012 to 2022 is 39 percent which is higher than the average growth rate for other positions. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers with a Bachelor degree can work as faculty and industry professionals, in addition to working in hospitals, physician offices, outpatient care centers, and laboratories.
If you want to learn more about other degrees in sonography in 2018, simply visit here for more information.