Radiologic Science Major: Diagnostic Medical Sonography with Echocardiography/Vascular Emphasis - BS

(College of Science and Health)

Admission

Admission to the program is on a competitive basis. The number of students admitted to the major is dependent on the number of clinical internship sites and their student capacity. The clinical internship sites are affiliated professional and accredited schools of radiologic technology. Applications are available on each clinical internship/school of diagnostic medical sonography (echocardiography) website (linked below) or on UWL's Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program website.

1. Students are advised to apply for admission to the professional program early in the late fall prior to desired admission, after having taken or registered for all Core General Education Requirements (CGER) and pre-professional requirements.
2. Applicants are required to have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and a grade of "C" or higher in all CGER and pre-professional courses. Applicants are required to have a minimum pre-professional grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
3. Students must have a recent set of immunizations prior to admission to comply with clinical internship policy.
4. Applicants are considered without regard to sex, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, or parental status.
5. Students for whom English is a second language must earn a minimum score of 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based), or 100 (internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam within two years prior to application to the program.
6. Students will need to have their current CNA with 100 hours of documented patient care experience.
7. Students must have current CPR certification in adult, child and infant through the AHA with the BLS certification.
8. Students must have completed eight hours of job shadowing in ultrasound. See program website for specific requirements of job shadowing.
9. Applications must be submitted in full by mid-December deadline to the school of diagnostic medical sonography.

Selection process

The university sponsors the number of students which are accepted to affiliated clinical internships/professional echocardiography programs which serve as the clinical internship sites. The size of the program is limited by these internships. Students must make formal application to the various diagnostic echocardiography programs during the fall semester of their second year. Refer to the sample degree plan tab.

The clinical internships/programs of echocardiography maintains a selection committee. The committee evaluates each application on the basis of the applicant’s past academic performance (a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for admission into the professional program), their references, their past work experience, and the results of a formal interview. Based on these factors, the applicants are ranked and accepted for entry into the professional program.

Acceptance is effective at the beginning of the third year and conditional upon successful completion of courses in progress at the time of notification of acceptance. Selection is also conditional upon students' compliance with state laws for caregivers including submission to a criminal background check.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program affiliated clinical internship sites:

• University of Wisconsin Hospital, Madison, WI
• Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Echocardiography Program, Rochester, MN¹

¹

Echocardiography students who are admitted to Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences (MCSHS) to complete the required two year-long program at the MCSHS enroll at MCSHS rather than at UW-La Crosse. The courses taken during the two year-long program at MCSHS meet UW-La Crosse DMS-Echocardiography/Vascular Program requirements. The student must request an official transcript be sent to UW-La Crosse from MCSHS. Upon successful completion of the program and all other graduation requirements, the students are awarded the Bachelor of Science degree from UW-La Crosse. The Mayo School of Health Sciences (MCSHS) grants a certificate of completion in echocardiography.

Curriculum

102 total credits, including internship

Retention of good standing in the program requires students maintain a grade of "C" or higher in all required courses, as well as a semester and cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

²

This course may also satisfy a CGER.

³

Students whose math placement exam places them in MTH 151 or higher are not required to take MTH 150, but are required to meet the minimum requirements of the CGER Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning: Quantitative Reasoning  (CGER MQR-QR). STAT 145 is encouraged if students plan on applying to other health profession undergraduate programs.

• Core general education requirements
• Baccalaureate degree requirements

Baccalaureate degree requirements

Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degrees must accomplish the following:

1. Fulfill the Core General Education Requirements (CGER).
2. Complete the courses prescribed by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for the degree desired in the respective school or college.
3. Earn a minimum of 120 semester credits with at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA.^{1, 2}
4. At least 40 credits must be earned in 300/400 level courses. Transfer courses earned or transferred at the 300/400 level apply to this requirement.
5. Complete major and minor requirements with at least a 2.00 GPA^{1, 2} in each major and minor (and concentration or emphasis, if selected).
6. A minimum of 30 semester credits in residence at UWL is required for graduation. (See undergraduate resident requirement.)
7. Submit an application for graduation via the "Submit Intent to Graduate" link in the WINGS Student Center as soon as the student has registered for his or her final semester or summer term in residence. December and winter intersession graduates should apply by May 1. May and summer graduates should apply by December 1.

¹

Grade point average requirements for some programs will be considerably higher than 2.00. Re-entering students may be required to earn credits in excess of the 120 needed for graduation in any curriculum to replace credits earned in courses in which the content has changed substantially in recent years. Each case will be judged on its own merit.

²

The grade point average recorded at the time the degree is awarded will not be affected by future enrollment.

No degree will be awarded unless all requirements are fulfilled and recorded within 30 days after the official ending date of each term.

Below is a sample degree plan that can be used as a guide to identify courses required to fulfill the major and other requirements needed for degree completion. A student's actual degree plan may differ depending on the course of study selected (second major, minor, etc.). Also, this sample plan assumes readiness for each course and/or major plan, and some courses may not be offered every term. Review the course descriptions or the class timetable for course offering information.

The sample degree plans represented in this catalog are intended for first-year students entering UWL in the fall term. Students should use their degree audit and work closely with their advisor(s) and college dean's office to ensure declaration and completion of all requirements in a timely manner.

Core General Education Program

The Core General Education Requirement (CGER) is the common educational experience for all undergraduates at UWL. Sample degree plans include CGER placeholders to ensure completion of the core general education requirements. The CGER category listed in parentheses indicated the recommended course to help complete CGER and the program requirements. Transferred courses may alter the plan. Courses may be rearranged to fit the needs or recommendations of the student’s program of study. CGER courses may be taken during winter term (January between the semesters) and summer to reduce the course load during regular terms (fall and spring). Students should consult with their advisor and/or the college academic services director in their college/school for assistance with course and schedule planning. Refer to the Core General Education Requirements for more specific details.

At least 40 credits of the 120 credits required must be earned at the 300/400-level. 

Note: New students and transfer students with less than 12 credits earned are required to take The Eagle Advantage for College Success (UWL 100, 2 cr.) or FYS 100 First-Year Seminar (3 cr.) during one of their first two semesters at UWL.

This sample degree plan does not establish a contractual agreement. It identifies the minimum requirements a student must successfully complete, to qualify for a degree, in a format intended to assist the student in planning their academic career. Actual degree plans may differ.

This major is exempt from the CSH College Core requirement.

¹

This course may also satisfy CGER.

²

Students whose math placement exam places them in MTH 151 or higher are not required to take MTH 150, but are required meet the minimum requirements of core general education. STAT 145 is encouraged if students plan on applying to other health profession undergraduate programs.

³

This course should be taken off-campus during the summer.