Austin Community College (ACC), located in Austin, Texas, is one of the largest two-year colleges in the nation, with eight campuses, 12 centers and over 40,000 enrolled students, as of 2010. ACC offers associate degrees, certifications, continuing education and adult learning programs in 235 areas of study with flexible evening, weekend and online courses. The Sonography Department offers the associate degree in Diagnostic Cardiac Sonography (Echocardiography) which prepares students to pass the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) certification exam in Adult Echocardiography. The program is completed in five semesters and incorporates coursework with laboratory and clinical experiences. Graduates are prepared to work in hospitals, outpatient clinics and physician offices.
Austin Community College
3401 Webberville Rd.
Austin, Texas 78702
512-223-5100
austincc.edu
St. Catharine College in Kentucky is a private, Catholic college with a career focus in the areas of health science, criminal justice, business and education. According to the school's website, it has maintained a job placement rate of 98 percent for health science graduates. The Sonography program is one of the only programs in the country to offer the A.S. (associate of science) degree as opposed to A.A.S. associate of applied science degree in the field. It has three concentration options, including cardiac sonography, general sonography and noninvasive vascular technology. The program is competed in 21 consecutive months, with 12 months consisting of clinical practice.
St. Catharine College
2735 Bardstown Rd.
St Catharine, KY 40061
859-336-5082
sccky.edu
John Hopkins University in Maryland is the home of John Hopkins Medicine, a medical enterprise composed of three hospitals, a medical center, a school and four other health care facilities. John Hopkins Medicine is internationally recognized for education, patient care and research. U.S. News and World Report placed John Hopkins Hospital as one of the top three hospitals in the country in 11 out of 16 identified specialties in 2010, including heart and heart surgery. The Echocardiography Training Program within the hospital's School of Cardiac Sonography is fourteen months in length with a student-to-faculty ratio of three to one for didactic training and one to one for clinical training. Students are eligible to complete the ARDMS exam upon graduation.
Johns Hopkins School of Cardiac Sonography
600 N. Wolfe Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21287
410-614-3563
hopkinsmedicine.org