Sonography – Prerequisites and Application Process

To apply, applicants must complete the following admission requirements by the application deadline.The most qualified and competitive applicants are invited to interview.

• • Attend an information session
  • Submit online DMSP application and $50 application fee (paid online)
    • You can save your progress and return to complete your application at any time before the November 30 deadline
  • Submit one-page resume
  • Submit Direct Patient Care Experience Verification Form
    • The form is only accessible inside the online DMSP application during the application period
    • Requires a minimum of 40 hours completed by the application deadline
    • Must be submitted directly by your supervisor to the DMSP via DocuSign
  • Submit Two Applicant Appraisal Forms
    • Forms are only accessible inside the online DMSP application during the application period
    • Must be completed by references (excluding friends or family members) who can evaluate your work/study habits, conduct, reliability, and competence.
    • Appraisers must submit forms directly to sonography@umbc.edu
    • Submissions sent by the applicant will not be accepted
  • Submit proof of in progress prerequisite courses, if applicable.
    • Acceptance into the program will be conditional, contingent upon receipt of final official transcripts demonstrating final grades with a C or better.
  • Submit official college/university transcripts from all previously attended colleges/universities
    • Transcripts must demonstrate at least 60 earned college credits, with a grade of C or better in all prerequisite courses, and a minimum overall GPA of 2.5.
    • Transcripts must be sent from the institution to sonography@umbc.edu via Parchment, National Clearinghouse, or World Education Services (WES) for international transcripts.

Academic prerequisites must be completed before sonography courses begin in July.

We offer two pathways for academic prerequisites, options A and B.

For all applicants, the following is applicable:

• • Applicants must earn a minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher.
  • A grade of C or better must be achieved in all prerequisite courses.
  • All prerequisite courses must be 100-level or higher.
  • Prerequisites may be taken at any accredited community college or university.
    • If applicants are considering taking prerequisites online, applicants must ensure that the institution is accredited. 
  • There is no time limit on the prerequisite courses.
  • No prerequisites can be waived.
  • No classes completed after May 31st of the program year will be considered.

Prerequisites in Progress

• Priority consideration will be given to applicants who have completed all prerequisite courses by the November 30 application deadline. 
• Applicants in progress with prerequisites may be considered on a space available basis.
• Applicants may be in progress with prerequisite courses during the fall, winter, or spring term.
• Applicants may be in progress with no more than one prerequisite courses during the spring term ending May 15.
  • Proof of registration and/or progress report of prerequisite courses that end by May 15, must be submitted along with the application.
  • Acceptance into the program will be conditional, contingent upon receipt of the final official transcripts demonstrating grades with a C or better.
  • The official transcript deadline for courses completed after November 30 is May 31.

Prerequisite Review

Prospective applicants may submit college transcripts and/or course descriptions for review of eligibility to Valerie Bardhi, Recruitment, Enrollment, and Student Success Manager via sonography@umbc.edu.

• 60 college level credits required (Associates Degree or higher preferred).

• A bachelor’s degree in any major.

• 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.

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 Direct 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 paid roles like a CNA/GNA, LPN, EMT, clinical medical assistant, dental assistant, optometric technician, phlebotomist, physical therapist assistant, pharmacy technician, hospital corpsman.
• Volunteer roles include patient transporter, medical office or nursing home volunteer, Red Cross volunteer (blood draw or emergency response, not front desk or blood donor ambassador), medical missions trip or externship that involved patient care.
•  You do not need to perform additional volunteer hours if you have paid work experience that meets the criteria.
•  If you have questions about whether your experience qualifies, please feel free to contact us at sonography@umbc.edu.

What Does Not Count as Direct Patient Care

• Veterinary experience
• Red Cross Volunteer – front desk or blood donor ambassador
• Activities Volunteer (nursing home/assisted living facilities)
• Medical Coding/Medical Scribe
• Office/reception administrative work in a healthcare setting
• Shadowing
• Student clinical rotations for an allied health academic program
• Caring for a relative

Patient Care Verification Process

• Patient care experience verification form must be completed via a DocuSign, only available via the DMSP online application.
• 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.

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.

Alternates

• Applicants who are offered a seat but decline must reapply for a future seat.
• Alternates may be called up until the first week of June of the upcoming cohort.
• Alternates not selected will need to reapply for consideration.