Program Structure
The Ascension St. Vincent Cardiac Sonography program curriculum is rigorous, academically challenging and labor-intensive. We have high academic expectations of our students. But the purpose of having high standards and a rigorous curriculum is to produce highly competent graduates ultimately to benefit those whom we serve; our patients!
Students must take every diagnostic medical sonography course in the sequence outlined on the “curriculum” page. Students cannot drop or add courses. Students earn letter grades based on academic and clinical performance. The program adheres to the grading criteria below for most program courses.
- A+ = Outstanding Performance (100% - 98.0%) = 4 points
- A = Excellent Performance (97.99% - 96.0%) = 4 points
- A- = Near Excellent Performance (95.99% - 93.0%) = 3.7 points
- B+ = Very Good Performance (92.99% - 90.0%) = 3.3 points
- B = Good Performance (89.99% - 87.0%) = 3 points
- B- = Marginally Good Performance (86.99% - 84.0%) = 2.7 points
- C+ = Above Satisfactory Performance (83.99% - 80.0%) = 2.3 points
- C = Satisfactory Performance (79.99% - 75.00%) = 2 points
- F = Unsatisfactory Performance (74.99% and lower) = 0 points
Students are required to pass every course with a letter grade of “C” or higher to graduate from the program. Failure to pass a course with a letter grade of “C” or higher will result in student dismissal from the program.
The program is academically challenging and labor-intensive due to its mastery-based approach to academic and clinical education. In short, students are required to achieve a master level performance of 80% on most written tests and 75% on clinical evaluations. Students are required to repeat (with a limited number of attempts) evaluations/examinations until the master performance level is achieved.