2018 Best Ultrasound Certificate Programs

(found 81 schools)

The ultrasound certificate programs train students who want to gain the knowledge and skills needed to work as a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer. Students entering ultrasound technician certificate programs today frequently have already earned an Allied Health degree or a degree in another discipline and want to upgrade and expand skills. Sonographers are familiar to most people as professionals who produce ultrasound images of fetuses, they also create images of a variety of organs, soft tissues and blood flows.

Advantages of Ultrasound Certificate Programs

The advantages of earning a certificate in sonography include:

Tips on How to Find the Best Sonography Certificate Program

Students should not concentrate on schools, but rather focus on finding an affordable sonography program that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP). Important points to keep in mind include the following:

What to Expect from Ultrasound Tech Certificate Programs?

Prerequisites

As a minimum, certificate sonography programs require students applying for admission to have completed a designated number of credits in specific courses. The courses normally include college algebra, anatomy and physiology, speech medical terminology, and physics. However, many certificate programs require the student to have already earned an Associate’s degree in sonography.

If you want to learn more about a bachelors degree in sonography or a masters degree in sonography, please visit here for more information.

In addition, some programs will allow students to meet prerequisites if they completed courses in radiology, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, or Diagnostic Medical Sonography (if pursuing a specialty certificate) or have already earned certain healthcare certification, licensure or registry as a Certified Nursing Student, Registered Nurse, Registered Medical Assistant, Respiratory Therapist, Radiologic Technologist, or Certified EMT. The many prerequisite pathways mean students should carefully review individual program prerequisites and discuss their eligibility with a program professional.

Program Duration

Earning a sonography certificate usually takes 12 months, but may take longer if additional clinical training is needed. Not all ultrasound technician certificate programs require clinical training when waived based on the student having earned a relevant degree in a healthcare field or has work experience. Clinical training may be completed concurrently with the didactic training or completed after all coursework is completed.

Tuition Fees and Costs

Tuition and fees vary from program to program, and can cost as much as $15,000 for one year, though most programs cost significantly less. A lot depends on the location of the program because costs vary from school to school and state to state. It is important to check with the school’s financial aid office and ask about availability of ultrasound scholarships.

Curriculum

The curriculum for earning an ultrasound certificate with a general, cardiac or vascular concentration includes the following types of course. All students will need to complete or meet the general requirements, with many meeting general credit requirements with courses previously completed in other health sciences programs for earning a degree or to qualify for licensure or registration as a health care professional.

Those who wish to pursue a cardiac or vascular concentration will supplement their general courses with the specialization courses as indicated. Program faculty will help students select the courses needed based on the student’s educational and professional profile.

General Courses

Cardiac – additional courses for cardiac specialization

Vascular – additional courses for vascular specialization

Salary and Job Outlook Details

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median sonography technician salary was $69,650 annual or $33 per hour as of May 2016. When cardiovascular technicians and technologists and vascular technologists are added in, the median annual wage was $66,410 or $31.93 per hour. The employment outlook is excellent with an estimated 35,300 new job openings projected for the period 2012 to 2022. When cardiovascular technologists and vascular technologies are included, the number of new jobs grows to 42,700. | See Job Openings