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2024-2025 Academic Catalog

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Echocardiography, Associate of Applied Science Degree

Overview

Offered at the Piedmont Summerville Site.

Entrance Dates: Fall
Length of Program: Seven Terms
Credit Hours Required for Graduation: 73

Admission: Echocardiography is a competitive program. Students who meet the College criteria for admission will be admitted to the College to take prerequisite courses.  Prerequisite courses (ENGL 1101, Humanities/Fine Arts Area IV, MATH 1111, MATH 1127, PSYC 1101, BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L, BIOL 2114, BIOL 2114L, PHYS 1110, and PHYS 1110L) 

must be completed with a minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale by the designated deadlines to be evaluated for program admission. Students are REQUIRED to attend an informational session during the ranking cycle prior to consideration for acceptance into competitive admission programs.  Instructors will hold recruitment fairs/informational sessions on a rolling basis throughout the admissions cycle, January - May.

The academic ranking order for admission to the program is determined using the most recent grade for MATH 1111, BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L, BIOL 2114, BIOL 2114L, PHYS 1110, and PHYS 1110L). Students can retake a class to earn a higher grade. Students who are not selected for admission may consider another program or resubmit an admission application and a new Competitive Ranking Application by the next ranking cycle deadline. High school graduation or GED is required for admission to this program. For more information regarding this process, please contact the Admissions Office at (706) 771-4028. Refer to program related deadlines.

Program Description: Echocardiography is a program of Augusta Technical College and University Hospital‘s Harry T. Harper, Jr., M.D., School of Cardiac and Vascular Technology. The off-campus site is centered at the Heart and Vascular Institute at University Hospital.

The Echocardiography program is a technical program designed to prepare students for work in the allied health field as Echocardiographers. The program offers both clinical and didactic instruction. Upon completion of the Echocardiography program, the student is eligible for a national certification examination.

The program is accredited by The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs—Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology. The contact information for the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs is as follows: 9355 - 113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL, 33775, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org. Students take the National Registry in Cardiac or Vascular Technology before graduation.

Employment Opportunities: Echocardiographers may pursue career opportunities within hospitals, physician offices, medical clinics, mobile outreach companies, cardiac equipment companies, or research groups.

Credentialing (Optional):  Satisfactory completion of all program courses entitles students to sit for the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) Adult Echocardiography (AE) – ARDMS examination.

Curriculum Outline

General Core Courses, 19 credits

ENGL 1101COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC

3
MATH 1111COLLEGE ALGEBRA

3
MATH 1127INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS

3
XXXX XXXX
HUMANITIES/FINE ARTS AREA IV*

3
PHYS 1110CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS

3
PHYS 1110LCONCEPTUAL PHYSICS LAB

1
PSYC 1101INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY

3

*A list of General Education Area I, II, III, IV courses can be found in the General Education

Core Curriculum Section of this catalog.

Non General Education Degree Courses, 8 credits

BIOL 2113ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I

3
BIOL 2113LANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LAB I

1
BIOL 2114ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II

3
BIOL 2114LANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LAB II

1

Occupational Courses, 46 credits

CAVT 1030ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY AND CARDIAC ANATOMY

3
CAVT 1080ADVANCED HEMODYNAMICS AND CARDIAC PHYSIOLOGY

3
CAVT 1090DRUG CALCULATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION

2
DMSO 1040SONOGRAPHIC PHYSICS AND INSTRUMENTATION

3
DMSO 1080SONOGRAPHIC PHYSICS AND INSTRUMENTATION REGISTRY REVIEW

1
ECHO 1100ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY FUNDAMENTALS

3
ECHO 1310ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY I

3
ECHO 1320ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY II

3
ECHO 1370ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY CLINICAL I

7
ECHO 2360ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY CLINICAL II

7
ECHO 2370ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY CLINICAL III

10
ECHO 2400COMPREHENSIVE REGISTRY REVIEW

1

Notes:

  • A grade of “C” or higher is required for all courses.
  • Prior to participation in campus/clinical labs, students are required to submit completed medical and dental examination forms. All required immunizations, including Hepatitis B, must be accompanied by documentation. Students who refuse to take the Hepatitis B vaccination series must sign a declination form and be aware that clinical practicum sites may refuse them an opportunity to gain clinical experience.
  • A student who does not earn a grade of “C” or higher in one course with the CAVT, DMSO or ECHO prefix will be suspended from the program for one year. A student who does not earn a grade of “C” or higher in any two courses with these prefixes will not be allowed to re-enter the Cardiovascular Technology Program.
  • Conviction of a felony or gross misdemeanor may prohibit employment in field and may make a student ineligible to take licensing/certification exam(s) required for the profession. A background check and/or drug screen may be required by some agencies before a student attends a clinical practicum. For more information, contact the appropriate program advisor.
  • Student activities associated with the curriculum, especially while students are completing his or her clinical rotations, will be educational in nature. Students will not be receiving monetary remuneration during this educational experience, nor will he or she be substituted for hired staff personnel within the clinical institution in the capacity of a cardiovascular technologist.
  • Natural Science prefix courses older than 5 years will not be considered for program progression evaluation. Students will need to retake these courses to become eligible for program progression evaluation.
  • Prior to participation in campus/clinical labs, students are required to show proof of current health insurance. Students who cannot show proof of health insurance need to be aware that clinical practicum sites may refuse to allow them the opportunity to gain clinical experience at their facility.

Guided Pathway

You may click on any course below to view the course description and prerequisite information.

Students who do not follow the Course Sequence listed below may not be able to complete the program in the number of semesters shown.

Piedmont Summerville Day Program

PROGRAM NAME: Echocardiography

AWARD: Associate of Applied Science Degree

CAMPUS: Piedmont Summerville Day Program

Year 1 Fall Semester

ENGL 1101COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC

3
MATH 1111COLLEGE ALGEBRA

3
PSYC 1101INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY

3
BIOL 2113ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I

3
BIOL 2113LANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LAB I

1

Year 1 Spring Semester

XXXX XXXX
HUMANITIES/FINE ARTS AREA IV*

3
MATH 1127INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS

3
BIOL 2114ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II

3
BIOL 2114LANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LAB II

1
PHYS 1110CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS

3
PHYS 1110LCONCEPTUAL PHYSICS LAB

1

*A list of General Education Area I, II, III, IV courses can be found in the General Education

Core Curriculum Section of this catalog.

Year 1 Summer Semester

Students are ranked for admission to the program summer semester

Year 2 Fall Semester

CAVT 1030ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY AND CARDIAC ANATOMY

3
ECHO 1100ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY FUNDAMENTALS

3
DMSO 1040SONOGRAPHIC PHYSICS AND INSTRUMENTATION

3

Year 2 Spring Semester

CAVT 1080ADVANCED HEMODYNAMICS AND CARDIAC PHYSIOLOGY

3
ECHO 1310ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY I

3
ECHO 1370ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY CLINICAL I

7
DMSO 1080SONOGRAPHIC PHYSICS AND INSTRUMENTATION REGISTRY REVIEW

1

Year 2 Summer Semester

ECHO 1320ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY II

3
ECHO 2360ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY CLINICAL II

7
CAVT 1090DRUG CALCULATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION

2

Year 3 Fall Semester

ECHO 2370ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY CLINICAL III

10
ECHO 2400COMPREHENSIVE REGISTRY REVIEW

1

 

Accreditation

The Echocardiography Program is accredited by The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs—Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology. The contact information for the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs is as follows: 9355 - 113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL, 33775, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org. Students take the National Registry in Cardiac or Vascular Technology before graduation.


Student Achievement Data is available on the program's student achievement data page.