Program Details
Career Studies Certificate in Vascular Sonography
Career Studies CertificatePiedmont Virginia Community College
The PVCC Career Studies Certificate in Vascular Sonography will prepare competent entry-level vascular technologists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer uses equipment that emits sound waves to penetrate through body tissue (www.bls.gov). The sound waves reverberate back to create a computerized image of the body tissue. Vascular Sonographers are thus the specially trained technologist who work with the vascular system. According to the U.S. Department of Labor and EMSI data, employment of sonographers nationally and in our service region is projected to grow faster than average for other occupations through 2024. In our region of Virginia vascular sonographers are employed at an estimated salary of $24.31 per hour ($50,564 annually). Experienced vascular technicians can earn an average of $34 per hour ($70,720). As imaging technology evolves, medical facilities will continue to use ultrasound to replace more invasive and costly procedures. Sonographers with specialized credentials in more than one modality, e.g. Vascular Technology, will have a competitive advantage over other sonographers without this additional training.
Program Overview & Guidance

Program Guidance Element | What You Need to Know |
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Considerations for Selecting Degree | Registered ARDMS with relevant work experience is required for admission to the program. |
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Program Credit Requirements

The table below provides the requirements to complete this program if you are not following a Transfer Guide. If you have an account and have created a Portfolio, the table includes the "Applied Credits" column. This column shows how the credits you earned based on the experiences you entered may be applied to satisfy these requirements. You can find schools where you can take courses that will transfer and apply to this degree using the Where Can I Find An Equivalent Course feature in the Transfer Tools menu.
A formal determination of credits awarded for your prior learning and their applicability to the degree requirements can only be made by the institution. The formal determination and resulting map may reflect higher or lower number of credits to be completed to achieve this program.
What If I Have An Associate Degree Or Credit For Prior Learning?

Transfer Guidance Element | What You Need to Know |
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Associate Transfer Degree Completion | Prior completion of any associate degree or higher waives the SDV 100 requirement. All courses are evaluated and transferred as applicable to your degree. |
Completion of Associate Degree Concurrent with High School | Prior completion of any associate degree or higher waives the SDV 100 requirement. All courses are evaluated and transferred as applicable to your degree. |
Credit for Prior Learning | https://www.pvcc.edu/credit-prior-learning |
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College Level Information

College Fit Guidance | What You Need to Know |
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Is This College Right For Me? | |
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Applying for Guaranteed Admissions |
Where Can This Degree Transfer

Institution | Title | Degree | Award Name | Award Level | Delivery Mode |
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Northern Virginia Community College | Diagnostic Medical Sonography: Abdominal Sonography-Extended and Obstetrics and Gynecology Sonography Specialization, A.A.S. | Associate | Associate of Applied Science | 2-Year | In-Person, Hybrid |
Northern Virginia Community College | Diagnostic Medical Sonography: Echocardiography Specialization, A.A.S. | Associate | Associate of Applied Science | 2-Year | In-Person, Hybrid |
Northern Virginia Community College | Diagnostic Medical Sonography: Vascular Sonography Specialization, A.A.S. | Associate | Associate of Applied Science | 2-Year | In-Person, Hybrid |
Rappahannock Community College | AAS Degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography: Echocardiography | Associate | Associate of Applied Science | 2-Year | In-Person, Hybrid |
Careers Where This Degree Applies

O*Net Code | Name | Description | Parent |
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29-2032.00 | Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | Produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians. Includes vascular technologists. | Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations |
25-1071.00 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | Teach courses in health specialties, in fields such as dentistry, laboratory technology, medicine, pharmacy, public health, therapy, and veterinary medicine. | Educational Instruction and Library Occupations |
Cost To Complete
