School of Nursing & Health Sciences · Associate degree
Associate of Applied Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography
See your future clearly.
You want a healthcare career where your skills make a real difference. MVU’s hybrid sonography program prepares you to use ultrasound to help physicians diagnose conditions, monitor pregnancies, and care for patients, with hands-on labs and supervised clinical training along the way.
79
credit hours
Hybrid
online lectures, on-campus labs
Every fall
a new class begins
3 clinical courses
at regional facilities
3 concentrations
abdominal, OB/GYN, vascular
Board review
ARDMS exam prep course
Why MVU for sonography
Hands-on training, with a guide beside you
Learn the science, practice the scans, and build clinical skills under supervision.
Learn online, scan in person
Lectures are online, so you can complete coursework around your schedule. Labs meet in person in MVU’s simulation labs in Marshall.
Real clinical experience
Three clinical practice courses place you in approved regional hospitals and imaging facilities, working under supervision.
Three concentrations
Train in abdominal, obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), and vascular sonography.
Prepare for your boards
A board examination review course helps you get ready for the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) exams.
A director who knows you
Program Director Kathrine Flores leads the program and is your first contact for questions about prerequisites, transfer credit, and clinicals.
Is this program for me?
This program may be a great fit if you…
- Want a hands-on healthcare career that combines technology and patient care.
- Enjoy anatomy, science, and solving problems.
- Want to support patients during important moments, like a pregnancy or a new diagnosis.
- Are ready for an intensive schedule that includes clinical rotations.
What will I learn to do?
Skills you’ll practice and grow
- Perform abdominal, OB/GYN, and vascular ultrasound procedures.
- Use clinical reasoning to address common and acute problems.
- Provide safe care to diverse patient populations.
- Connect clinical signs and symptoms with disease.
- Practice with professionalism, care, and empathy.
- Build habits of lifelong learning and self-assessment.
Your path
From prerequisites to the board exam
Finish your prerequisites first. Then move through four semesters of core sonography training.
01
Complete prerequisites
Finish 29 credit hours of general education and science courses, each with a C or higher, before you apply.
02
Build your foundation
Study ultrasound physics and instrumentation, cross-sectional anatomy, and the basics of sonography.
03
Master scanning skills
Take abdominal, OB/GYN, vascular, and superficial-structures courses, each paired with a hands-on lab.
04
Gain clinical experience
Complete three supervised clinical practice courses and a board review to prepare for the ARDMS exams.
Plan for clinical hours. Clinical rotations start in your second semester and take 24 to 32 hours a week on site, during regular business hours. Some rotations include evenings or weekends, and travel outside Marshall is possible. Because of this schedule, full-time work is strongly discouraged.
Where can this degree take me?
Bring clarity to patient care
Sonographers are part of the healthcare team, helping physicians make informed decisions. You could work in settings like these.
Hospitals
Diagnostic imaging centers
Physician offices and clinics
Obstetric and vascular care
Accreditation status. The Missouri Valley University Diagnostic Medical Sonography program is currently seeking programmatic accreditation. Programmatic accreditation is granted 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). Before you apply, read the accreditation and registry eligibility disclosure below.
Accreditation & Registry Eligibility Disclosure
The Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program is currently in the CAAHEP accreditation process, and achievement of candidacy or review does not guarantee final accreditation. Because ARDMS certification exam eligibility is tied to programmatic status, graduating from a program that is not CAAHEP-accredited will require graduates to fulfill alternative pathways—such as acquiring 12 months of full-time clinical work experience—before being allowed to sit for national registry exams.
For current pay and job outlook, see the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics guide to diagnostic medical sonographers.
Affording your degree
Plan your investment
Know your costs up front, and make the most of credit you’ve already earned.
Tuition and fees
Request information for current tuition and program costs, or see tuition and fees.
Financial aid
You may qualify for federal aid and scholarships. Start with Tuition & Financial Aid.
Transfer credit
Taken college courses already? Email the Program Director at floresk@moval.edu to schedule an official transcript evaluation.
Explore the curriculum
79 credit hours, step by step
29 hours of prerequisites, then 50 hours of sonography coursework. You need a C or higher in every prerequisite and a B or higher in every SONO course.
General education prerequisites (16 credit hours)
- HIST 104, HIST 105, or POLS 100 American history or federal government
- ENGL 130 Rhetoric and Composition
- COMM 100 Public Speaking & Introduction to Communication
- BIOL 104 Principles of Biology (4 credits)
- MATH 150 Topics in Modern Mathematics, or a higher math course
Science prerequisites (13 credit hours)
- BIOL 275 Human Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits)
- BIOL 285 Human Anatomy & Physiology II (4 credits)
- PHSC 109 Introduction to Physical Science (4 credits)
- HLTH 140 Medical Terminology (2 credits)
Sonography foundations (8 credit hours)
- SONO 100 Introduction to Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- SONO 200 Medical Sonographic Physics and Instrumentation I
- SONO 215 Cross Sectional Anatomy (2 credits)
Abdominal sonography (8 credit hours)
- SONO 205 Abdominal Sonography I
- SONO 206 Abdominal Sonography I Lab (1 credit)
- SONO 225 Abdominal Sonography II
- SONO 226 Abdominal Sonography II Lab (1 credit)
OB/GYN sonography (8 credit hours)
- SONO 210 OB/GYN Sonography I
- SONO 211 OB/GYN Sonography I Lab (1 credit)
- SONO 230 OB/GYN Sonography II
- SONO 231 OB/GYN Sonography II Lab (1 credit)
Vascular sonography (8 credit hours)
- SONO 235 Vascular Sonography
- SONO 236 Vascular Sonography I Lab (1 credit)
- SONO 245 Vascular Sonography II
- SONO 246 Vascular Sonography II Lab (1 credit)
Superficial structures (3 credit hours)
- SONO 220 Sonography of Superficial Structures (2 credits)
- SONO 221 Sonography Superficial Structures Lab (1 credit)
Clinical practice and board review (15 credit hours)
- SONO 240 Sonographic Clinical Practice I
- SONO 255 Sonographic Clinical Practice II (4 credits)
- SONO 265 Sonographic Clinical Practice III (6 credits)
- SONO 260 Board Examination Review (2 credits)
Applying
How to apply
A new class begins every fall. You apply to the program during a set window each year.
02
Finish your prerequisites
Complete every prerequisite with a C or higher. Your grades must be on your transcript before you apply.
03
Send your transcripts
Courses from other schools: send official transcripts to MVU Admissions & Records and include them with your program application. MVU courses: include an unofficial transcript.
04
Apply to the program
Submit the sonography application during the application window. Applications missing information or transcripts are considered incomplete.
05
Attend orientation
If you’re accepted, you’ll get an email with the details. Orientation is mandatory; that’s where you’ll get your class and clinical schedules.
Dates for fall 2027 admission
- Transcripts from other colleges due: Friday, December 11, 2026 (sent directly to MVU Admissions & Records)
- Application window: Sunday, January 24, through Sunday, February 14, 2027
- Classes begin: fall 2027
- The program application link will be posted on this page when the window opens.
After you’re accepted
- Provide all required documents by the deadlines in your acceptance email. Missing deadlines may cancel your admission.
- Complete every clinical rotation the program assigns. Some include evening or weekend hours, and some may be outside Marshall.
Questions about course equivalency
Not sure whether a course you took elsewhere matches a prerequisite? Email the Program Director at floresk@moval.edu.
Is the program accredited?
The Missouri Valley University Diagnostic Medical Sonography program is currently seeking programmatic accreditation. Programmatic accreditation is granted 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).
Can I take the ARDMS registry exams if the program isn’t accredited yet?
Not right away if the program isn’t CAAHEP-accredited when you graduate. ARDMS exam eligibility is tied to a program’s accreditation status, so you would first need to meet an alternative eligibility pathway, such as 12 months of full-time clinical work experience. See the Accreditation & Registry Eligibility Disclosure. The Program Director will guide your class through the pathway that applies at graduation.
How does the hybrid format work?
- Lectures are online, so you can complete coursework around your schedule.
- Labs meet in person in the simulation labs on the Marshall campus, usually as intensive, hands-on scanning sessions.
- Clinicals take place in person at approved regional hospitals and imaging facilities.
Can I work full time while I’m in the program?
It’s strongly discouraged. Starting in your second semester, clinical rotations take 24 to 32 hours a week on site during regular business hours, on top of your online lectures and study time.
Will I need to travel for clinicals?
Possibly. Clinical sites may be outside Marshall, and some rotations include evening or weekend hours. You must complete every rotation the program assigns.
What grades do I need?
A C or higher in every prerequisite course, and a B or higher in every SONO course.
Will my past college credits transfer?
Contact the Program Director, Kathrine Flores, at floresk@moval.edu or 660-831-4096 to schedule an official transcript evaluation.
Talk with the Program Director
Wondering whether your credits transfer, how clinicals work, or when to apply? Reach out. We’re happy to help you plan your next step.
AAS in Diagnostic Medical Sonography