Cardiovascular Sonography

Associate Degree Program

Diagnostic Medical Sonography is one of the safest medical imaging modalities available today. The diagnostic medical sonographer is a highly skilled professional who uses specialized instrumentation to obtain images of structures inside the human body to assist qualified physicians to make a medical diagnosis.

The Georgetown Campus offers the general learning Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program (DMS). The Wilmington campus offers both the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program (DMS) and the Cardiovascular Sonography Program (CVS) within the field of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. CVS focuses on procedures that help to diagnose abnormalities related to heart and vascular diseases.

Academically ready students can apply to the program following the guidelines of the Allied Health competitive admission process. Interested applicants should review the information provided here and contact their program advisor for application requirements.

This program is offered at the Wilmington campus.

What You Can Do

In this program, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare you for positions such as:

• Sonographer/echocardiographer/vascular technologist
• Lead technologist/supervisor/manager
• Educator/researcher
• Equipment application specialist

All in working environments which include hospitals, private imaging centers, physician offices, health care facilities, colleges or universities, and equipment manufacturers.

What You Will Learn

The goals of the Cardiovascular Sonography program are “to prepare competent entry-level vascular technologists and adult cardiac sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains,” and to prepare qualified graduates to successfully pass the national registry examinations administered by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).

Program Graduate Competencies

The Program Graduate Competencies listed below identify the major learning goals related to your specific program of study and identify the knowledge and skills you will have when you graduate to be successful in your chosen field.

1. Perform competently a full range of echocardiography procedures.
2. Perform competently a full range of vascular sonographic procedures.
3. Utilize professional verbal, nonverbal, and written communication skills in patient care, procedure intervention, and professional relationships.
4. Act in a professional and ethical manner and comply with professional scope of practice.
5. Integrate critical thinking and problem solving skills as expected of a healthcare professional.

Core Curriculum Competencies

The Core Curriculum Competencies listed below identify what you will be able to do as a graduate, regardless of your program of study. You will acquire these core competencies through general education courses and program-specific coursework. You will be expected to use relevant technology to achieve these outcomes:

1. Apply clear and effective communication skills.
2. Use critical thinking to solve problems.
3. Collaborate to achieve a common goal.
4. Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct.
5. Use information literacy for effective vocational and/or academic research.
6. Apply quantitative reasoning and/or scientific inquiry to solve practical problems.

Pursuing a Bachelor's Degree?

This is a Connected Degree program that enables you to complete your associate degree and then transfer to a four-year degree program as a junior. See an academic counselor for details!