ultrasound tech and patient

Associate of Applied Science (AAS)

Many potential sonography students expect that a career in sonography (ultrasound) is the imaging of pregnant woman, but that's just one part of the field.  Advances in technology allow hospitals and imaging departments to use sonography as a diagnostic tool in many areas of medicine, including gynecology, obstetrics, male reproductive systems, pediatrics, and neurosonography.  This field is expected to grow faster than the average career nationwide.  Ultrasound, also referred to as sonography, is utilized primarily in hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices and community health centers.  Sonography uses sound to “see”, by using special equipment to direct high-frequency sound waves towards a particular part of the body.  Many sonographers will specialize in specific areas of the body; obstetrics/gynecology, or abdomen, heart, or the circulatory system. 

Our program focuses on obstetrics/gynecology, abdomen, and small parts as well as vascular.  Through  the City College  5 semester, 21 month Associate of Applied Science degree you will experience a high tech education with hands-on scan lab experience, along with the flexible online lecture course work.  You will also get real-world experience doing clinical rotations (minimum of 1600 hours) in the health care setting.  With approval, individuals can look at completing their clinical hours within Montana but also across the country. 

Upon successful completion of this degree, you will be prepared in your area of clinical study to sit for the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) and/or the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists Sonography (ARRT) (S) examination.

 

 

 

Prior to applying to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography AAS program, students must be admitted to City College, and meet all program entrance requirements and prerequisite courses.  

The dates below reflect the last date applications will be accepted for that term's cohort.  There is a competitive application process to enter the core diagnostic medical sonography courses.  The program faculty have developed the application form and processes to determine who will have an opportunity to start in the cohort.  Please refer to the Admission Requirements (Competitive Application) section below.

TERM LAST DATE APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED STATUS
Fall 2024 May 24, 2024  
Fall 2025 May 2025  

 

KEY
   Accepting applications for this semester
   Not yet accepting applications for this semester
   Application closed for this semester

Cost of Attendance

City College - Associate Degrees & Certificates

  • Additional program fees are listed at bottom of the COA page

Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (ultrasound)

Median Wage (MT)* $74,590  yearly
  $35.86 per hour
Median Wage (US)* $71,410  yearly
 

$34.33  per hour
 

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Employment Projections; MT Dept. of Labor and Industry, Research and Analysis Bureau; (projections through 2024) 

»»  Graduate Placement Data 

As a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, you will find employment in a variety of settings, such as:

  • Hospitals
  • Clinics
  • Physicians’ Offices
  • Surgical Centers
  • Mobile Services
  • Other Specialized Medical Facilities

ADMISSION TO CITY COLLEGE

  • First-time college students must have a high school diploma from an accredited high school or a GED/HiSET
  • Transfer students will need to submit records from all regionally accredited institutions.

 

PROGRAM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS TO THE DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHY PROGRAM 

After applying to City College and completing the necessary prerequisite courses, students may apply to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program.  Due to limited clinical/laboratory space, a limited number of students per year will be selected to continue in the clinical part of the program

Fall 2024 application and application process is now open - please note that all pre-requisite courses will need to be completed by the time the application is due in May 2024.

Program Delivery

The Sonography Program is a 5 semester, 21-month Associate of Applied Science program with a minimum of 1600 clinical hours. The program involves online didactic and on campus scan lab for Semester 1, then students are assigned clinical sites for their remaining semesters (i.e.: 2, 3, 4 & 5). For semesters 2-5, didactics continue online and the students are assigned to off campus clinical sites at medical facilities around the region, returning to campus for a one-weekend clinical conference near the end of each semester. This schedule accommodates working professionals and the use of the lab/classroom by the medical radiography students during the week (M-F).

Clinical Sites

The clinical internship portion of the program will be completed at hospitals and other outpatient/imaging facilities. With approval from the department, students could do their clinical scans in different states across the country.  Please note that currently some of the confirmed clinical sites may be across the state and region and could require travel.  Students would be responsible for their own travel.

For a list of the current clinical sites please contact the Sonography Clinical Coordinator, Patricia Perez or Sonography Program Director, Tammy McDowell:

The Diagnostic Medial Sonography director will help coordinate clinical site selection during the application process.  An affiliation agreement  must be signed before the student can start their core diagnostic medical sonography courses.

Montana State University Billings is accredited by the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). 

Upon successful completion of the program and the required 1600 clinical scan hours, you will be eligible to sit for the national registry exams in Sonography offered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) and/or the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS).

Passage of the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation exam and any specialty exam (ABD) and/or (OB/GYN) qualifies the individual as a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS). You can contact the ARDMS at (301) 738-8401 or check their website at www.ardms.org to find out more about clinical and certification requirements.

Upon passing the American Registry of Radiologic technologists (ARRT) Sonography exam, the individual is qualified to use the RT (S), A.R.R.T credential after their name. Call the ARRT at (651) 687-0048 or check the website at www.arrt.org to find out more information about certification.

All new degrees must be approved by the US Department of Education for Federal Financial Aid eligibility.  MSU Billings is submitting a request to the Department of Education to review this program.  Individuals interested in receiving financial assistance are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.