Ultrasonographer Program

Overview

University of Utah Health’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography program is a 12-month accelerated sonography program with two pathway options to become eligible for the application. The program aligns with the requirements from the ARDMS. Please review our prerequisite page for more information. Students will learn how to produce diagnostic images in both abdominal and obstetrical ultrasound. The program consists of four quarters and begins every July.

Prior to graduation, students will be eligible to take the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) exam. Upon completion of the SPI, graduates of this program will be eligible to take the specialty exams; includes Abdomen and Obstetrics & Gynecology. NOTE: This program does not provide any clinical training in Echocardiography or Vascular Ultrasound. For experience and training in those areas please look to Weber State University.

University of Utah Health has more than 7 locations throughout the valley, allowing students to experience clinical care in both an inpatient hospital setting, as well as the outpatient environment. Students will have the opportunity to work one on one with each sonographer to learn the skills that will help them become an entry level tech by graduation.

What is Ultrasound?

Ultrasound is an imaging modality that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of what’s going on inside the body. The hand-held instrument, called a transducer, sends out sound waves that travel through the body. These waves bounce off structures within the body and then travel back to the transducer, which in turn creates the image seen on the screen. The images show the size, shape, and consistency of tissues and organs. Ultrasound is used to image several parts of the body including but not limited to the liver, kidneys, bladder, pancreas, gallbladder, spleen, blood vessels, thyroid, testis, uterus and ovaries, muscles, as well as fetuses.

What are the responsibilities of an ultrasonographer?

Sonographers have a unique responsibility that is unlike any other imaging modality. It is the sonographer’s skillset and vast knowledge that will provide radiologists with the information that is needed to correctly care for the patient. Creating ultrasound images is a bit of an art and takes years to perfect. The sonographer is responsible for learning how to effectively use the ultrasound machine to document both normal anatomy as well as pathology (when applicable). Sonographers also assist radiologists and obstetricians during a variety of procedures like biopsies, aspirations, and amniocenteses. In addition to creating diagnostic images, patient care skills are vital to a sonographer’s success, as they spend a significant amount of one on one time with patients.

How do I become an ultrasonographer?

The ultrasound program consists of both weekly in-class instruction as well as 30 hours of clinical. The total number of clinical hours to be completed in the program is 1400 hrs. Within clinical work, there are specific exams students will need to show proficiency in. Midway through the program, successful students will be eligible to take the ARDMS SPI exam. This test currently consists of 110 multiple choice questions and needs to be passed within 5 years of completing the ultrasound program. Upon completion of all clinical hours, class work, and the SPI exam, students will then be eligible to sit for a specialty exam; abdomen and OB/GYN being the most common. Each specialty exam is comprised of 170 multiple choice questions. By completing both the SPI, and one or more of the specialty exams, the sonographer will then officially be certified by ARDMS.

University of Utah Health is excited to introduce their newest program to the mix of imaging programs. Students will be provided with the opportunity to learn from very experienced, talented, and knowledgeable sonographers. Through completion of the program and working with and learning from the Universities sonographers, students will have what they need to be competitive in the field of ultrasonography.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

PREREQUISITES

Note: University of Utah Health Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences offers two certificate pathway options for interested candidates. You must meet only ONE of the two following, to become eligible for the application:

Post-Primary Pathway:

The Sonography Program primary pathway requirements are as follows:

Have successfully passed one or more of the following certification categories:

Radiography (ARRT)
Radiation Therapy (ARRT)
Nuclear Medicine Technology (ARRT or NMTCB)

2. Observation is also required, please see observation section for more information.

Primary Pathway:

The Sonography Program primary pathway requirements are as follows:

Minimum bachelor’s degree (any major)
- Minimum GPA: 3.0 (cumulative)
Courses:
- Human Anatomy + Lab (in-person cadaver lab is strongly recommended)
- Human Physiology Lecture (Lab is optional)
- Medical Terminology
- Math (minimum Intermediate Algebra, or higher)

NOTE: Human Anatomy w/Lab and Human Physiology courses may not be older than seven years. Courses can be from any college or university. A minimum of C grade or higher is required in all prerequisite courses listed.

Course Articulation: If you are interested to find out which courses and course numbers satisfy the prerequisites for your program, please review our updated course articulation document which contains this information from most of the universities and colleges in Utah. Please note that this list contains our preferred courses for the prerequisites, but there may be others that would be acceptable. If you do not see your course listed here and you are curious if would satisfy the requirement, please contact the program administrator, Otto Casal by email.

COURSE ARTICULATION DOCUMENT

Observation experience:
- A requirement for sonography applicants will be 12 hours (minimum) of observational experience in an ultrasound department. University of Utah Hospital will provide 4 hours of this time (see below for observation application) but the candidate will need to identify an additional 8-hours of time from additional hospital or clinic ultrasound departments.
- To request observation with U Health, please visit: Observation Application.
- Out of state candidates please inquire with the program administrator for additional options in your home location.
  - *The observation experience is meant to provide practical experience in a clinical ultrasound department, so that the candidate may learn what some general expectations and responsibilities of a sonographer will be. Gaining varied experiences will help to increase this knowledge, as each clinical site will operate differently and perform different exams.
Patient Care experience (80 hours minimum)
- Patient care experience can be from previous healthcare work.
- This can be from either volunteer work or current/previous work in a healthcare/clinical setting.
- It should be direct patient care (preferably in a clinical setting) where you are involved working with patients directly and other healthcare staff. Examples include, but are not limited to: CNA, MA, Phlebotomy, Public/Social/Community health settings.
- If looking for volunteer work, you should contact hospitals, clinics and/or free clinics in your area to find opportunities that may work.

TUITION

Tuition for the 2026-27 program session is $6,800.
Payment Plan Options:
- Payment in full by first week of the program
- 2 payments: First half payment due first week of program, final half payment due in January of the program year.
- 4 payments: First payment due at start of the program, with each subsequent payment due at the start of each quarter.

Note: The sonography program is a certificate only program. As such, we are unable to accept/process any type of Federal Financial Aid or Federal Scholarships. There may be scholarships available from diagnostic medical sonography societies, please inquire with those directly for offerings and more information.

Additional Fees

The following are approximate costs and are subject to changes:

Lab coats/Scrubs: $100.00
Parking pass: $270.00 (price may change each academic year)
Textbooks: $300.00 (approximately)
SPI examination: $225.00
Abdominal specialty examination: $250.00
OB/GYN specialty examination: $250.00
Trajecsys (Student Tracking Program): $100.00

CURRICULUM

The program provides didactic education in the following procedure sections:

Ultrasound physics
Obstetrics
Gynecology
Abdominal
Retroperitoneal
Small Parts
Neonatal

SCHEDULE

The program begins each July and will run 12-months consecutively, with very few breaks. This is our most rigorous program and will require 40+ hours weekly in the program, not to include personal study time.

The program meets weekly to complete both didactic and clinical education.

Lecture Schedule:
- Tuesdays and Thursdays, approximately 4-5 hours on each day
- Lecture start times vary year to year but generally will begin between 10:00- Noon on each day. A calendar will be provided at the program start.

*Lectures are held in-person at the University Hospital Campus (not main campus).

*Distance education or virtual attendance is not available.

Clinical Assignment:
- Mon/Wed/Fri – 7:00- 5:30 (sometimes later depending on cases)
- The students rotate weekly to one of seven clinical locations in the valley, including South Jordan Health Center, Greenwood clinic (Midvale), Redwood Health Center, Sugar House Health Center, Farmington Health Center, and the University Hospital Abdomen and Maternal Fetal Medicine labs.
Program Breaks:
- The program has only three breaks during the 12-months: two days for fall and spring breaks and two weeks during the holiday recess.
- The program does not meet on weekends or holidays.

*Students should have reliable transportation to travel between their clinical sites and factor travel time from home to clinic in their decision for applying.

*Use of any other clinics is not allowed.

*2025-26 Sample Program Calendar

OBSERVATION EXPERIENCE

Observation Experience

HOW TO APPLY

How to Apply

FAQ'S

What is the cohort size for the program?
- The program admits only 3-4 students per program year. Students are selected from an applicant pool and can reapply for the following session if they are not admitted. See our How to Apply page for more information.
How competitive is the program?
- The program has become quite competitive in the past few years. We currently receive between 35-40 applications per program session.
- Post-primary Pathway Candidates: Earning certification in radiography before moving into sonography is the traditional track for application. Radiographers will come with one to two years of direct patient care experience in a clinical setting which typically makes them strong candidates. For those applying with radiography certification there are no additional courses required but we will look to see how much time, if any, has been spent doing observation in ultrasound departments.
- Primary Pathway Candidates: Our program will accept any major earned from your undergraduate career however, all candidates must successfully complete the four courses listed above (whether those courses were part of your major or not) prior to start date of program. In addition, candidates applying with a bachelor's degree should be able to demonstrate direct patient care experience either through employment or volunteer work in a clinical setting. Examples are CNA, MA, phlebotomy, etc. It is strongly encouraged that the patient care hours be from a clinical setting.
What are some areas that are looked at to determine selection?
- The program will review each candidate’s application for academic performance (overall GPA and grading for the specific course prerequisites); the quality of direct patient care experience; letters of recommendation; and feedback from the observation experience hours.
- Students will be selected based on predictors of the student’s ability to successfully complete the program, pass the various ARDMS examinations and become a productive employee in the field. Selected applicants must be currently certified with BLS for healthcare providers and be able to document appropriate immunizations. Final admission for selected students is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check and drug screening.
Can I apply if my degree or prerequisite courses are still in progress?
- Yes, if your degree or any program prerequisites are in progress but they must be completed by end of the semester for the program session that you are applying for.
- If you are selected for the program, it is a conditional offer in that you must complete the degree and/or any outstanding prerequisites with a C grade or better to maintain your placement in the program. Should any of these not be met, you would forfeit your placement and would have to reapply the following session.