Diploma and certificate programs from vocational and trade schools provide the quickest route into sonography for new students. Although longer and shorter programs are available, it typically takes one year to earn a vocational certificate. The program will combine classroom time and hands-on clinical experience, either at the school itself or in partnership with health care facilities in the area. Course work includes subjects such as anatomy, physiology, biology and the necessary practical details related to operating the diagnostic equipment.
Although it is possible to get started in sonography with only a certificate, most aspiring technicians earn at least an associate's degree through an accredited program. Typically offered at community and technical colleges, associate's degrees are similar to the first two years of a baccalaureate. The technical subjects taught in a vocational program are complemented by a range of science and humanities courses, usually including mathematics or statistics, chemistry, physics and some form of written English communication. Technicians with a degree are considered more widely employable than those with a certificate.
Some hospitals, clinics and health care centers incorporate educational facilities into their own operations. These institutions generally operate at the level of a technical school or university, offering students the opportunity to earn anything from a vocational certificate to a full bachelor's degree. Although clinical experience is a part of any training program for technicians, schools of this type are often able to provide a higher volume and quality of experience for their students.
Many schools offer special accelerated programs in sonography. These are typically offered as upgrades for students who have already earned a certificate, diploma or degree. Students with a vocational certificate may upgrade to an associate's degree, or those holding an associate's degree may upgrade to a baccalaureate. Trained technicians in other diagnostic fields may also cross-train in sonography through an accelerated program. Practicing sonographers often upgrade their skills by qualifying in an advanced field of practice, such as cardiac sonography or neurosonography.