Program Overview
- Our program is a 13.5 month, full-time, day, Monday through Friday, professional certificate program. Full attendance is expected. There are no evening or weekend courses or other flexible class options.
- Our program begins each July.
- Students are chosen by a “selective admission” process. Applicants may be invited to interview, and the most qualified applicants will be selected to join the upcoming class.
- Students will be expected to sit for national credentialing exams through agencies outside UMBC DMSP. Many employers require that graduates are credentialed when hired, or within 6 months of hire date.
- No application to the UMBC Undergraduate campus is required. The UMBC DMSP application process below is to be used.
Getting Started
- Early in your application process, attend an Information Session. The information presented will help you decide if the profession of Sonography and UMBC DMSP are suitable choices for you. You may not apply until you have attended an Information Session.
- Applicants who will have completed the minimum of 60 college credits or an Associates degree by the spring term will apply via Option A.
- Applicants who will have completed a Bachelor’s degree by the spring term will apply via Option B.
- Prospective applicants may submit college transcripts or course descriptions for review of prerequisite course eligibility to Valerie Bardhi, Recruitment, Enrollment, and Student Success Manager via sonography@umbc.edu.
- There are many excellent online resources to help you research the Sonography profession. We encourage you to start with the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
Application Timeline
- The application opens online on October 1 and is due by November 30 each year for the class starting the following July.
- Applicants are responsible for ensuring all materials are submitted. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
- There is no preference given to early applicants.
- Qualified and competitive applicants will be invited to interview 6-8 weeks after the application deadline.
- Admissions decisions are sent via email beginning in February; review our selection process below.
Academic Prerequisites – OPTION A
- 60 college level credits required (Associates Degree or higher preferred).
- GPA of 2.5 or higher; Grade of “C” or higher in all prerequisites.
- All prerequisite courses must be 100-level or higher.
- Prerequisites may be taken at any accredited community college or university.
- The following college-level courses are required:
| Prerequisite Course | Credits | Description |
| Mathematics | 3 | One college-level algebra, statistics, calculus, trigonometry or higher mathematics course |
| Physics | 3 or 4 | One introductory, allied health, or general physics course with or without lab |
| Biology | 3 or 4 | Any college level biology course with or without lab |
| Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 or 5 | Must include lab
Human Biology I with lab is also accepted |
| Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 or 5 | Must include lab
Human Biology II with lab is also accepted |
| English Composition I | 3 | Introductory college-level English writing class |
| English Composition II | 3 | English writing, journalism, or literature course |
| Speech or Interpersonal Communications | 3 | Oral communications |
| Psychology | 3 | Introduction to Psychology or Human Behavior |
| Medical Terminology | Credit or non-credit | Non-credit certificate course available online (recommended)
Non-credit certificate course available online (also acceptable) |
| Medical/Healthcare Ethics and Law | Credit or non-credit | Non-credit certificate courses available online |
Academic Prerequisites – OPTION B
- A bachelor’s degree in any major.
- GPA of 2.5 or higher; Grade of “C” or higher in all prerequisites.
- All prerequisite courses must be 100-level or higher.
- Prerequisites may be taken at any accredited community college or university.
- The following college-level courses are required:
| Prerequisite Course | Credits | Description |
| Physics | 3 or 4 | Introductory, allied health, or general physics course with or without lab |
| Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 or 5 | Must include lab.
Human Biology I with lab is also accepted |
| Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 or 5 | Must include lab.
Human Biology II with lab is also accepted |
| Medical Terminology | Credit or non-credit | Non-credit certificate course available online (recommended)
Non-credit certificate course available online (also acceptable) |
| Medical/Healthcare Ethics and Law | Credit or non-credit | Non-credit certificate course available online |
Admissions Procedure
To apply:
- Ensure that you have attended an Information Session and completed the Personal Data Sheet (provided at the Information Session)
- Complete between 10/1/25 and 11/30/25:
- Patient Care Experience Form documenting 40 volunteer hours in a healthcare setting OR documentation of employment in a patient care role.
- Applicant Appraisal Forms (two only) to be obtained from someone, other than a family member, who can evaluate your work/study habits, conduct/behavior, reliability/competence. These forms must be emailed directly from the appraiser.
- One-page resume
- Online sonography application and $50 application fee (paid online)
- Official transcripts from previous colleges/universities, demonstrating 60 credits and all prerequisite classes must be sent via Parchment to sonography@umbc.edu.
- At time of application, applicants may have up to two for-credit prerequisite courses scheduled for the 2025 Spring term, but must provide proof of registration at time of application. Acceptance into the program will be contingent upon receipt of the final grades (with a “C” or better) and final official transcripts.
International Student Admission Requirements
- UMBC DMSP cannot provide an I-20 form for a student visa. International applicants must already have a visa allowing them to study in the United States.
- International students must send their original transcripts from secondary school and college/university to World Education Services (WES) for a course-by-course evaluation to recalculate credits and grades to U.S. equivalents.
- An official report must be sent directly from WES to the UMBC Sonography Program via sonography@umbc.edu.
- WES charges a processing fee for credential evaluation.
- No other transcript evaluation company is accepted.
- International students must take the TOEFL exam, a minimum TOEFL iBT® score of 20 in each category is required.
- Students who completed their education in an English-speaking country or institution or completed one college may be exempt from this requirement.
Patient Care Experience Admission Requirement
Gaining direct patient care experience is an essential part of our application process. We require a minimum of 40 hours of verifiable experience, which can be completed through either volunteer work or paid employment. This experience should demonstrate hands-on interaction with patients in a clinical setting.
What Counts as Patient Care?
- Direct patient care refers to any role where you are actively involved in the physical or psychological well-being of patients. This includes roles like a CNA, clinical medical assistant, EMT, or a volunteer in a hospital or assisted living facility.
- Volunteer roles include patient transporter, medical office or nursing home volunteer, Red Cross volunteer, medical missions trip or externship that involved patient care.
- Paid roles in patient care are also accepted. You do not need to perform additional volunteer hours if you have paid experience that meets the criteria.
- Veterinary experience not accepted.
- Office/reception work in a healthcare setting will not satisfy the patient care requirement.
- If you have questions about whether your experience qualifies, please feel free to contact us at sonography@umbc.edu.
Patient Care Verification Process
- As part of the online application process, patient care experience verification must be completed via a DocuSign form.
- Applicants will use our online form to send a request for verification to their supervisor or HR official.
- The form will be sent to the supervisor via UMBC DocuSign for a secure digital signature.
- Applicants are responsible for notifying supervisor that an email will be coming from UMBC Division of Professional Studies and will contain your verification request.
- Applicants are responsible for following up with their supervisor to ensure the form is completed by the application deadline.
- The patient care hours requirement should be completed before an application is submitted.
- We will not consider hours completed after the November 30th deadline.
Selection Process
Following a review of all applications by the admissions office, applicants may be instructed by email to schedule an interview. Interviews will typically begin about 6-8 weeks after the application deadline. Applicants are selected based on the following criteria:
- Academic history
- Interview scores
- Applicant appraisals
Interviewees will be notified by email of accepted, alternate or declined status.