2018 Best General Sonography Programs by State

(found 249 schools)

If you want to take a program in general sonography to start a sonographer career, it is the right place for you. In this article, you can find the following information:

General Sonography Programs List

Students who attend an ultrasound technology program can choose among many CAAHEP accredited general sonography programs. The general sonography program prepares the ultrasound student to take the ARDMS Sonography Principles and Instrumentation exam and one or more associated specialty exams. Some students complete a general sonography program first and add ultrasound specialties later.

General Programs with Specialty

The word ‘specialty’ can be confusing. The CAAHEP accredited general Diagnostic Medical Sonography programs are geared towards educating and training students in a way that makes them eligible to take ARDMS exams. Every ARDMS registered sonographer takes the SPI or Sonography Principles and Instrumentation exam. It does not matter if you want to be a general sonographer (RDMS) or a specialized vascular technologist (RVT) or a specialized cardiac sonographer (RDCS) or even a musculoskeletal sonographer (RMSKS).

Students who choose a general concentration in a Diagnostic Medical Sonography program will select one or more specialty areas they would like to focus on. They include:

Check job profiles for specialized sonographers to find your favorite ultrasound career.

The program website and course catalogue will state what areas the program concentrates on. Some will directly say the program prepares students to take the SPI exams and specialty exams in abdomen and obstetrics & gynecology (or other specialty areas mentioned above). Sometimes the description will say the student takes ultrasound physics and instrumentation (general sonography) and other specialty courses in reproductive system, gynecological, abdominal, vascular, or there is some other description that falls within the specialty areas associated with SPI.

Prerequisites for a General Sonography Program

Prerequisites are courses that must be completed before the student is able to begin the sonography program. In some cases, the program will allow the student to complete the prerequisites during the first semester or quarter of the sonography program so the student can begin the sonography curriculum when the next session begins. Each student case is evaluated by program staff.

The general sonography program prerequisites are fairly standard, though not identical, from program to program. They include:

However, each degree or certificate program has prerequisite requirements, and they can vary widely. Arkansas State University has seven specialty tracks in the Radiologic Sciences Programs, and Track 4 is sonography. The school offers a bachelor’s degree, and the prerequisites include general courses, like those mentioned earlier, and a requirement that students complete the radiography component of the degree plan before choosing the sonography track.

Before completing an application for any sonography program, it is important to read and understand the prerequisites. Some schools consider them as a component of the sonography program (program = prerequisites + sonography core curriculum). Other schools may require that all prerequisites be completed before the student will be considered for admission into the sonography program will be considered.

Curriculum

A general sonography program includes general courses and specialty courses.

Core General Sonography Curriculum

The first fact to understand is that every program in sonography has a core curriculum that must be completed. The courses and clinical training that makes up the general sonography program include the general courses covering information needed to do a quality job as a sonographer and specialty courses focused on topics like OB/GYN or abdomen or echocardiography.

General sonography courses and training include:

Specialty Courses

A student who attends a program focused on general sonography and abdominal and/or OB/GYN would also, in addition to the general sonography requirements, complete courses like the following:

If the student wants to specialize in breast, fetal echocardiography or pediatric sonography, the student would select a program that offers general sonography and relevant specialty courses.

Degree Types

The types of degree or certificate the sonography student wants to earn are:

The type of degree selected determines how many credits the students must earn, how long the student must attend school, and the type of core curriculum and sonography curriculum courses the student must complete.

Each student should consider current status, finances and career goals when selecting a degree program in sonography.

Various Requirements by Degree

Degrees, certificates and diplomas have different requirements.

Diploma

The diploma is similar to a certificate of completion except that the student is often adding sonography to other training. For example, the Mayo Clinic diploma program in sonography requires program applicants to have completed prerequisite courses as part of an associate degree or bachelor’s degree. They can then work on a diploma to add sonography competency. A third option is to apply to the University of Minnesota Rochester to work on the Bachelor of Science in Health Professions in the sonography track. The Mayo Clinic has a collaborative bachelor’s degree program in health professions.

Certificate

Certificate programs can take anywhere from 12-18 months to complete. The great majority of the 12-month programs are designed for people who already have a degree and work experience in a healthcare field and decide they want to add a sonography credential.

The people who already have a healthcare-related degree and clinical training will only need to complete general sonography courses.

The people who complete certificate programs generally designed for high school graduates, or people who have no healthcare experience, will complete 9-15 months of general sonography courses and three months of clinical training.

Associate degree

The Associate degree takes two years to complete. The student completes prerequisite courses as described earlier which take the equivalent of one semester or quarter. The rest of the training time is spent completing the sonography curriculum. For example, a CAAHEP accredited general sonography option may consist of 15 semester hours of prerequisite courses and 55 credits of sonography curriculum courses.

Bachelor’s degree

The Bachelor’s Degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography is a four-year degree. Though each program may vary slightly, the first two years are spent taking general education courses, and one semester or quarter is spent completing prerequisite courses. General education courses are in subjects like biology, English literature, language, social science and so on. The remaining time (5 semesters or 4 quarters) are spent completing the sonography curriculum. The curriculum consists of didactic and clinical training.

Master’s degree

In 2018, there are two master’s programs for sonographers – Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL and the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. The master’s degree is a graduate degree so requires earning an undergraduate degree first. If the student did not complete the prerequisite courses while working on an undergraduate healthcare degree, it will be necessary to complete them before working on the master’s degree sonography core curriculum.

For example, at the University of Missouri the prerequisites for graduate sonography study include algebra, psychology, chemistry, physics, physiology, medical terminology, statistics, speech communication and sociology. The master’s degree program for general sonography is three semesters long. Students take courses in:

Ultrasound Career Outlook after Graduation

Students who complete a general sonography program and pass the ARDMS exams can look forward to working in a healthcare field with an excellent job outlook and salary.

Salary

The federal Department of Labor’s May 2016 Occupational Employment and Wages report says the annual wage for the lower 10 percent of earners is $48,660 and for the top 10 percent is $99,100. The median annual wage is $69,650. | See Job Openings

Is Your State one of the Best States for Sonographers?

Employment

At 26.4 percent, the expected growth in employment for sonographers for the period 2014-2024 is much faster than the average job growth for the all occupations. This statistic is per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do many sonographers work in your state? Check it.

Career Options and Degrees

Sonographers have career options, and pay is tied to qualifications and ARDMS registration. A sonographer with a diploma, associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree can work in any type of medical facility that is near to home or in any of the healthcare facilities in all 50 states that offer ultrasound services: hospital, physician offices, medical clinics, mobile medical units and so on.

In a tight local job market, a sonographer with a bachelor’s degree may be considered before people with associate’s degrees as a way to winnow an applicant pool. However, that is not always true because employers consider much more than degree when hiring sonographers. They consider people skills, familiarity with current technology, and ARDMS registration.

Sonographers who earned a master’s degree are eligible for management or administrative positions. They are also more likely to move into the government or commercial side of ultrasound technology, like research or sales.

One of the attractions of becoming a sonographer that graduates from a CAAHEP accredited general sonography program is that he or she is eligible for sonography positions in a variety of medical facilities and experience does lead to higher sonographer salary. As ultrasound technology advances, there is a growing need for sonographers who have ARDMS registration in specialties that accompany SPI certification. Diagnostic Medical Sonography is an excellent profession with enormous opportunities.