Image of a man and a woman looking at an image on a screen.

DMS Prerequisites

Things to do before applying to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at Tacoma Community College. 

Prerequisites

The following prerequisites must be completed before applying to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program. Taking prerequisite courses at another college? Check the Common Course Equivalencies Table to make sure you're taking the right classes. 

Course Number Course Title Credits
ENGL& 101 or ENGL& 102 or ENGL 103 English Composition I or Composition II: Argument & Persuasion or Composition III: Writing about Literature 5
HIT 130 Medical Terminology 3
MATH& 141 or MATH& 146 Precalculus I or Intro to Statistics 5
BIOL& 241* Human Anatomy & Physiology I 5
BIOL& 242 Human Anatomy & Physiology II 5
PHYS& 115* or PHYS& 116 General Physics II or
General Physics III
6
CMST& 101
or CMST 110 or CMST& 210 or CMST& 220
Introduction to Communication
or Multicultural Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking
5

*There is an additional prerequisite for BIOL& 241, which is BIOL& 160 and CHEM& 121 or CHEM& 140, and an additional prerequisite for PHYS 115, which is PHYS 114. (Only a requirement for students attending Tacoma Community College and no other colleges.)

Prerequisite Details

  • Evidence of completion of the 7 specific prerequisite courses with a grade of C (2.0) or better in each course
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of (2.5) or better, based on the 7 prerequisite classes. 
  • Each grade earned in a prerequisite class will be assigned a certain number of points. For example, an A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, etc. These points will be totaled for every applicant. 
  • It is strongly recommended that math and science prerequisites are completed within the past 5-7 years.
  • Any classes transferred in must be from an accredited college or university acceptable to Tacoma Community College. See Common Course Equivalencies.
  • Any higher level equivalent course may be accepted in place of the listed prerequisites.  Please contact the Program Chair for approval of course substitutions.
  • Upon request, applicants may be required to submit official transcripts for review by the Records & Registration Office, Bldg. 7.
  • While not required, it is strongly recommended that prospective students take a computer class.

Additional Requirements

  • Provide documentation of current immunizations or immunity by titer (e.g. TB, Tdap, HepB, MMR, Varicella, and annual influenza).  Specifics will be provided upon enrollment in the program.
  • There are further requirements for working in health care, including background checks and drug tests. See Essential Requirements for more information. 
  • For general information about previous admission requirements and selection processes, please download the DMS Program Application Packet. Please know the information in this packet is subject to change.