Academic Plan
Students typically complete St. Kate's associate degree in sonography in three years.
This full-time program is demanding, with weekday commitments in the classroom, lab and clinical settings.
Year one: Liberal Arts and Sciences courses
In this pre-sonography year, you'll take required liberal arts and sciences courses. Depending on scores received in a placement test, you may also need to take "foundations" courses in college reading, writing, critical language or study skills.
If you have previous college experience, some of your prior coursework may meet St. Kate's liberal arts and sciences requirements. See our transfer information page for details.
Not all liberal arts and sciences courses must be completed in the pre-sonography year. However, some are prerequisite courses — indicated by an asterisk* below — that must be completed, with a grade of "C" or better, before progressing into sonography courses.
Years two and three: Sonography courses
The next year — your first taking sonography courses — you'll experience classroom and lab learning with a small, close-knit community of faculty and students. This year will include clinical experiences that teach you to apply your skills in actual patient situations.
Starting in the fall of your third year, you'll work alongside sonography professionals three days a week. In spring semester, clinicals are extended to four days a week. And finally, in summer, you'll complete your program with clinicals five days a week.
Required Liberal Arts and Sciences courses (37 credits):
- Campus Integrated Learning—CIL (2 cr.)
- Ethical Problems in Health Care (2 cr.)
- General Psychology (4 cr.)
- Power and Social Change (2 cr.)
- Social Science Elective (2 cr.)
- Human Disease (2 cr.)*
- Medical Terminology (1 cr.)*
- Art elective (2 cr.)
- Literature elective (2 cr.)
- Composition (2 cr.)*
- Theology elective (2 cr.)
- General Anatomy and Physiology (4 cr.)*
- Advanced Anatomy and Physiology (4 cr.)*
- Physics Concepts (2 cr.)*
- Mathematics for the Health Sciences (4 cr.)*
(This four-credit math course is taught in two parts. Students who have completed an approved math course with a grade of "C" or better within the last seven years will only be required to complete the second, two-credit part of this course.)
Additional prerequisite requirement:
- Algebra (college level)
Additional Pre-Sonography course:
- Communications for the Sonography Professional (2 cr.)
* Indicates "program prerequisites," which must be completed with a grade of "C" or better before beginning sonography courses
First year of Sonography courses, 17 credits
Fall semester
- Abdominal I Lecture (2 cr.)
- Abdominal I Lab (1 cr.)
- Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation I (2 cr.)
- Topics: Communications for the Sonography Professional (2 cr.) (required this semester, if not completed in Pre-Sonography year)
Winter semester
- GYN Lecture (2 cr.)
- GYN Lab (1 cr.)
- Abdominal II Lecture (2 cr.)
- Abdominal II Lab (1 cr.)
- Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation II (2 cr.)
Summer
- Introduction to Clinical Ultrasound (1 cr.)
- Scanning Lab (1 cr.)
Second year of Sonography courses, 25 credits
Fall semester
- Abdominal III Lecture (2 cr.)
- OB I Lecture (2 cr.)
- Vascular Ultrasound I (2 cr.)
- Vascular Ultrasound I Lab (1 cr.)
- Clinical Ultrasound I (3 cr.)
Winter semester
- OB II Lecture (2 cr.)
- Vascular Ultrasound II (2 cr.)
- Vascular Ultrasound II Lab (1 cr.)
- Clinical (4 cr.)
Summer
- Clinical (6 cr.)
For detailed course descriptions, visit the courses page.
