How to Apply
Diagnostic Medical Sonography Updates
Application Submission Window for Fall 2026 admission:听 Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 9am (PST) through Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 3pm (PST)
Transcripts Deadline:听Official transcripts from other colleges/universities must be sent directly to the 吃瓜头条 Admissions & Records office by Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
A new class begins once every 2 years:听听August 2024,听August 2026,听August 2028, etc.
Continue to monitor this site for updates.
Application Process
Follow the 5 easy steps to apply at 吃瓜头条 in order to obtain a student ID and email.
Apply to 吃瓜头条 the same semester that you apply to the program in order to maintain an active school email address.
Bachelor鈥檚 Degree in any subject (or higher education completed)
OR听
Associate of Science Professional degree in either Radiologic Technology or Registered Nursing or Nuclear Medicine or Respiratory Therapy or Paramedic Medicine.听 Only these programs are acceptable. You must be licensed at the time of application.听
Before applying, complete the entrance requirement & program鈥檚 prerequisites.听
All prerequisites must be completed with a 鈥淐鈥 or higher and grades demonstrated on transcripts prior to applying.听 See how to calculate your GPA.
Combined GPA on prerequisites must be a 2.35 or higher.听 听
- ALLH-67 – Medical Terminology
- BIOL-16 – General Human Anatomy
- BIOL-18 – Principles of Physiology
- ENGL-C1000 鈥 Academic Reading & Writing or ENGL-1A – College Composition & Reading or COMM-C1000 鈥 Intro to Public Speaking or COMM-1 鈥 Fundamentals of Speech
- MATH-26 or MATH-25 or MATH-15 or STAT-C1000 or Math-10
- PHYS鈥10 – Concepts in Physics or *RADT鈥13 – Radiologic Sciences I
*This course is ONLY offered to accepted students in the 吃瓜头条 Diagnostic Radiologic Technology Program
NOTE:听听听听 300 patient care skills hours are no longer required.听
All applicants are required to upload transcript(s) with their application.
Transcripts must include all work shown as completed on the application. All prerequisites must be completed with a 鈥淐鈥 or higher and grades demonstrated on transcripts prior to applying. An application that is not completely filled out and/or does not have all transcripts submitted by the application deadline will be considered incomplete.
If prerequisites/coursework was completed at school(s) other than 吃瓜头条, official transcript(s) must be sent to both 吃瓜头条 Admissions & Records for evaluation AND official transcript(s) must be submitted with the application to the SONO Program. When submitting official transcripts, please review the Transcripts & Enrollment Verification webpage for important dates and timelines.
If prerequisites/coursework was completed at 吃瓜头条, an unofficial transcript must be submitted with the application to the SONO Program. Students can login to their 吃瓜头条 Self-Service听account to download a PDF of an unofficial transcript.
View the Grid of Comparable Prerequisites Courses.听 If your course(s) need to be verified for equivalency, it is your responsibility to meet with a counselor before the application window.
Fill out the Equivalency Verification Form for the course(s) you need verified for equivalency.听
PLEASE READ the program information and application instructions carefully.听
- Download SONO Program Information for Prospective Students
- Download SONO Program Application Instructions
- Sample Application
- Application Link – Closed
There is no waitlist. Qualified applicants will be selected by lottery.听
Make sure you take a photo or screenshot of the notification message for your reference and personal records.听 You will be prompted to download the completed application. Save that for your personal records. 听After the application window closes, a committee reviews all the applications. The review process ensures that applications are complete and accurate and meet the Program鈥檚 standard admission requirements.
After this internal review, you will receive notification to the email addresses you provided on your application regarding your status, i.e., 鈥渁ccepted, alternate, not accepted or disqualified.鈥
ACCEPTANCE
Your acceptance will be emailed to you and will outline all details.听 Further information regarding class and clinical schedules will be provided at the MANDATORY orientation.听 Failure to provide required documentation by deadlines may cancel admission to the program.
Travel to clinical facilities outside Merced is required.听 Students must complete all programmatically assigned clinical rotations; some include evening and/or weekend hours.
- Lift more than 50 pounds routinely
- Push and pull routinely
- Bend and stoop routinely
- Have full use of both hands, wrists and shoulders
- Distinguish audible sounds
- Adequately view sonograms, including color distinctions
- Work standing on their feet 80% of the time
- Interact compassionately & effectively with the sick or injured
- Assist patients on and off examining tables
- Communicate effectively with patients and other health care professionals
- Organize and accurately perform the individual steps in a sonographic procedure in the proper sequence
The above DMS Capabilities are from the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Plano, Texas copyright 2013
Talk with a Guidance Counselor
ENROLLMENT SUPPORT
There are specialized Allied Health Counselors that are located in the Counseling and Guidance Area (Lesher Student Services Building 鈥 2nd Floor).