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School of Health and Life Sciences

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Sep 01, 2022
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Campus

The location where your NAIT courses will be held.

Credential

The type of certification (degree, diploma, certificate) you will earn after completing your program.

  • Degree - NAIT offers a number of business degrees and applied science and technology degrees accredited by Alberta Advanced Education.
    Applied degree programs offer a stronger emphasis on practical applications of the concepts learned in the classroom
  • Diplomas & Certificates - These credit programs take 1 or 2 years and lead to government approved and industry-recognized credentials.
  • Journeyman Certificate - Hands-on and expert-led apprenticeship and industry training for skilled trades and technology professionals.
  • Continuing Education/Non-Credit - NAIT offers a wide range of non-credit programs and courses for personal and professional development in a number of interesting and exciting fields. These options are great for people who may be working but are interested in studying as well.

Delivery Options

The flexible schedule options for this course including time of day and full/part-time.

Please note due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these delivery options may shift from term to term. Please consult your program for details on delivery options.

  • On-Campus Day - Your course activity is done in-person Monday - Friday, before 5 PM.
  • On-Campus Evening/Weekend - Your course activity is done in-person on weekdays from 5 PM or later, or Saturdays and Sundays.
  • Online Day - Your course activity is done online Monday - Friday, before 5 PM.
  • Online Evening/Weekend - Your course activity is done online on weekdays from 5 PM or later, or Saturdays and Sundays.
  • Online Flexible Delivery - Your course activity is not scheduled and therefore you can determine when to do the coursework.
  • Both On-Campus and Virtual - Some of your coursework will be in-person, on campus and some will be done online.

Length

The average or expected time it will take to complete your program.

Open Studies

Open Studies allows you to explore credit courses without applying to a program.
It is an opportunity to get a feel for school and what program you want to be in.

International Students

Program availability may be limited for international applicants. Contact your student advisor for more information.

Advanced Credit

You may apply for advanced credit once you have been accepted into the program. Advanced Credit can be Transfer Credit (for completed post-secondary courses) or PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition).

Transfer Credit

In addition to the common guidelines outlined on the Transfer and Credit Options section and on the Transfer Credit Request Form (PDF), your program has other advanced credit requirements that are applied to each request including:

  • You must have completed the course or program no more than 5 year(s) ago unless a formalized articulation agreement is in place
  • You must have a minimum mark of C- in the course(s) or program

Prior Learning and Assessment Recognition (PLAR)

If you do not qualify for transfer credit or credential recognition, Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) may be an option.

Contact the program for additional information about Advanced Credit.

Program delivery varies by program. We encourage you to review how your classes will be delivered for the upcoming terms. If you have questions about program delivery or class enrolment, please contact your program area.

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers are highly trained, in-demand professionals who use ultrasounds to produce and record images of important organs, masses and fetal images. This hands-on accredited program will allow you the opportunity to participate in clinical rotations in major Alberta hospitals. You’ll receive training on industry-standard equipment and get the opportunity to learn on the same technology you’ll use in your practicum placement – and career.
Grad Employment Rate   Median Starting Salary  

Employment rates reported by NAIT alumni are for information purposes and do not guarantee future employment opportunities.

Salaries reported by NAIT alumni are for information purposes and are not a guarantee of future alumni income.

Hands-on, industry-relevant training

By the end of the Sonography program, you’ll be confident with ultrasound imaging and skilled in obstetrics and gynecology, abdomen and superficial structure scanning and cardiac sonography and vascular studies.

Due to practicum placements, you can expect much of the program to be completed off campus, and may involve working evening and weekend shifts in hospitals and community care clinics.

The Sonography program has a heavy course load – you should expect 54 hours per week of in-class and out-of-class learning.Your clinical rotation will be comprised of 40-hour work weeks. Students receive theoretical and clinical training in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program. A number of course hours are completed off campus and may involve working evenings and weekends. In addition to the more traditional lecture and laboratory settings, students also gain clinical experience in a variety of locations both on and off campus. Selected seminars and labs may be scheduled in the evenings and on weekends.

Students in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program work in labs equipped with state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment, including:

  • 2D ultrasound systems with Doppler
  • 3D/4D ultrasound systems 
  • dedicated echocardiography scanning systems 
  • portable point of care (emergency response) systems
  • physiological peripheral arterial testing systems 
  • simulators that can be programmed to display normal or abnormal cases for abdomen, obstetrics, gynecology,and cardiac
  • picture archiving computer systems

Program goals:

  • Foster an environment of clinical and academic excellence that prepares students to be competent, active members or leaders in the healthcare community.
  • Graduate students who possess competencies and behaviours required for entry-level sonographers in accordance with the prevailing competency profiles of Sonography Canada.
  • Provide an education experience that promotes a graduate's commitment for continued professional development.
  • Develop students' communication, critical thinking, problem solving and leadership skills.
  • Graduate students who demonstrate compassion and ethical, safe, quality health care to a diverse population. 
  • Provide a learning experience in which graduates will be highly satisfied.
  • Graduate students with whom employers will be highly satisfied. 

Students will have the opportunity to attain all the required skills in the Sonography Canada National Competency Profile (NCP). and complete the Sonography Canada Canadian Clinical Skills Assessments (CCSA) for the Generalist and Cardiac Sonographer during the program.

DMS Equipment

Open Studies Pathway

You now have an additional pathway to the School of Health and Life Sciences at NAIT. Complete one or more select Open Studies courses to be guaranteed a program entrance interview.

Enter the workforce with confidence

As a member of a health-care team, an ultrasound technologist (sonographer) uses a variety of hand-held scanning probes and imaging techniques in order to differentiate between technical artifacts and questionable clinical appearances from pathology. 

Diagnostic Medical Sonography is highly operator-dependent and requires a logical self-directed approach to scanning, on-the-spot critical thinking and good judgment.

For more information about career options, duties, working conditions and salaries, visit Alberta Occupational Profiles - Diagnostic Medical Sonographer 

Please refer to the Sonography Canada website to learn more about requirements for licensing/mandatory registration and declaration of conduct, which may include disclosure of information related to criminal convictions and professional misconduct or incompetence as well as any personal factors that could impact the ability to practice safely.

Post Graduation Affiliation

After successful completion of both the didactic and clinical components of the program, graduates are eligible to write the specific registration examinations set by Sonography Canada and/or the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) and become members of several professional diagnostic ultrasound associations.

Continuing your studies

Continuing Education is mandatory for this profession. Competence is maintained by taking a minimum number of continuing education credits every three years. Diagnostic Medical Sonography graduates are eligible for credit toward:

  • Bachelor of Technology (BTech), NAIT
  • Bachelor of  Science in Human Sciences, Athabasca University
  • Bachelor of Health Sciences, Thompson Rivers
  • Bachelor of Applied Management, University of New Brunswick
  • Please note: Post-secondary articulation agreements within Alberta are approved by the Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer (ACAT). To view the details of specific agreements, please visit transferalberta.ca or contact articulations@nait.ca
  • For questions regarding transfer agreements or to obtain a course description/outline that is no longer available on our website, please contact articulations@nait.ca
DMS Instructor

Industry standard credentials

After successful completion of both the didactic and clinical components of the program, you will be  eligible to write the registration examinations set by Sonography Canada and American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS)

As a NAIT graduate, you will be eligible to become a member of a variety different professional diagnostic ultrasound associations.

Please note: Post-secondary articulation agreements within Alberta are approved by the Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer (ACAT). To view the details of specific agreements, please visit transferalberta.ca or contact articulations@nait.ca

DMS Instructor and Student

Want to learn more about this program?

Thank you for your interest! We want to get you in contact with the right person to answer your questions.

Please contact the Student Service Centre for general inquiries such as:

  • Student application support
  • Program entrance requirements, tuition & fees, and how to apply
  • Program admissions process
  • Enrolment support
  • Student funding options
  • Fee and refund inquiries
  • General program and course withdrawal procedures
  • Navigating nait.ca and MyNAITPortal

Contact Student Service Centre

Please fill out the form below if you have any program-specific questions relating to:

  • Program details
  • Work-integrated learning and cooperative education
  • Advance credit and Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
  • Program and course withdrawal

Contact a program advisor




The personal information on this form is being collected under the authority of the Post-secondary Learning Act and section 33(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP). The information will be protected by the provisions of FOIP, and will be used for the purpose of registration and administration of the event. If you have any questions or concerns about the collection, use, security or disclosure of the personal information, please contact General Council at 780 471 7664 or legal@nait.ca.


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Alumni Profile: Kaylee Demkiw

Kaylee's training opened the door to a rewarding career in the leading edge, high-risk perinatal clinic at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton.

Pushing the limits of simulation training

NAIT's Simulation Centre re-creates the real world of health-care careers

Keeping it Real

From practicing on high-fidelity manikins to learning on the latest software, watch how NAIT students practice the best patient care.

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Legend

Term Definition
Open Program still has seats available.
Waitlisting Program is full and qualified applicants are being placed on a waitlist. For information about waitlists, please visit the Waitlist FAQs.

If you’re on a non-competitive waitlist, you should consider NAIT’s Academic Upgrading program or NAIT Equivalency Tests to become a more competitive applicant.

There is no guarantee that waitlisted applicants will be offered a seat, however it is common for seats to become available until the start of class. As seats become available, they are filled from the waitlist.
Closed Program is no longer accepting applications.
N/A Not available for this term.


*Program availability is subject to change without notice.