10 Top Double Majors With a Sonography Degree

Thinking about pursuing a career in sonography? Perhaps you'd like to increase your job opportunities or keep your professional options open. Or, perhaps you have other interests you'd like to study in school as well. Regardless, choosing a double major may be the way to go.

While it's fairly uncommon to combine a second major with a sonography degree, doing so may be a good career move that allows you to study more than one subject during your undergraduate years. It can also improve your career prospects by allowing you to explore a wider range of more specialized opportunities.

Sonography Double Majors

The following 10 majors are good options to consider when it comes to choosing a double major for your sonography degree.

Biology

Many aspiring healthcare and medical workers choose to major in biology because it can lead to a variety of career paths and provides a broad foundational knowledge in life and natural science. Combining a biology major with a sonography degree will expand your knowledge of the human body and help you keep your career options open.

Pre-Medicine

If you're interested in becoming a doctor but want to get your foot in the door as a sonographer, a double major in sonography and pre-medicine may be the path for you. This combination allows you to plan for a future in med school while still enabling you to pursue a more short-term path into the medical field.

Nursing

Getting a double major in sonography and nursing gives you options to pursue not one but two specialized career paths within the healthcare industry. The added training and credentials could also make it easier for you to get hired in either field.

Health Science

Health science is a generalized major that can lead to a variety of careers in allied health professions. As with biology, double majoring in sonography and health science enables you to keep your job options open and pursue different types of careers.

Communications

Clinical healthcare workers, including sonographers, must have excellent communication skills to interact with patients, family members, and other healthcare professionals. Getting a double major in communications and sonography can help you improve your communication skills, giving you an edge in the field.

Sports Medicine

Sports medicine is another broad field encompassing many specialized degrees and career paths that relate to injury prevention and rehabilitation. Double majoring in sonography and sports medicine will enable you to pursue either career path or to become a sonographer working within the sports medicine field.

Psychology

Psychology is a good entry-level degree for many career paths, as it helps you develop a strong understanding of the human mind, behaviors, and motivations behind those behaviors. If you double major in sonography and psychology, you may develop a better understanding of and empathy for the patients you come in contact with, and you will also have opportunities to pursue further education or different career options.

Emergency Medical Technology

Emergency medical technology is often available as an associate degree at the community college level, though some four-year schools offer bachelor's degrees in similar subjects. Getting a double major in emergency medical technology and sonography will prepare you for two career paths simultaneously, help you develop a broader skill set, and enable you to pursue further educational and professional opportunities.

Education

Perhaps your dream is to become a teacher or professor. Double majoring in education and sonography will give you a good foundation for pursuing either career. Additionally, it will also prepare you for advanced education that could help you eventually become a professor of sonography at a college or university.

Exercise Science

Exercise science is another broad degree leading to various opportunities in health and wellness fields. Getting a double major in sonography and exercise science will give you a deeper understanding of how the human body works, increasing your knowledge and skill set while giving you opportunities to pursue fitness careers if you want to.

What Is a Double Major?

A double major is a degree awarded after two separate areas of study have been completed. Students sometimes opt to pursue a second major to complement their degree instead of a minor or concentration.

Students who pursue a double major typically take fewer electives than those pursuing a single major. They also have more core courses to take, as they must fulfill the major requirements for two different degrees instead of just one.

Double majors sometimes take longer than single majors to complete, though they can often be finished in the same amount of time because they usually contain the same number of credit hours (usually 120) as single majors.

Double Major vs. Dual Degree

Double majors differ from dual degrees in several ways, but the most notable difference is that dual degrees lead to two separate diplomas. Double majors are conferred as part of the same diploma.

A student may choose to pursue dual degrees when they want to receive different types of degrees, such as a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Business Administration. Alternatively, a student who completed their first bachelor's degree previously may decide to go back to school for a second bachelor's in another field.

Dual degrees usually require more coursework, sometimes 150 credit hours or more. As such, they typically take longer to complete than double majors do.

FAQs About Double Majoring With Sonography

Want to know more about pursuing a double major specifically with sonography? Read on as we answer some frequently asked questions you may have.

Can You Double Major With Sonography?

Yes, some schools will allow you to pursue a double major with your sonography degree. It's a good idea to speak with an academic advisor to learn more about the types of secondary majors you could choose from and to make sure you meet all requirements for both majors.

Is a Double Major With Sonography Worth It?

Not many students pursue a double major with sonography. Doing so can give you additional skills, education, and credentials that could help you stand out from the crowd, so it is definitely worth the time and effort you put into it.

What Are the Benefits of Double Majoring With Sonography?

As a general rule, double majoring has a variety of benefits. Some of the benefits of getting a double major with sonography include:

• better job prospects
• broader, interdisciplinary education
• potential for increased financial security
• wider skill set
• greater confidence

Will a Double Major With Sonography Improve My Career Outlook?

While sonographers are generally in high demand whether or not they hold a double major, those who pursue a second major may be seen as more qualified for the job. A second major can also lead to other job opportunities you might not have had the credentials for with a sonography degree alone.