Online Diagnostic Medical Sonography Degree Programs

<p>If you're interested in pursuing a career working with patients and diagnosing health issues as a sonographer, you can find programs online at the associate and bachelor's degree level. Associate's and bachelor's degree programs include general education requirements in addition to human health and sonography courses. Online programs also require you to complete a clinical practicum, which can usually be done in your area with approval from your school. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td><b>Degree Levels</b></td><td> Associate's, bachelor's</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Other Requirements</b></td><td> Clinical practicum</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Certification &amp; Licensure</b></td><td> While licensure is not required, seeking a professional certification may improve your chances of gaining employment</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Common Courses</b></td><td> Ultrasound physics, abdominal ultrasound, sonography equipment, pathophysiology, ultrasound instrumentation</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Median Salary (2020)</b></td><td>$75,920 <i>(for diagnostic medical sonographers)</i>*</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Job Outlook (2019-29)</b></td><td>17% growth <i>(for all diagnostic medical sonographers)</i>*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---WillINeedToGetACertificateOrALicense">Will I Need to Get a Certificate or a License?</h3> <p>Licensure is not required to work as a diagnostic medical sonographer in any state. However, credentials are available from some professional organizations and may be preferred by employers. You can become a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) by passing the exam offered by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), which is also available for specialty areas in the field (<i>www.ardms.org</i>). Vascular and breast sonography credentials can be obtained from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist (<i>www.arrt.org</i>) and cardiovascular credentials are available from the Cardiovascular Credentialing International (<i>www.cci-online.org</i>). </p> <p>You may need to take continuing education courses to maintain certification. Certification organizations may also require you to have completed your education through a program that has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (<i>www.caahep.org</i>). </p> <h3 id="section---WhatClassesWillIHaveToTake">What Classes Will I Have to Take?</h3> <p>Online programs in diagnostic medical sonography cover science-related topics, such as human anatomy, biology and physiology, in addition to addressing issues that can include patient care, medical terminology and medical ethics. The following are some of the typical courses found in this type of program: </p> <ul><li>Ultrasound physics </li><li>Ultrasound instrumentation </li><li>Sonography equipment </li><li>Pathophysiology </li><li>Abdominal ultrasound </li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatCanIDoWithThisDegree">What Can I Do With This Degree?</h3> <p>Many people who graduate from a diagnostic medical sonography pursue careers working with patients to diagnose health issues as sonographers. Employment opportunities for sonographers are expected to be good, with a much faster than average growth rate of 17% between 2019 and 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). The agency also reported median salaries for sonographers to be $75,920 while the upper 10% earned $105,340 in 2020. You may also find career opportunities in education, research or in equipment manufacturing and sales.</p>