Dallas College

Diagnostic Medical Sonography


1 Associate Degree
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If you have an aptitude for intellectually and technically challenging work and want a health career with high patient contact, consider becoming a diagnostic medical sonographer. Our Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program is recognized both locally and nationally for its outstanding faculty and exemplary clinical rotations.

What is Diagnostic Medical Sonography?

Diagnostic medical sonography uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to visualize internal organs, soft tissue structures and vessels. Sonographers:

  • Create sonographic images used by physicians to make a medical diagnosis.
  • Use specialized ultrasound equipment, help decide which images to use, summarize technical findings and coordinate work with physicians and other health care team members.
  • Have direct and extensive patient contact.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography at a Glance

Dallas College offers many different ways to reach your career goals. Whether you want to jump into the workforce quickly or spend more time building advanced skills, we have the programs that fit your needs and timeline.

Associate Degrees

Estimated total tuition cost2:

$5,940

Estimated time to complete1:

2 years

  • El Centro3

Which Degrees and Certificates are Right for Me?

Associate Degrees

Dallas College's associate degrees provide a strong academic foundation for career entry or transfer to a four-year institution.

Can I Transfer?

Our Associate of Applied Science degrees and certificates may not fully transfer to a four-year college or university.

  • If your goal is to transfer, you may want to explore our Core Curriculum and Transfer Pathways.
  • You may also want to explore a transfer degree, like an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science.
  • The classes you take will count towards a bachelor's degree and are designed to be accepted by any public college or university in Texas.

If you're not sure if this is the right choice for you, you can talk to a Pathway Specialist for guidance.

Pathway Specialist

Questions About Degrees and Certificates?

We know applying to college can be confusing. If you are not yet a Dallas College student, you have a whole team of recruitment coaches to help guide you through programs and the enrollment process.

Current students, contact your success coach (advisor) who can answer any questions you have about Diagnostic Medical Sonography programs and your degree and certificate options.

Contact a Recruitment Coach

What Can I Earn? Will There Be Plenty of Jobs?

Provide critical health-care services and care for people as a sonographer. Check out a few of the incredible career opportunities you’ll be ready for. Your future starts here!

Female radiologic technologist is preparing female patient for radiological examination

Radiologic Technologists

$38/hr

Median Salary

294

Job Openings

+15%

Projected Outlook

Top Skills:

  • Active Listening
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Speaking
  • Service Orientation
  • Monitoring
  • Critical Thinking
  • Operation and Control
  • Coordination
  • Operations Monitoring

All jobs data gathered for Dallas/Fort Worth. Source: Dallas College Labor Market Intelligence and Lightcast4.

“My experience at El Centro was wonderful. The program included online classes plus clinicals three or four days a week. We had the flexibility to do our homework at our own convenience, either doing a little every night or doing it all over the weekend, whatever worked best for us.” Read Kristy Sweeney, RDCS's story.
Kristy Sweeney
Kristy Sweeney, RDCS
Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer, UT Southwestern University Hospitals, and Adjunct Faculty, El Centro Diagnostic Medical Sonography

A Look Inside Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Do you have an aptitude for intellectually and technically challenging work and want a health career with high patient contact? Then the Associate of Applied Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography is a perfect fit for you.

As a diagnostic medical sonographer, you'll use high-tech instrumentation to create sonographic images used by physicians for medical diagnosis.

So why choose Dallas College to jumpstart your career? As a student, you will have access to outstanding faculty who care about student success. You will also gain practical experience using ultrasound equipment in the sonography scanning lab and through clinical rotations in area hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Upon graduation, students are eligible to take several registry exams, such as abdomen, OB-GYN, and vascular registries. For more information, visit our website and begin your Dallas College journey.

The Diagnostic Medical Sonography program is located in the Downtown Health Sciences Center (formerly El Centro’s Center for Allied Health and Nursing). The center comprises 55 classrooms and labs that contain some of the most advanced equipment available to educate health care students including:

  • Teaching labs that simulate surgical and hospital settings for specific program applications.
  • Microphones and cameras in each classroom to capture audio and video instruction.
  • Three classrooms with videoconferencing for two-way viewing.
  • Two simulation labs with computerized patient mannequins.

The Diagnostic Medical Sonography program has its own admissions process, timeline and requirements. Visit the School of Health Sciences Information Packets and Sessions page to view Diagnostic Medical Sonography information packets.

Please email the Health Occupations Admissions Office or call 972-669-6400, press 1 for Admissions, followed by 2 for Nursing and Allied Health Admissions, to receive an information packet and information session details.

Drug Testing and Criminal Background Check

All students enrolled in allied health programs are required by Dallas/Fort Worth Hospital Council member facilities to undergo drug testing and a criminal background check after admission to the program.

The Diagnostic Medical Sonography program, sponsored by Dallas College, is accredited 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.


CAAHEP
9355 - 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
(727) 210-2350

DMS Program Effectiveness.pdf (PDF - 47KB)

CAAHEP Accredited Concentrations: Abdomen-Extended, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vascular
Abdomen-Extended, Obstetrics & Gynecology and Vascular
Student Retention: Total # of Graduates/Total # of Students Enrolled
Retention Threshold: 70% of total enrollment (sliding scale is used for cohorts of 9 or less enrolled students)

Cohort Number Track Name (if applicable) 2024
# Graduates		 2024
# Enrolled		 2024
% Retention		 2023
# Graduates		 2023
# Enrolled		 2023
% Retention		 2022
# Graduates		 2022
# Enrolled		 2022
% Retention		 3-Year Average
Student Retention
1   11 14 79% 9 12 75% 12 12 100% 85%

Job Placement: Total # of Graduates employed in 6 months/Total # of Graduates
Job Placement Threshold (within 6 months of graduation): 75% of graduates employed as sonographers in one of program's accredited specialties, continuing their education or actively serving in the military

Cohort Number Track Name (if applicable) 2024
# Employed		 2024
# Graduates		 2024
% Job Placement		 2023
# Employed		 2023
# Graduates		 2023
% Job Placement		 2022
# Employed		 2022
# Graduates		 2022
% Job Placement		 3-Year Average
% Job Placement
1   9 11 82% 8 9 89% 12 12 100% 90%

Test Takers Rate: Total # of Test Takers/Total # of Graduates for the concentration
Test Takers 3-Year Trend Threshold: 
50% for programs that have 15 or fewer graduates over a 3-year timeframe
60% for programs that have 16 or greater graduates over a 3-year timeframe

Cohort Number(s)
Cohort Number(s)
(programs w/multiple cohorts of the same concentration must indicate all cohort #s on one row)		 Concentration 2024
# Test Takers		 2024
# Graduates		 2024
% Test Takers		 2023
# Test Takers		 2023
# Graduates		 2023
% Test Takers		 2022
# Test Takers		 2022
# Graduates		 2022
% Test Takers		 3-Year Graduate Totals % Test Takers
3-Year Trend
1 Abdomen-Extended 9 11 82% 9 9 100% 11 12 92% 32 91%
1 Obstetrics-Gynecology 4 11 36% 1 9 11% 10 12 83% 32 47%
1 Vascular 7 11 64% 8 9 89% 10 12 83% 32 78%

Credential Success Rate: Total # of Graduates successfully earning credential/Total # of Test Takers
Credential Success Threshold (within one year of graduation): 60% of graduates passing a credentialing exam per concentration that the program holds accreditation 

Cohort Number Concentration & Credentialing Exam(s) 2024
# Earners		 2024
# Test Takers		 2024
% Success		 2023
# Earners		 2023
# Test Takers		 2023
% Success		 2022
# Earners		 2022
# Test Takers		 2022
% Success		 3-Year Average
% Credential Success
1 Abdomen-EXT - RDMS (AB) or RT(S) 9 9 100% 9 9 100% 11 12 100% 100%
1 OB/GYN - RDMS (OB/GYN) or RT(S) 4 4 100% 1 1 100% 10 10 100% 100%
1 Vascular - RVT(VT) or RVS or RT (VS) 7 7 100% 8 8 100% 10 10 100% 100%

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1Length of time is based on catalog degree plans. Prerequisites may be required, which are not included in this estimate. For most programs, full-time student status is assumed, a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.

2Cost for credit courses is based on tuition rates for program hours for Dallas County residents. The price of most required learning materials (books, software, supplies, etc.) is included with the price of tuition. Certain programs may have additional costs above the standard tuition. Continuing Education and Ed2Go courses may vary by program. Please review the Area of Study Overview and/or the Health Information Packets for additional costs and details. Visit our Paying for College site to learn more about cost, financial aid, scholarships and more.

3Each location offers a unique combination of certificate and degree options. Not all degree and certificate offerings are available for admission/start at all campuses every semester.

4A portion of Lightcast’s data comes from O*NET Online by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Lightcast has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Updated June 25, 2026