Diagnostic Medical Sonography, B.S. (Completion Degree)

Curriculum Requirements for Phase I Curriculum

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Mission Statement

The Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (BSDMS) program at AdventHealth University educates sonographers utilizing a variety of multimedia resources within an online-learning environment. The goal of the program is to develop individuals who display a high level of competence and professionalism who will serve the sonography profession, the field of healthcare, and the community.

Program Description

This program is designed as a bachelor’s completion program (54 credits) for the sonographer who has graduated from a regionally accredited institution or who is registered and can meet the prerequisite requirements of the program.

The program will include a total of 54 trimester credit hours: 27 credits of imaging and sonographic sciences courses and 27 credits of general education courses. Students will complete the degree in nine 14-week trimesters. Students must have a minimum of 123 credit hours to be eligible for graduation. Students entering the program without an Associate of Science degree will complete additional credit hours.

Licensure and Accreditation

AdventHealth University is regionally accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as the Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (see Accrediting Bodies  in the General Information  section of the Academic Catalog).

Policies

The policies and procedures for the Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography are contained in the student manual. By accepting admission as a student in the program, each applicant agrees to abide by the following policies outlined in the BSDMS Program Manual.

Admission Requirements

The successful applicant for admission to the program must meet the following admission requirements:

1. Submit an application and $20 nonrefundable application fee. Paperwork received without an application on file will not be processed. Applicant files will not be considered complete until the application fee is paid.
2. Submit official transcripts from all colleges previously attended. Admission GPAs will be calculated, based on credits and grades from regionally accredited institutions only. Failure to disclose all colleges previously attended could result in denial or dismissal. Additionally, transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be evaluated by World Education Services. This is the only company from which we will accept transcript evaluations.
3. Achieve a minimum GPA of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale.
4. Be registered in sonography by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) in AB, OB, VT, and/or AE; the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) in Sonography; or Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) in Cardiac Sonography and/or Vascular Sonography.
   1. Possess an associate degree in sonography from a CAAHEP accredited program that is a regionally accredited institution; or,
   2. Possess an associate degree in health sciences from a regionally accredited institution and have a diploma or certificate from a CAAHEP accredited sonography program.
5. Submit official transcripts for all College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and/or Dantes (DSST) coursework only if the applicant would like them to be considered for transfer of credit.

As a result of state regulations that restrict online education, AdventHealth University is not permitted to offer online courses in the following states: Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Please contact the office of higher education in your state for more details.

Associate Degree Graduates

Graduates of regionally accredited associate degree programs with CAAHEP accreditation will be considered to have met associate degree general education and cognate requirements. If ENGL 101  or ENGL 102  (or equivalent) were not included in the associate degree, they must be completed within the baccalaureate degree program.

Admission Requirements for Bridge Status

Bridge status may be granted to those applicants who are currently credentialed in sonography by the ARDMS, ARRT, or CCI, and who have met general admission requirements. Successful completion of the curriculum requirements for Phase I will be required of applicants who have:

1. Earned an associate degree from a regionally accredited institution that was not additionally accredited by CAAHEP at the time the student enrolled in that institution. Individual institution accreditation dates will be confirmed by our office with CAAHEP.
2. Earned a certificate in sonography from a CAAHEP accredited institution, but do not additionally possess an associate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
3. Completed at least 24 credits of college-level coursework from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants for whom English is a second language and who have not studied in English at the secondary or college level must demonstrate their proficiency in the English language by completing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Please refer to the English Language Proficiency requirements in the Admissions Information section of the Academic Catalog.

Credentialed sonographers who have not attended a CAAHEP accredited sonography program will receive advanced standing in the Bachelor’s degree program. Upon admission, students will be awarded 45 credits by validation.

There are two phases to the Bridge Program. Phase I involves the successful completion of 24 hours of lower division credit as outlined below. Students accepted to the Bridge Program are granted Bridge admission status and must complete all of the Phase I requirements before starting Phase II. It is recognized that Bridge students may transfer some credit from regionally accredited institutions, or have successfully challenged courses through a CLEP exam. Combined with the 45 hours of credit by validation, the Bridge student will have a total of 69 lower division credits at the completion of Phase I.

Admission Requirements for Pre-Bridge Status

The Pre-Bridge applicant to the BS Diagnostic Medical Sonography is a credentialed professional who does not possess an associate degree from a regionally accredited institution or a CAAHEP accredited program and has less than 24 college-level credits from a regionally accredited institution.

1. Submit an application and nonrefundable $20 application fee. Paperwork received without an application on file will not be processed. Admission files will not be considered complete until the application fee is paid.
2. Submit official transcripts from all colleges previously attended. Admission GPAs will be calculated, based on credits and grades from regionally accredited institutions only. Failure to disclose all colleges previously attended could result in denial or dismissal. Additionally, transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be evaluated by an approved foreign credential evaluation company. A list of approved companies is available in the Foreign Transcript Evaluation section.
   • If 12 credits have not been completed at a regionally accredited college, a high school transcript will be required, and the admission GPA will be calculated, based on high school coursework.
3. Achieve a minimum GPA of 2.50 with no grade below a “C” (2.00).
4. Be registered in sonography by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) in AB, OB, VT, and/or AE; the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) in Sonography; or Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) in Cardiac Sonography and/or Vascular Sonography.
5. Submit official transcripts for all College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and/or Dantes (DSST) coursework, only if the applicant would like them to be considered for transfer of credit.
6. Submit official ACT or SAT scores. Applicants with 24 or more college-level credits may be exempt from this requirement. ACT and SAT scores will be used to determine placement and advising.
   • ACT: Applicants scoring less than a 14 on any section of the ACT will not be granted admission. Applicants scoring less than a 19 composite on the ACT or an individual score of less than 19 on the English or math portions will be placed into introductory classes for English, math, and/or anatomy. Once admitted, students are able to take a placement test to try to place into a higher course.
   • SAT: The minimum SAT is the combination of the Critical Reading and Math sections. Applicants scoring less than a 690 on the SAT will not be granted admission. Applicants scoring less than a 910 combined SAT score (rSAT: 990) or an individual score of less than 470 on the Critical Reading or math portions (rSAT: 510) will be placed into introductory classes for English, math, and/or anatomy. Once admitted, students are able to take a placement test to try to place into a higher course.

Curriculum Requirements for Phase I

The following courses must be completed with a minimum grade of “C”:

• ENGL 101 - English Composition I (3)  
• ENGL 102 - English Composition II (3)  
• BIOL 101C - Anatomy and Physiology I and Lab (4)  
• BIOL 102C - Anatomy and Physiology II and Lab (4)  
• MATH 120 - College Algebra (3)  ¹
• PSYC 124 - General Psychology (3)  
• PHYS 121 - Survey of Physics (4)  ^{3, 4}

Phase I Total: 24

¹ MATH 120  or a more advanced mathematics course.

2 Students with an A.S. degree from a regionally accredited program are considered to have met this cognate requirement.

3 A four (4) credit hour Radiation/Radiologic Physics course completed at a regionally accredited and JRCERT accredited program will have met this cognate requirement. Students who have completed an approved ARRT/NMTCB Radiography, Radiation Therapy, or Nuclear Medicine program from a regionally accredited institution will have met the cognate requirement for Survey of Physics.

Phase I Progression

Progression in the Bridge Program is achieved with the successful completion of the above 24 credit hours with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50.

Phase I Credit Accumulation	Credit Hours
Completed Coursework	24
Credit by Validation	45
Total hours in Bridge Program	69

Phase II involves the completion of the 54 credit hours of cognate and Sonography coursework listed under the Curriculum section.

Progression

Students may progress in the Bachelor of Science Degree Program when they complete the following:

1. Earn a minimum grade of “C” (2.00) in each program course.
2. Earn a minimum grade of “C” (2.00) in each general education course.
3. Successfully repeat all courses in which the minimum grade of “C” (2.00) was not achieved. No more than two courses may be repeated in the following combination: one sonography course and one general education course, or two general education courses.

Readmission

Students who have been accepted to the University and choose not to enroll for the specific trimester for which they were admitted have one year from the date of acceptance before all new documents may be required. Students who have not matriculated for one-two trimesters may resume their studies after consulting with an advisor first, with proof of current credentials.  Students who were not enrolled in course work for three or more trimesters must apply for readmission by competing a new application process.  The program guidelines for the current Academic Catalog will apply. 

Completion

Students will be considered for completion of the Bachelor of Science Degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography when they have met the general requirements for graduation and when they have:

1. Completed a minimum of 123 trimester hours of credit¹.
2. Completed the prescribed course of study for the degree (see “Curriculum” section) with a minimum cumulative GPA of “C” (2.00).
3. Achieved a minimum grade of “C” (2.00) in each course.
4. Completed the service-learning requirement. Please refer to your program handbook for more information.

5. Completed the University Residency Policy

   ¹ This includes a maximum of 69 associate degree and/or Phase I credits and 54 credit hours of BS DMS general education and core requirements.