Harris Health System offers a diagnostic medical sonography program in Houston, Texas. This page outlines the program’s credential pathway and how it connects to work in diagnostic imaging.
Program at a glance
- Institution: Harris Health System, Houston, Texas
- Format: on campus
Program details
It runs an intensive two-year, full-time program (approximately 22 months across six semesters), beginning in July each year; program hours are Monday through Friday and do not exceed 40 hours per week. Students complete didactic classes, on-campus sonography labs, and competency-based clinical education; didactic instruction is held at a Bellaire facility and clinical education takes place at three Harris Health System facilities, including competency-based clinical education across the program at Ben Taub Hospital, Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, and Smith Clinic. Clinical training covers abdomen (extended), obstetrics, gynecology, superficial structures, and vascular sonography. Completers are eligible to sit for the ARDMS Sonographic Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) examination during the program; applicants with a prior conviction must obtain pre-clearance from ARDMS or ARRT. Admission typically requires an associate degree or higher and prerequisite coursework including physics and medical terminology, with additional general-education courses. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the JRC-DMS; it is a hospital-based program. These details are drawn from the program’s website.
Credential pathway
Graduates can pursue professional certification such as the Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS). These credentials are offered by national registries, including the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). Certification is separate from completing the program; each credential sets its own education, clinical-experience, and examination requirements. See Licensing and Certification for how the process works.
About this occupation
Diagnostic medical sonographers operate ultrasound equipment to create images that physicians use to assess and diagnose medical conditions. National wage and employment-outlook figures are summarized on the Diagnostic Medical Sonographer page, with more context in Career Opportunities and Salary and Compensation.
Program details, requirements, and availability change. Verify current information directly with the program and with the relevant certification body or licensing board. Inclusion in this directory does not constitute endorsement.
Related pages
Last verified: June 2026.