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Joint-Degree B.S. Program: Medical Imaging Sciences (MIS)

Overview of Medical Imaging Sciences (MIS) Major 

MIS

Rutgers University-Newark and the Rutgers School of Health Professions (Rutgers-SHP) offer a joint Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Imaging Sciences.  Students choose one of the two programs: Cardiac (Cardiovascular) Sonography or Diagnostic Medical Sonography.  Students graduating with degrees in MIS become members of health care teams contributing to the diagnosis and treatment of disease. In addition, MIS majors have been readily employed in various health care, industrial, governmental, and educational settings. 

Salary Range and Outlook

Diagnostic medical sonographers earn a median (half earn more and half earn less) salary of $63,330 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The outlook for employment as a diagnostic medical sonographer is very good, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It predicts that employment will grow 26% from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations (ExploreHealthCareers.org).

Joint-Degree Requirements 

Two-part program.   

  1. The first part of the program requires successful completion of the MIS RU-N pre-requisite courses, RU-N’s Core Curriculum, and Writing Intensive courses outlined under RU-N Requirements below. 
  2. The second part of the program requires that you apply to the School of Health Professions for admission to complete the professional/clinical coursework outlined respectively below under Cardiac Sonography Option at SHP or Diagnostic Medical Sonography Option at SHP.   

 

REQUIRED PRE-REQ COURSES FOR MEDICAL IMAGING SCIENCE MAJORS 

BIOLOGY COURSES 

Course Name 

Course Number 

Credits 

Concepts in Biology 

21:120:200 

Foundations of Biology: Cell & Molecular Biology 

21:120:201 

Foundations of Biology: Cell & Molec Lab 

21:120:202 

Foundations of Biology: Ecology & Evolution 

21:120:205 

Foundations of Biology: Eco & Evo Lab 

21:120:206 

Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates (only offered in the Fall semester through NJIT) 

NJIT BIOL 321 (21:120:321)

Mammalian Physiology 

21:120:340 or NJIT BIOL 340 

Genetics 

21:120:352 

 

CHEMISTRY COURSES 

Course Name 

Course Number 

Credits 

General Chemistry I Lecture 

21:160:115 

General Chemistry I Lab 

21:160:113 

General Chemistry II Lecture 

21:160:116 

General Chemistry II Lab 

21:160:114 

Organic Chemistry I 

21:160:335 

Organic Chemistry II 

21:160:336 

Organic Chemistry Lab 

21:160:331 

 

PHYSICS COURSES 

General Physics I 

21:750:203 

Introductory Physics Lab I 

21:750:205 

General Physics II 

21:750:204 

Introductory Physics Lab II 

21:750:206 

 

MATH COURSES 

Pre-Calculus or Calculus I 

21:640:114 or 21:640:135 

Statistics I 

21:640:211 

Core Curriculum = 38 credits + Writing Intensive Courses = 6 credits

Credits

Course Number

Course Title

3

21:355:101

English Composition I

3

21:355:102

English Composition II

3

21:640:109 or higher

College Algebra Science Business

9

History/Literature Core Courses *must complete at least one course in history and literature, each with the third course being history or literature

Select from history/literature core courses

6

Social Science Core Courses

Select from social science core courses

8

Natural Science Core Courses

Select from natural science core courses

3

Arts and Media Core Courses

Select from arts and media core courses

3

Other Liberal Arts Core Courses

Select from other liberal arts core courses

6

Writing-Intensive Courses

All students must complete six credits of coursework in courses designated as “Writing Intensive” on the Schedule of Classes. For the MIS joint-degree major, students can complete the required two writing-intensive courses in any subject

  • Students who transfer into Rutgers University-Newark must complete at least half their biology course credits at Rutgers University-Newark to qualify for the joint degree program.
  • Students who transfer a significant number of credits to Rutgers University-Newark must complete at least 30 credits here to qualify and be eligible to transfer.
  • All students who hold an AA or AS degree from any community college in New Jersey and transfer with their degree to RU-N are exempt from the Core Curriculum courses.  However, they must still complete two courses designated as writing intensives.
  • The School of Arts and Sciences requires that all students complete a major along with a second concentration (Second Concentration Options)
  • A second concentration is not required for students who elect to pursue the joint degree in Medical Imaging Science, as this is a two-part program.  Students do not need to declare or complete a second concentration as long as they are pursuing this joint-degree major.
  • Should a student change their major, they will be required to complete a second concentration and the major they have now selected. 

MIS Program Tracks and Length Once Accepted to SHP 

There are two tracks for this program: Cardiac Sonography and Diagnostic Medical Sonography. 

  1. Cardiac Sonography begins in the summer (late May or early June) upon admission.  Completion of the professional and clinical coursework takes 18-months.   
  2. Diagnostic Medical Sonography begins in the Fall (September) upon admission.  Completion of the professional and clinical coursework takes 15-months. 
  • Our cardiac sonography program prepares cardiovascular sonographers to be an integral part of the medical management team. The 18-month cardiac sonography program has a proven record of success as measured by retention rates, credentialing achievements, and post-graduation employment. As highly skilled professionals working under the supervision of a licensed physician, our cardiac sonography graduates are valued members of the healthcare team whose diagnostics skills help guide patients to the appropriate path of treatment.​ 
  • The addition of vascular sonography to the cardiac program adds the skills employers seek in the increasingly multi-disciplinary health care environment.​
  • Graduates of the Cardiac Sonography program are prepared for entry-level positions in non-invasive cardiovascular diagnostic departments. Cardiac sonographers are employed in hospital and physician office-based laboratories and are integral to the healthcare team. In addition, they are essential in the management of patients with cardiovascular disease and other disorders.
  • For more information, visit​: SHP B.S. in Cardiac Sonography

 

MIS – Cardiac Sonography Curriculum at SHP

Semester

Course#

Course Title

Credits

Comments/Notes

1. Summer 1

 
 

CDXS4011

Cardiovascular Principles I

2

_________________________

 

CDXS4019

Cardiovascular Sonography Fundamentals I

4

_________________________

   

Total

6

 

2. Fall 1

 
 

DXMS4100

Patient Care for the Imaging Prof

2

_________________________

 

CDXS4022

Cardiovascular Principles II

2

_________________________

 

CDXS4111

Echocardiography I

3

_________________________

 

CDXS4029

Cardiovascular Sonography Fundamentals II

2

_________________________

 

CDXS4511

Non-Invasive Vascular Testing I

3

_________________________

   

Total

12

 

3. Spring 1

 
 

DXMS4111

Acoustic Physics I

2

_________________________

 

CDXS4199

Clinical Practice I

5

_________________________

 

CDXS4222

Echocardiography II

3

_________________________

 

CDXS4522

Non-Invasive Vascular Testing II

3

_________________________

   

Total

13

 

4. Summer 2

 
 

DXMS4212

Acoustic Physics II

2

_________________________

 

CDXS4299

Clinical Practice II

4

_________________________

 

CDXS4533

Non-Invasive Vascular Testing III

1

_________________________

 

 

Total

7

_________________________

5. Fall 2

 
 

CDXS4333

Echocardiography III

2

_________________________

 

CDXS4399

Clinical Practice II

6

_________________________

 

CDXS4400

Intro to Pediatric Echo

1

_________________________

 

CDXS4600

Cardiovascular Professional Ed.

3

_________________________

   

Total

12

 

   

Curriculum Total :  

50

 
  • Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS), or general sonography program, encompasses clinical and didactic instruction in abdominal, obstetrical, gynecological, neonatal, Neurosonography, and other related ultrasound specialties. As highly skilled professionals working under the supervision of a licensed physician, our graduates are valued members of the health care team whose diagnostic skills help guide patients to the proper path of treatment.  One hundred percent of graduates have passed their board examinations over the past four years.​
  • ​The full-time, 15-month course of study for Diagnostic Medical Sonography includes Applied Anatomy and Physiology, Pathophysiology, Ultrasound Physics, Instrumentation, and Applied Sonography in the specialty areas of abdomen, obstetrics, and gynecology. In addition, clinical education is provided in active Radiology and Perinatal Testing departments equipped with the most advanced ultrasound equipment.​
  • It prepares students to perform and interpret multiple sonographic examinations in general sonography (abdomen, obstetrics, gynecology, breast, thyroid, and other sub-specialty areas). Graduates with a B.S. degree and experience can more readily advance to supervisory positions.
  • For more information, visit: SHP B.S. in Diagnostic Medical Sonography

 

MIS – Diagnostic Medical Sonography Curriculum at SHP

Semester

Course#

Course Title

Credits

Comments/Notes

1. Pre-requisites

First six semesters of Liberal Arts and Sciences - Minimum of 90 Credits at Partner Institutions. Medical Terminology is required before the start of the program.

 
       

 

2. Fall

 
 

DXMS4009

Introduction to Clinical Practice

1

_________________________

 

DXMS4100

Patient Care for the Imaging Prof

2

_________________________

 

DXMS4131

Abdominal Sonography I

3

_________________________

 

DXMS4151

Cross-Sectional Abdominal Sonography

2

_________________________

 

DXMS4161

Obstetrical Sonography I

2

_________________________

 

DXMS4171

Gynecological Sonography I

2

_________________________

3. Spring

 
 

DXMS4111

Acoustic Physics I

2

_________________________

 

DXMS4172

Gynecological Sonography II

2

_________________________

 

DXMS4199

Clinical Practice I

5

_________________________

 

DXMS4232

Abdominal Sonography II

3

_________________________

 

DXMS4262

Obstetrical Sonography II

2

_________________________

4. Summer

 
 

DXMS4212

Acoustic Physics II

2

_________________________

 

DXMS4299

Clinical Practice II

3

_________________________

 

DXMS4370

Introduction to Noninvasive Vascular Testing

2

_________________________

5. Fall

 
 

DXMS4240

Neurosonography

1

_________________________

 

DXMS4350

Critique & Clinical Correlation

2

_________________________

 

DXMS4380

Introduction to Musculoskeletal Sonography

2

_________________________

 

DXMS4399

Clinical Practice III

8

_________________________

   

Curriculum Total :  

46

 

Admission  

  • Successful completion of all the designated pre-requisite with a grade of “C” or better. 

  • Maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 2.850 or higher overall in all courses.  It is highly recommended that students aim for higher than 2.850, as admission to the program is very competitive. 
  • Successful completion of all other Rutgers-Newark requirements, including the Core Curriculum and Writing-Intensives. 
  • You will apply directly through SHP’s Admission Office by completing their online application for admission’s consideration by the deadlines noted for each respective program.  You must be either done with all requirements or expected to be done with all requirements before the Summer or Fall that you will transfer if accepted.
  • Cardiac Sonography Option – Application due by January 15th for a start date in late May or early June

  • Diagnostic Medical Sonography Option – Application due by March 1st for a start date in September

Medical Terminology Certificate 

  • After receiving acceptance into the MIS program, all students must complete a “Medical Terminology” certificate before beginning at Rutgers-SHP. 
  • You also have the option of completing an online certificate.  However, you must ensure that it is not an online program where you pay to get a certificate without sitting through the course.  

 

Graduation and Degree

  • You will graduate only upon transfer to SHP after completing all RU-N requirements and, while at SHP, meeting all professional and clinical course requirements for your selected MIS program track.  
  • Once you have met all criteria, you will graduate with a joint Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Medical Imaging Science from SHP and RU-N SASN  
  • You will be required to apply for graduation with both SHP and RU-N SASN when the time comes.   
  • Note that you only apply for graduation at RU-N SASN when you have submitted a graduation application with SHP at the end of your time in the program at SHP.   
    • You do not apply for graduation at RU-N while transferring to SHP to continue with the second component of the joint-degree program. 

 

Contacts

Rutgers University-Newark

Dean Chazz Fellenz

Assistant Dean for Pre-Professional Services

Office of Academic Services Hill Hall 312

Phone: (973) 353-5800

Email: chazz.fellenz@rutgers.edu

 

Rutgers School of Health Professions

Stanley T. Ort, BHS, MS

Program Director: Cardiovascular Sonography

Department of Clinical Laboratory and Medical Imaging Sciences

School of Health Professions

Phone: (908) 889-2521

Email: stanley.ort@rutgers.edu

 

Garth S. Nanni, MS, RDMS, RVT

Program Director: Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Department of Clinical Laboratory and Medical Imaging Sciences

School of Health Professions

Phone: (908) 889-2468

Email: garth.nanni@rutgers.edu