Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center School of Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Personal requirements | Forms | Eligibility/prerequisites | Enrollment process | Curriculum | Tuition and fees | Schedule of classes | Policies | Shadow experiences | Carroll University candidates | Contact us | Home
Prerequisites
Equal opportunity/nondiscrimination policy
At the Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center School of Diagnostic Medical Sonography we are committed to selecting the most qualified candidates from the eligible group of applicants. It is our policy in all student actions, including the selection process, to evaluate all applicants and enrolled students on the basis of qualifications and ability, without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry or membership in any legally protected category.
Transfer credits
All enrolled students must complete the prescribed curriculum in its entirety in order to graduate from the program. The program does not accept transfer credits from colleges and/or universities due to the highly specialized nature of our program's curriculum. In addition, the program does not accept transfer students from other CAAHEP accredited certificate programs.
Applicants With Foreign Transcripts
In order to determine academic achievement, Foreign Applicants are required to have their transcripts evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE).
The student should inform ECE that they are applying to Aurora St. Luke’s School of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. ECE will then review transcripts and determine the American equivalency. If necessary, ECE will make recommendations to prospective applicant.
Any costs associated with the transcript evaluation are the responsibility of the applicant. Please contact ECE at www.ece.org
General requirements
Program accreditation standards and guidelines for admission state each applicant shall demonstrate completion of high school (or equivalent)
Applicants must be citizens, lawful permanent residents or otherwise lawfully residing in the United States.
The program will not sponsor applicants for immigrant or non-immigrant visas
The program does not provide a physician-training program or residency in Diagnostic Ultrasound
Prerequisite Guidelines
Prerequisite guidelines are based on the applicant’s prior educational experiences. Applicants should refer to the following table to determine which prerequisite they will seek application under:
| Educational Background | Prerequisite |
| Radiologic Technology – Either Associate or Certificate 2 Year Program | 1 |
| Cardiovascular Technology – Associate Degree | 1 |
| Bachelor of Applied Science Degree | 2 |
| Carroll University Students | 3 |
All applicants will be able to show successful completion of the following courses with a minimum 3.0 GPA. All courses must be at the post-secondary (college) level:
- Algebra, statistics, or higher mathematical course
- Communication (acceptable courses include English, speech, or composition)
- General college-level physics and/or radiographic physics
- Human anatomy and physiology
- Medical ethics and law
- Medical terminology
- Patient care
- Pathophysiology
You must complete any course listed above that was not covered in your program prior to application.
Explanation of patient care requirements
The prerequisite requirement of a patient care course is necessary due to the length of the sonography program and the concentrated sonography curriculum. The program curriculum does not include basic patient care coursework.
Examples of patient care course content that are central to the sonography program include: infection control, aseptic technique, communication techniques and regulations, history-taking skills, chart use and recording, basic patient care and safety, ergonomics, vital signs, suction, oxygen, crash cart, venipuncture, pharmacology, allergic reactions and medical emergencies.
Applicants must demonstrate health care experience sufficient for the development of an understanding of the sonographer role, of the health care environment, and of their own aptitude for the sonography profession. Direct patient care experience is necessary to ensure a level of proficiency needed to be successful in the sonography program.
The sonography clinical education component of the program requires an immediate ability to focus on sonography-specific skills. Therefore, basic patient care skills are required upon admission to the program.
Prerequisite #1 Requirements
Applicants must be graduates of or students enrolled in a formal Radiologic Technology or Cardiovascular Technology Program that meets all of the following criteria:
- Two years in length or longer
- Programmatically accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). To determine if your program is accredited you may visit the following websites:
- Involve direct contact with patients; applicants must submit documentation that demonstrates a minimum of 500 hours of clinical experience not including proficiency or clinical lab demonstration hours.
The applicant must be registered/certified or become registered/certified within the 90-day probationary period in their health specialty.
Prerequisite #2 Requirements
Applicants must have completed a Bachelor of Applied Science degree. An emphasis in the biological sciences or health sciences is preferred.
The applicant will possess a minimum of 100 hours of current direct patient care experience as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) in either a hospital or nursing home setting. The following documentation must be submitted with the application. Failure to submit the required documentation will result in an incomplete application.
- Documentation of patient care experience to include the following:
- Letter of verification from supervisor during this experience with a contact phone number
- Total hours of involvement
- Scope of involvement
- An evaluation of performance
Prerequisite #3 Requirements
Carroll University students enrolled in the Health Sciences Program who have completed 74 prerequisite credits are eligible to pursue professional training in diagnostic medical sonography at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center School of Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
Carroll University candidates are required to comply with both Carroll University and Aurora St. Luke's School admission criteria.
Please refer to the Carroll University tab at the top of this page for detailed information regarding the partnership requirements.