Diagnostic Medical Sonography

DMS/Echo: 

NOTE: Cox College has begun the teach-out process for the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program in the Academic Year 2024-2025 and concluding in May of 2026. The Cox College program will no longer be admitting students after the fall of 2024. Sonography education moving forward can be found at the other members of the Alliance or in the region.

 

Learn more about Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) is the use of sound waves to generate images for the assessment and diagnosis of medical conditions. This is a bachelor degree program with curriculum consisting of formal didactic courses, simulated labs and intensive clinical training in the concentrations of abdomen and small parts, obstetrics and gynecology, and vascular technology.

The DMS degree program is designed to provide students with a quality educational environment that promotes professionalism, effective communication, critical thinking, and imaging skills that meet the requirements of CAAHEP as well as the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).

Students are encouraged to become active learners through a didactic and clinical environment that promotes a variety of learning experiences for professional growth and lifelong learning. Students completing the DMS Program will have the knowledge and skill set to successfully enter the workforce as credentialed sonographers in Abdomen, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Vascular Technology.

Clinical Sites

Students have availability of pre-arranged clinical sites in:

  • Springfield, Missouri
  • Branson, Missouri
  • Joplin, Missouri
  • West Plains, Missouri
  • Sullivan, Missouri
  • Mountain Home, Arkansas

Students may request a specific clinical site, but program faculty reserve the right to make clinical assignments based on clinical site capacity limitations and/or unforeseen circumstances. Students may be assigned a clinical site up to 1.5 hours from their home.  At times, a student may be required to drive to a Springfield or CoxHealth clinical site for specific concentration exam experiences not offered at the individual’s assigned clinical site.

Application and Admissions

Admission Deadline: April 1st
Interviews: April 1st – April 15th
Decisions Mailed: April 15th – April 30th

Primary Student Job Shadowing Deadline: March 1st

Applicants to the DMS program must have:

  • A minimum of an associate’s degree and/or be a registered radiologic technologists or registry-eligible with successful completion of the ARRT radiologic technology registry prior to the program start date or unrestricted licensed.
  • Completed a minimum of 16 hours of job shadowing in a sonography department (in the concentrations of Abdomen, OB/GYN, Vascular) at any hospital with a job shadowing program (only required of Non-RTR applicants). Hours completed in cardiac will not be accepted.
    • Job shadowing should be completed within one year of applying.
    • Applicants should have the required job shadowing completed by March 1st in order to meet the  application deadline
  • Completed pre-requisite courses with a “C” or higher prior to the beginning of the DMS core curriculum:
    • College algebra, statistics, or higher mathematics course (3 credits)
    • General college-level physics and/or radiographic physics** (3-4 credits)
    • Human Anatomy* (4 credits)
    • Human Physiology* (4 credits)
    • Medical Terminology (2-3 credits)
    • Oral or Written communications (3 credits)

*Core science pre-requisite courses must be taken within 5 years prior to admission to the DMS primary pathway. Exceptions may be made for applicants currently employed in an allied health profession.

**Physics course must provide introductory concepts such as wave motion, heat, electricity, force, and energy.  Physics courses for education majors is not accepted.

To apply to the Cox College DMS Program, the applicant must:

  • Complete the Cox College undergraduate application and check “Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Imaging.”
  • Submit the Specialty Diagnostic Imaging program application.
  • Submit all official college transcripts
  • Submit a personal resume and two letters of recommendation
  • Submit a copy of professional credentials if applicable (ARRT).
  • Submit the Job Shadowing Form. Click here to schedule job shadowing at CoxHealth
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA in an imaging program or academic degree
  • Submit a signed copy of the technical standards available at this link


The Cox College Diagnostic Medical 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 (JRC-DMS).

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 9355-113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL 33775, Ph: 727-210-2350, Fax: 727-210-2354, email: mail@caahep.org.

Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS), 6021University Boulevard, Suite 500, Ellicott City, MD 21043, Ph:443-973-3251, Fax: 866-738-3444, email: mail@jrcdms.org.