Diagnostic Medical Sonography
This degree program prepares graduates to be competent entry-level sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of abdominal extended and obstetrics & gynecological sonography concentrations.
This is a G3 program. Students may qualify for free tuition, fees, and books.
For more information about the program, contact the Admissions and Advising Center.
Area of Interest
Majors in a Minute Video
Program
Credit Hours
Program Information
The two-year associate degree in sonography is designed to provide a quality entry-level education in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of abdominal extended and obstetric & gynecological sonography through a competency-based clinical and didactic instructional curriculum in diagnostic sonography. Graduates of the program will be eligible to take the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography Boards for Abdomen and/or OB/GYN and physics or the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) sonography exam.
Program Outcomes:
Program Accreditation: CAAHEP via JRC DMS: https://www.caahep.org
The Diagnostic Medical Sonography program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), upon the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS).
Occupational objectives: Hospitals remain the primary employer of sonographers, but there are increasing numbers of jobs available in physician offices, outpatient surgery centers, and free-standing diagnostic imaging centers. The profession of diagnostic medical sonography includes abdominal extended sonography, obstetric & gynecological sonography, cardiac sonography, vascular technology, and various other subspecialties. Entry-level sonographers usually work in abdominal extended sonography and obstetric/gynecologic sonography. With further experience and training, they can move into the other specialties.
OB Volunteers: If you are a pregnant individual who would like to volunteer for our student's learning experience, please contact Lisa Burrington at lburrington@pvcc.edu.
Admission Requirements
In addition to admission to the college, students must also meet eligibility requirements specific to this program, and only a limited number of students are admitted into a given cohort. If there are more applicants during a cycle than there are available positions in the cohort, eligible applicants will be ranked according to specific criteria and students are admitted or deferred according to that rank.
Please see the Admissions Information Book below for program requirements, minimum eligibility requirements, applicant ranking criteria, and other important information for prospective students.
The Sonography Program is now requiring applicants to take the TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills). Refer to DMS Information Book for required scores. Please contact the PVCC Testing Center to inquire about scheduling at testing@pvcc.edu or 434.961.5320. While students are permitted to take the TEAS at any certified testing center, the PVCC Testing Center may offer the test at a lower price for PVCC students.
Information Sessions
Attendance at an information session is required to be eligible for admissions. Information sessions will cover class expectations, success tips, student materials and supplies and class registration. Registration is required to attend an information session.
The following information sessions are scheduled for the Spring and Fall semesters:
- Wednesday, April 5, 2023 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM via Zoom. Register for the April 5th session (required for attendance. Please reserve only one slot per registrant).
- Thursday, December 14, 2023 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM in Keats Science Building Room K106.
- Thursday, January 18, 2024 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM in Keats Science Building Room K106.
- Thursday, February 22, 2024 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM in Keats Science Building Room K106.
Apply for Admission
Applications are accepted through the Health and Life Sciences Application Portal. Hardcopy applications and applications received outside of the portal will not be considered for admission. Applying to other health sciences programs has no impact on an applicant’s qualifications for this program. Applications for previous years are not valid for current or future application years.
All applicants must be current PVCC students to begin their health sciences application. If you are not a current PVCC student, please click the “Apply Now” link at the top of this page and complete a VCCS/PVCC application.
Applications for the Fall 2023 cohort open at 9:00am on February 1, 2023 and will close at 5:00pm on June 1, 2023.
Sign into the Health and Life Sciences Application Portal to begin your application.
Graduation Requirements
Students entering the Diagnostic Medical Sonography degree program are required to take one Writing Intensive Course (WIC) in order to graduate. The WIC for this program is DMS 241 which has a prerequisite of ENG 111 and ENG 112. Students who are awarded transfer credit for this course from another institution may fulfill the writing WIC requirement for this degree program by completing another WIC.
Students in all degree programs are required to take at least one Civic Engagement (CE) course to graduate. For Diagnostic Medical Sonography, the CE course is also DMS 241.