Pre-Health Professions: Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

CAREER DESCRIPTION*

• National median salary: $89,340
• National projected career growth: 13%
• Most work in hospitals, physician offices, diagnostic laboratories

TYPICAL EDUCATION** (Includes prerequisites)

• Years of School: 2-5 years
• Two Tracks
• Minimum entering GPA: 2.75
• Grades of C- or better required for prerequisite courses

COMPETITIVE STUDENTS ALWAYS...

• Maintain a competitive GPA
• Obtain direct patient experience in healthcare
• Shadow professionals in the field

NEARBY SCHOOLS

• University of Nebraska Medical Center
• Nebraska Methodist College
• Students can also earn a medical imaging degree at:
  
  • Clarkson College
  • CHI Health School of Radiologic Technology

Prerequisites vary by program. Students are responsible for ensuring all entrance requirements are met.
Most schools prefer science classes to be taken in-person versus online.

Admission Requirements for UNMC:

• Successful completion prior to the start of the program
  • A minimum of 77 transferable semester credit hours (for the bachelor’s track) OR
  • A bachelor’s degree (for the post-baccalaureate certificate track)

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER’S (UNMC) PREREQUISITES

Written or Oral Communications (minimum credits: 3)

Biological Sciences (minimum credits: 8)

Physics (minimum credits: 5)

Mathematics (minimum credits: 3)

Medical Terminology (minimum credits: 1)

Direct Patient Care Hours (minimum: 500 hours)

Must be a student currently enrolled in a health care professions program or a current health care professional.

Direct patient care is defined as interactions that involve face-to-face contact with patients such as physical examinations, administering treatments, and performing medical procedures.

Examples meeting this criterion include, but are not limited to, imaging professionals, nurses and certified nursing assistants, physical therapy assistants, or paramedics.

Additional Information

• Required courses must be taken for letter grades of “C-“ or better.
• Entering students must have completed all required course work by Mid-July. If more time is needed, permission must be received from College of Allied Health Professions Enrollment Management & Student Affairs.
• Required course work graded Pass/ Fail or credit obtained by CLEP Examination or Advanced Placement (AP) will not be accepted for any of the listed prerequisites.
• Currently there is no time limit on prerequisite courses; however, we recommend completing Anatomy & Physiology within 5 years of applying to the program.
• Prerequisites vary by school; talk with an HCRC Pre-Health Advisor to learn more.

_{*Data and information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
**Data and information from UNMC
Last update: 1.2026}