B.S. in
Cardiac Sonography

Unlock Your Future in Sonography: Choose NJ’s Only Accredited Bachelor’s Degree Program at Rutgers

As highly skilled professionals working under the supervision of a licensed physician, our cardiac sonography graduates are valued members of the healthcare team whose diagnostics skills help guide patients to the appropriate path of treatment.

Why Study Cardiac Sonography at SHP?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this career field is expected to grow 10% through 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations. As imaging technology evolves, ultrasound is anticipated to replace more invasive, costly procedures.

$80,850
median salary of a Sonography graduate.

OverviewAdmissions CriteriaCurriculumFAQsInfo SessionsContact UsOur Faculty

Program Highlights

Our 18-month cardiac sonography program has a proven record of success as measured by retention rates, credentialing achievements, and post-graduation employment.

    • We are New Jersey’s only university-based accredited bachelor’s degree program in cardiac sonography (MSCHE.org)
    • Our diverse clinical affiliates include New Jersey’s most noted medical facilities
    • We offer comprehensive clinical and didactic instruction in cardiac and vascular sonography
    • Accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP.org), our program allows graduates to immediately sit for national registry examinations in cardiac sonography

Program Overview

The addition of vascular sonography to the cardiac program adds the skills employers are seeking in the increasingly multi-disciplinary health care environment.

We offer the following options:

Solo Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Science

Joint Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Sciences with academic partner schools

Second Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Imaging science

Certificate in Cardiovascular Sonography

Our Cardiac Sonography program is designed to prepare competent entry-level sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains for the cardiac sonography concentration. More specifically, the program seeks:

  • To produce highly trained and qualified cardiovascular sonographers prepared for seamless entry into the workforce upon graduation.
  • To deliver a comprehensive didactic and practical educational experience to the student that will ensure they are fully capable of performing at an above average level upon graduation.
  • To provide the student with the proper technique, motor and analytical skill necessary to perform in cardiovascular sonography and produce diagnostic quality cardiovascular sonographic examinations consistent with industry standards.
  • To support the mission of Rutgers University, RBHS and Rutgers SHP.

Upon completion of the Cardiac Sonography program, graduates will be able to:

  • Obtain, review, and correlate pertinent patient history and supporting clinical data to facilitate optimum diagnostic results
  • Perform indicated procedures & record, analyze, and process diagnostic data and other pertinent observations made during the procedure for interpretation by a physician
  • Exercise discretion and judgment in the performance of sonographic and/or other noninvasive diagnostic services
  • Demonstrate appropriate communication skills with patients and colleagues
  • Act in a professional and ethical manner
  • Provide patient education related to medical ultrasound and/or other diagnostic cardiovascular techniques, and promote principles of good health
  • Develop and cultivate the confidence and responsibility needed to perform as a competent sonographer
  • Understand and recognize the importance of adaptability
  • Implement and perform diagnostic procedures adhering to acceptable departmental, institutional, governmental and professional standards
  • Encompass strategies that assure professional development at a level of clinical practice consistent with acceptable standards
  • Establish values and attitudes congruent with professional standards and ethics
  • Demonstrate awareness of and operate within the Diagnostic Medical Sonographer’s scope of practice

Program Effectiveness Data (PDF)

The employment outlook is excellent.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this career field is expected to grow 12% through 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. As imaging technology evolves, ultrasound is anticipated to replace more invasive, costly procedures. In 2019, median annual pay was $68,750.

Accreditation
The Rutgers-SHP Cardiac Sonography program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (www.jrcdms.org). This accreditation allows our graduates to sit for national registry examinations in cardiac sonography beginning up to 60 days prior graduation.
CAAHEP logoCommission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 – 113th Street, N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
727-210-2350
State Authorization and Professional Licensure Disclosure:
The Rutgers School of Health Professions Certificate and BS in Cardiovascular Sonography meets the professional licensing requirements of the following states: ND, NH, NM, OR.
All states not listed above, to the best of our knowledge, do not require professional licensure to practice within our profession.

Admission Criteria

The criteria below will be effective through the 2026 application cycle

The required prerequisites/application requirements FOR ALL TRACKS (in addition to their other requirements) are:

  1. Anatomy & Physiology 1*
  2. Anatomy & Physiology 2*
  3. General Physics*
  4. Algebra * (Trigonometry, Calculus, Precalculus, or Statistics are acceptable)
  5. English 1 (English Comp., Writing, or Literature courses are acceptable)
  6. English 2 (English Comp., Writing, or Literature courses are acceptable)
  7. Medical Terminology (this can be taken online as a certificate OR in a college–Penn Foster, Core Excel, Coursera, and Straightline.com are acceptable)

* (Laboratory components are not required for the sciences courses, 1-3, yet many colleges will only offer courses with a laboratory component)

NOTE: These prerequisites must be completed with a B- or greater prior to the application. Applications with transcripts that do not contain grades for the above courses will not be considered. 

Admissions Criteria below will be in effect for the 2027 admissions cycle

The minimum requirements for program acceptance are:

  1. An average GPA of 3.0 (combined from all colleges attended)
  2. All prerequisites below must be completed with a grade of B or greater prior to the application deadline
  3. Prerequisite courses must be earned with a letter grade (not a PASS/FAIL grade)

Prerequisites (to be completed before the application deadline)

Course Name Undergraduate Level Credits
Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab 100/1000 or above 4
Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab 100/1000 or above 4
Microbiology* 100/1000 or above 3-4
Chemistry 100/1000 or above 3-4
Physics 100/1000 or above 3-4
DXMS4160 – Physics Concepts for Diagnostic Imaging may be taken in place of a credit-bearing college Physics course.

How to register for this course.
Algebra** 100/1000 or above 3
English I*** 100/1000 or above 3
English II*** 100/1000 or above 3
Psychology 100/1000 or above 3
Medical Terminology College level OR through DXMS4005, offered through Rutgers SHP DXMS4005 – Medical Terminology for Diagnostic Medical Sonography
may be taken in place of a credit-bearing college course. How to register for this course.

 

ALL SCIENCE COURSES MUST BE COMPLETED WITHIN 7 YEARS OF THE APPLICATION DEADLINE

* (Other Biology courses with or without lab may be substituted if they have not already counted for another prerequisite category)

** (Trigonometry, Calculus, Precalculus, or Statistics are also acceptable)

*** (English Composition, Writing, or Literature courses are acceptable)

Introductory science courses are acceptable if they’re taken at the 100/1000 level

Letters of recommendation and/or resumes are not required for admission

Selection of applicants for admission to the DMS program is very competitive. The DMS Admissions Committee carefully reviews each application and only the most competitive applicants are invited for an interview. To be considered for an interview, transcripts of all secondary schools the applicant has attended must be submitted to the AHCAS system. The DMS Admissions Committee will only review transcripts from regionally accredited 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities.

Please note that achievement of the minimum standards does not automatically guarantee an applicant will be invited for an interview.

Healthcare experience (including paid employment and volunteering), interviewing professional sonographers, and shadowing sonographers (if available) is highly encouraged prior to an applicant interview.

The DMS Admissions Committee seeks applicants who are professional, good communicators, and possess interpersonal skills with a general understanding of the sonography profession.

>> See SHP’s General Education Requirements for Solo Degrees

Admissions Criteria below will be in effect for the 2028 admissions cycle

B.S. in Diagnostic Medical Sonography Requirements for Graduation

Semester Course # Course Title Credits
Fall 1 DXMS4009 Introduction to Clinical Practice 4
DXMS4100 Patient Care for the Imaging Professional 2
DXMS4131 Abdominal Extended Sonography I 3
DXMS4151 Cross-Sectional Abdominal Sonography 2
DXMS4161 Obstetrical Sonography I 2
DXMS4171 Gynecological Sonography I 2
CDXS4511 Non-Invasive Vascular Testing I 3
18
Spring 1 DXMS4111 Acoustic Physics I 2
DXMS4172 Gynecological Sonography II 2
DXMS4199 Clinical Practice I 5
DXMS4232 Abdominal Extended Sonography II 4
DXMS4262 Obstetrical Sonography II 3
16
Summer DXMS4212 Acoustic Physics II 2
DXMS4299 Clinical Practice II 6
DXMS4270 Sonography Advocacy & Leadership 2
10
Fall 2 DXMS4350 Critique & Clinical Correlation 2
DXMS4380 Introduction to Musculoskeletal Sonography 2
DXMS4399 Clinical Practice III 7
DXMS4250 Pediatric Sonography 2
IDST 3510 Principles of Scientific Inquiry in the Health Sciences 3
16
Curriculum Total:  60

For more information, call 908-889-2521 or email SHP-DMS-info@shp.rutgers.edu.

SHP Tuition and Fees

For Tuition and Fees, please see the Undergraduate Tuition and Fees.
(Scroll down to 2025-2026 Rutgers Health Tuition and Fee Rates and click on School of Health Professions)
For Financial Aid information, please visit https://scarlethub.rutgers.edu/financial-services/information-for/rbhs-students/

Curriculum

Our academic curriculum and clinical facilities have been developed to provide a program that is educational, comprehensive, and capable of thoroughly training students in the principles, ethics, and practices of cardiovascular sonography.

The professional curriculum is the same for all four program options:

Summer I Title Credits
CDXS4011 Cardiovascular Principles I 2
CDXS4019 Cardiovascular Sonography Fundamentals I 4
6

Fall I Title Credits
DXMS4100 Patient Care for Imaging Prof 2
CDXS4022 Cardiovascular Principles II 4
CDXS4111 Echocardiography I 3
CDXS4029 Cardiovascular Sonography Fundamentals II 2
CDXS4511 Non-Invasive Vascular Testing I 3
12

Spring Title Credits
DXMS4111 Acoustic Physics I 2
CDXS4199 Clinical Practice I 5
CDXS4222 Echocardiography II 3
CDXS4522 Non-Invasive Vascular Testing II 3
13

Summer II Title Credits
DXMS4212 Acoustic Physics II 2
CDXS4299 Clinical Practice II 4
CDXS4533 Non-Invasive Vascular Testing III 1
7

Fall II Title Credits
CDXS4333 Echocardiography III 2
CDXS4399 Clinical Practice III 6
CDXS4400 Intro to Pediatric Echo 1
CDXS4600 Cardiovascular Professional Ed. 3
12

Total Credits: 50

Courses and requirements by entry-option:

FAQs

Rutgers SHP Cardiac Sonography is an 18- month professional training program that engages the student with a challenging didactic and practical curriculum in ultrasonic imaging of the heart and blood vessels.

Graduates of the Cardiac Sonography program are prepared for entry level positions in non-invasive cardiovascular diagnostic departments.

Cardiac sonographers are employed in hospital and physician office based laboratories and are an integral part of the healthcare team. They are essential in the management of patients with cardiovascular disease and other disorders.

Applicants must have completed a minimum of 60 college credits.

The following specific courses are prerequisites under accreditation standards:

Anatomy & Physiology (6 credits),
English Compositions (6 credits),
College level mathematics (3 credits),
General Physics (2-4 credits), and
Medical Terminology (non-credit or certificate courses are acceptable).

Additional requirements differ depending on the degree or certificate program being pursued.

Students apply online.

No. The Cardiac Sonography program is a block registered program designed in a specific sequence. Students must be matriculated.

Yes. The best source for financial aid information is at the Rutgers Student Financial Aid Office. They can be contacted 973-972-4376.

Yes. Rutgers University and the School of Health Professions offer a limited number of scholarship programs.

The program is located on the Rutgers School of Health Professions campus in the Stanley Bergen Building, 65 Bergen Street, Newark, NJ.

Open House / Information Sessions

Contact Us

Stanley Ort Program Director
Stanley Ort
Program Director
Interim Chair
Email: stanley.ort@rutgers.edu

Our Faculty

Stanley T. Ort, MS
Interim Chair
Lecturer

Samantha Taylor
Lecturer

Rema Vinod
Instructor