Diagnostic Medical Sonography

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program is designed for students who wish to explore the field of sonography, as well as those who have made a career decision to seek certification from the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS). Diagnostic medical sonographers are highly specialized members of the health care team who provide patient services using ultrasound under the direction of a physician. Sonographers provide care essential to diagnostic ultrasound imaging by operating equipment and performing examinations for medical diagnosis. Sonographers have an in-depth knowledge of physics, disease processes, physiology, cross-sectional anatomy, positioning and sonographic techniques necessary to create ultrasound images. Knowledge of darkroom techniques, equipment maintenance, record keeping, and film processing are also part of the job.

Careers in the field of diagnostic sonography can be found in hospitals, clinics, doctors' offices, and mobile imaging centers. Research, applications, teaching, and marketing may be available to sonographers who wish to explore careers in business or industry.

Educational information: Clinical affiliations include a cooperative effort with a number of area hospitals, clinics, and doctors' offices. Clinical training is required by the ARDMS prior to sitting for the registry examination. This program will prepare students for the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographer examinations in abdomen, obstetrics, and vascular technology.

Details

Field of Interest
Health Sciences
Degree Type
Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
Academic Plan
Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
3656
Total credits required
89.5-103.5
Catalog Year
2025-2026
Effective Term
Fall 2025
Admission criteria

1. Formal application and admission to the program.
2. Background check requirements: Admission to an Allied Health program requires that students be in compliance with the Maricopa County Community College District Background Check Standards. Upon conditional program enrollment, the student must comply with all requirements of the MCCCD Background Check Policy and drug testing protocols.
3. Clinical health and safety requirements must be met. Upon conditional program enrollment, the student must comply with all requirements of the MCCCD Clinical Health and Safety Policy.
4. Inability to comply with background check requirements and/or clinical health and safety requirements at the start of classes may result in cancellation of enrollment.
5. There are limited spaces available in the DMS program. Only students who have completed all of the general education and introductory courses noted above may have their name added to the queue of those waiting for an available space in a cohort.

Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Students must complete the following general education and introductory courses with a 3.0 GPA to be added to the queue of those waiting for an available cohort space to begin the core curriculum. BIO160 or (BIO201 and BIO202); ENG101 or ENG107; MAT150 or MAT151 or MAT152 or MAT155 or MAT156; and (PHY101 or PHY111).

Due to the requirements of the program accrediting body, this course of study requires many hours of classroom and clinical time. Full-time day students must submit application materials and be accepted prior to registering for the courses in the core curriculum. The full-time program is 22 months in length.

What You'll Learn
  • Collect and interpret diagnostic information from the ultrasound exam.
  • Obtain, review, and record pertinent patient history and supporting clinical data to facilitate optimal diagnostic results.
  • Communicate effectively in a culturally responsive manner with patients and the healthcare team.
  • Exercise professional and ethical behavior in a medical setting.
  • Develop lifelong learning practices in sonography and healthcare.
Career Statistics

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
$58,140
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
$86,310

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
  • Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
BIO160 or
BIO201		 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology or Human Anatomy and Physiology I Students are required to take BIO160 or the sequence of BIO156 or BIO181, BIO201 and BIO202. One year of high school biology with a C or better is equivalent to BIO156 or BIO181. SQ or SG 4
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3
MAT150 or
MAT151 or
MAT152 or
MAT155 or
MAT156		 College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions with Review or College Algebra/Functions with Review OR Any approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area for which MAT15+ is a prerequisite (3-6) MA or MA or MA or MA or MA 3–6
PHY101 or
PHY111		 Introduction to Physics or General Physics I SQ or SQ 4

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
BIO202 Human Anatomy and Physiology II Students are required to take BIO160 or the sequence of BIO156 or BIO181, BIO201, & BIO202. One year of high school biology with a C or better is equivalent to BIO156 or BIO181. SG 0–4
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment 0-3 L 0–3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM Oral Communication Any approved general education course from the Oral Communication area 3 3
DMS110 Introduction to Diagnostic Sonography Critical course 3
DMS120 Ultrasound Imaging: Abdominal Procedures I Critical course 3
DMS120LL Ultrasound Imaging: Abdominal Procedures I Laboratory Critical course 1
DMS150 Sonographic Principles and Instrumentation I Critical course 3
DMS150LL Sonographic Principles and Instrumentation Laboratory Critical course 1

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
DMS/ICE220 Sectional Anatomy 3
DMS121 Ultrasound Imaging: Abdominal Procedures II 3
DMS130 Ultrasound Imaging: OB/GYN Procedures Critical course 3
DMS130LL Ultrasound Imaging: OB/GYN Procedures Laboratory 1
DMS155 Introduction to Clinical Care for Sonography 1
HCC218 or
NUC120 or
RAD206		 Venous Access for Diagnostic Agents and Pharmaceuticals or Radiopharmaceutical/Pharmaceutical Administration for the Nuclear Medicine Technologist or Pharmacology and Venipuncture 0.5–1.5

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
DMS210 Concepts of Vascular Imaging Critical course 3
DMS210LL Concepts of Vascular Imaging Laboratory Critical course 1
DMS225 High Risk Obstetric/Gynecology Sonography 1
DMS235 Ultrasound Breast Imaging Optional: for students seeking a specialty area in sonography. 0–1
DMS240 Ultrasound Case Studies: Part II 2
DMS241 Ultrasound Case Studies: Part III 2
DMS250 Musculoskeletal Sonography and Small Parts Optional: for students seeking a specialty area in sonography. 0–2

Summer Semester (Term 6)

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Summer Semester (Term 6)
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
DMS140 Ultrasound Case Studies: Part I 2
DMS161 Clinical Practicum II-AA 1
DMS162 Clinical Practicum II-AB 2
DMS171 Clinical Practicum III-AA 2
DMS172 Clinical Practicum III-AB 2

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
DMS261 Clinical Practicum IV-AA 2
DMS262 Clinical Practicum IV-AB 2
DMS263 Vascular Clinical Practicum I 2
DMS270 Clinical Practicum V-AA 2
DMS271 Clinical Practicum V-AB 2
DMS286 Advanced Vascular Technology 3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
DMS255 Abdominal Extended Sonography 3
DMS272 Clinical Practicum V-AC 2
DMS281 Ultrasound Registry Preparation Seminar: Physics and Instrumentation 1
DMS282 Ultrasound Registry Preparation Seminar: Abdominal and Small Parts Imaging 1
DMS283 Ultrasound Registry Preparation Seminar: Obstetrics and Gynecology 1
DMS284 Ultrasound Registry Preparation: Vascular Imaging 1
DMS286LL Advanced Vascular Technology Laboratory 1

Introductory courses only Sequence

Program course sequence for introductory courses only

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
BIO160 or
BIO201		 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology or Human Anatomy and Physiology I Students are required to take BIO160 or the sequence of BIO156 or BIO181, BIO201, & BIO202. One year of high school biology with a C or better is equivalent to BIO156 or BIO181. SQ or SG 4
MAT150 or
MAT151 or
MAT152 or
MAT155 or
MAT156		 College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions with Review or College Algebra/Functions with Review OR Any approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area for which MAT15+ is a prerequisite MA or MA or MA or MA or MA 3–6
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment 0-3 L 0–3
COM Oral Communication Any approved general education course from the Oral Communication area 3 3
BIO202 Human Anatomy and Physiology II Students are required to take BIO160 or the sequence of BIO156 or BIO181, BIO201, & BIO202. One year of high school biology with a C or better is equivalent to BIO156 or BIO181. SG 0–4

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PHY101 or
PHY111		 Introduction to Physics or General Physics I SQ or SQ 4
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design Any approved general education course from the Humanities, Arts and Design 3 HU 3
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences Any approved general education course from the Social-Behavioral Sciences area 3 SB 3
Course Area Key

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=16453926).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Diagnostic Medical Sonography