Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography
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In our Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography program, you’ll work to build the skills needed to direct sound waves into a patient using special imaging equipment that helps doctors assess and diagnose medical conditions. This procedure is commonly known as an ultrasound or sonogram.
Depending on the campus, you may take fully in-person courses or select a hybrid format that combines online learning activities with hands-on, campus-based labs. Either way, you’ll also conduct diagnostic ultrasound procedures in clinical settings under the guidance of experienced professionals. By the time you graduate, you’ll have worked to develop entry-level knowledge and skills in sonography with a focus on abdomen-extended sonography and obstetrics and gynecology sonography. You’ll also be eligible to apply to write the certification exam administered by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).
Develop Essential Skills In
- Ultrasound procedure
- Medical sonographic equipment
- Patient care
- Professional communication
Hybrid Delivery
The program is offered in a hybrid delivery model at the Atlanta, Asheville, Knoxville, and Nashville campuses. Admission months for cohorts rotate.
See All Imaging Science Programs
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Tuition and Fees
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Ranked #6 in the
Southeast Region
2023-2024 for
Associate Level
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Ranked #13 in the
Nation 2023-2024 for
Associate Level
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
Examples of Scholarships and Grants That May Be Available (Check with Your Campus Financial Aid Office For More Information)
21st Century Scholarship
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
TN Promise
Yellow Ribbon
Concentrations in this Program
Ready For Your Next Step?
You May Enjoy This Line of Study If You…
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Appreciate significant attention to detail -
Really like exploring and digging deeper for clues and information -
Enjoy being a part of a team that is working to find answers -
Are very disciplined -
Consistently provide quality patient care and education -
Stay committed to lifelong learning and growth
Go even further with South College!
Program Goal and Learning Outcomes
The goal of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program is to prepare competent entry-level sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains for the abdominal sonography-extended and obstetrics and gynecology sonography concentrations.
Graduates of this program will develop skills to:
- Be clinically competent to perform appropriate procedures and record anatomic, pathologic, and/or physiologic data;
- Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to exercise discretion and judgment in performance of diagnostic sonography;
- Demonstrate appropriate communication skills; and
- Demonstrate professionalism and growth in the profession.
The program will continually monitor program effectiveness through assessment and evaluation to ensure that the needs of the community are met.
Admission Requirements
General admission to South College does not guarantee admission to the Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography degree program. Students who apply to the Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography program and fully meet the admission requirements but are not selected due to the unavailability of cohort spots may request to apply at another South College campus location. Applicants interested in the program are required to visit the college and meet individually with an admissions representative and program faculty to ascertain if their goals can be met by the college. Prospective students declaring Diagnostic Medical Sonography as their major must be generally admitted to South College and meet the following requirements in order to be considered for full admission to the program:
Effective with any cohort beginning Fall 2025 or later, the HESI (Health Education Systems, Inc.) examination will be a mandatory component of the admissions process for the DMS program at all campuses. Applicants will be required to complete the HESI exam as part of their application to assess their readiness for the program. This examination evaluates key academic skills necessary for success in healthcare-related fields, including areas such as math, critical thinking, learning style, personality style, vocabulary, and anatomy & physiology. Additional information about the HESI is available from the DMS Department at each campus.
- Complete the Sonography program application form. The application deadline is available in the Department of Imaging Science at the applicable campus.
- Submit documentation of a minimum high school and/or college cumulative GPA of 2.75. All official transcripts must be provided.*
- Meet minimum score requirements on the college entrance examination, OR present documentation of a score of 19 or higher on the ACT Assessment Examination, OR present documentation of a 900 combined score or higher on the SAT I examination, OR meet the South College requirements for admission as a transfer student.
- Admission to the cohort is based on the successful completion or transfer of the following prerequisite courses or their equivalents with a grade of “C” or better in a maximum of two attempts. If a student is unsuccessful in two attempts of any of the listed courses at South College, they will no longer be eligible for the program. Withdrawal from the same course twice at South College will count as a failed attempt.
- Complete BIO 1030 Anatomy & Physiology for Imaging Science or equivalent; MAT 1100 College Algebra (or higher) or MAT 2501 Statistics; PHY 2010 General Physics I and PHY 2020 General Physics I Lab; AHS 1010 Medical Terminology; and RAD 1125 Introduction to Imaging Sciences & Patient Care with a minimum grade of “C” or higher in a maximum of two attempts at South College.*
- Complete a communications skills course that may be met by a variety of courses including Speech, English, or Composition with a grade of “C” or higher in a maximum of two attempts at South College*.
- Complete a HESI-A2 assessment*. Applicants are required to take the HESI-A2 assessment as part of the application process. Applicants have two attempts to complete the exam before the application deadline date set by the associated campus. The cost of the first attempt will be paid by South College. Costs associated with a second attempt is the responsibility of the applicant. While there is no minimum overall score requirement, applicants are strongly encouraged to achieve a high score to remain competitive.
- For applicants seeking readmission, a retake of the exam is not required if already taken. Reentries must have taken the exam with South College within the past 2 years. Readmission eligibility will be assessed based on previous academic performance and adherence to program policies. Readmittance is at the discretion of the campus Program Director and clinical affiliate availability.
- Complete a mandatory on-campus or online information session.
- Meet specific health and/or essential functions pertinent to the responsibilities performed by the Diagnostic Medical Sonographer. Drug and background screenings are required by clinical affiliates. Failure to pass the screenings may disqualify a student as a candidate for admission.
- Be able to commit to full participation in a rigorous educational program that requires class participation (whether onground or online depending on track), on campus lab participation, significant out-of-class preparation time, and clinical education assignments off-campus. Students may be required to attend clinical education assignments up to 2 to 3 hours distance from the base campus as assignments are made in consideration of the student’s home address.
*Each of these areas may be used to rank applicants for full program admission. If minimum standards are met by more applying students than clinical seats, these rankings determine program admission.
Admittance Decisions
Applicants to any Imaging Science program are ranked based on academic scores. Emphasis is placed on math and science coursework related to the Imaging Sciences at all certificate and degree levels. The weight distribution for ranking is as follows: Science (Anatomy & Physiology, Introduction to Imaging Sciences and Patient Care) & Math: 60%, Medical Terminology and Communication: 15%, and HESI: 25%. Those programs admitting on a rotational basis and class sizes admitted are dependent on available clinical sites.
In addition to coursework, each student must provide proof of ability to perform the skills needed to practice in the imaging sciences effectively. Healthcare facilities must meet federal guidelines, and students must also meet these requirements in order to be allowed to gain clinical experience in these facilities. To meet these requirements, each student must supply proof of a negative TB test, hepatitis B vaccine or waiver, physical exam certifying ability to function in the required capacity, proof of immunizations (including MMR immunity), and CPR training. A criminal background check and drug screen are required for admission. If the background check reveals previous convictions, it is up to each clinical site to determine the eligibility of students to attend clinical at the site. Students who are denied clinical experiences due to past convictions may be unable to progress in the program which will result in failure to complete the required courses for the program. In any case where a drug screen is positive and an authorized prescription is not produced to validate the presence of the drug in the individual’s system, a student may be disqualified as a candidate for admission. Upon notification of the drug screen results, the student will have 5 working days to provide prescription validation. Students are responsible for costs associated with any required testing.
Accreditation
Asheville
The South College Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography – Abdomen-Extended and Obstetrics and Gynecology Sonography program offered at the Asheville campus was granted continuing accreditation on May 19, 2023 by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) (9355-113th St. N., #7709, Seminole, FL 33775, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org) based on the recommendation from the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCDMS). The next review is anticipated in 2028.
Atlanta
The South College Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography – Abdomen-Extended and Obstetrics and Gynecology Sonography program offered at the Atlanta campus was granted the initial 5 year accreditation award on September 1, 2021 by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) (9355-113th St. N., #7709, Seminole, FL 33775, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org) based on the recommendation from the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCDMS), 6021 University Boulevard, Suite 500, Ellicott City, MD 214043, (443) 973-3251; www.jrcdms.org. The next review is anticipated in 2026.
Dallas
The South College Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography program offered at the Dallas campus is in the process of seeking accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org), 9355 – 113th St. N, #7709 Seminole, FL 33775, 727-210-2350, upon the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCDMS), 6021 University Boulevard, Suite 500, Ellicott City, MD 214043, (443) 973-3251; www.jrcdms.org.
Indianapolis
The South College Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography – Abdomen-Extended and Obstetrics and Gynecology Sonography program offered at the Indianapolis campus was granted the initial 5 year accreditation award on September 23, 2024 by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) (9355-113th St. N., #7709, Seminole, FL 33775, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org) based on the recommendation from the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCDMS), 6021 University Boulevard, Suite 500, Ellicott City, MD 214043, (443) 973-3251; www.jrcdms.org. The next review is anticipated in 2029.
Knoxville
The South College Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography – Abdomen-Extended and Obstetrics and Gynecology Sonography program offered at the Knoxville campus was granted continuing accreditation on July 17, 2020 by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) (9355-113th St. N., #7709, Seminole, FL 33775, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org) based on the recommendation from the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCDMS). The next review is anticipated for 2025.
Nashville
The South College Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography – Abdomen-Extended and Obstetrics and Gynecology Sonography program offered at the Nashville campus was granted the initial 5 year accreditation award on March 15, 2019 by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) (9355-113th St. N., #7709, Seminole, FL 33775, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org) based on the recommendation from the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCDMS). The next review is anticipated for 2024.
Orlando
The South College Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography – Abdomen-Extended and Obstetrics and Gynecology Sonography program offered at the Orlando campus has a site visit scheduled for pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) (9355-113th St. N., #7709, Seminole, FL 33775, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org) based on the recommendation from the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCDMS), 6021 University Boulevard, Suite 500, Ellicott City, MD 214043, (443) 973-3251; www.jrcdms.org. This step in the process is neither a status of accreditation nor a guarantee that accreditation will be granted.
Pittsburgh
The South College Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography – Abdomen-Extended and Obstetrics and Gynecology Sonography program offered at the Pittsburgh campus was granted the initial 5 year accreditation award on July 22, 2024 by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) (9355-113th St. N., #7709, Seminole, FL 33775, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org) based on the recommendation from the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCDMS), 6021 University Boulevard, Suite 500, Ellicott City, MD 214043, (443) 973-3251; www.jrcdms.org. The next review is anticipated in 2029.
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