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Curriculum

A Mayo Clinic advanced cardiovascular sonographer teaching

Student experiences

The challenging, high-quality curriculum for the Advanced Cardiovascular Sonography Program is designed with courses in a specific sequence to progressively build expertise as students advance through the program. Academic coursework is coordinated with clinical rotations to optimize the learning experience.

Classroom learning

The didactic portion of the Advanced Cardiovascular Sonography Program is completed online. Online course content originates from the Rochester campus with the option of web conference interaction.

Hands-on clinical rotations

During clinical rotations, students gain experience in Mayo Clinic's echocardiography laboratories, focusing on the role of the advanced cardiovascular sonographer (ACS). During all clinical rotations, students work under the supervision of highly qualified cardiologists and credentialed advanced cardiovascular sonographers.

Course sequence

There is a total of 20 credits in the program. An asterisk (*) indicates that the course is provided in an online distance education format.

Fall semester (5 credits)

NumberCourseCredits
ACS 3501 Clinical Practicum I 1
ACS 3100* Patient Care/Assessment 1
ACS 3102* Advanced Cardiovascular Hemodynamics/Pathophysiology 2
ACS 3101* Cardiovascular Pharmacology 1
  No courses scheduled during winter break  

Spring semester (5 credits)

NumberCourseCredits
ACS 3502 Clinical Practicum II
ACS 4200* Acquired Cardiovascular Disease 2
ACS 4201* Medical and Surgical Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease 1
ACS 4202* Interventional Imaging in Structural Heart Disease 1
  No courses scheduled during spring break  

Summer semester (5 credits)

NumberCourseCredits
ACS 3501 Clinical Practicum III 1
ACS 3300* Electrocardiography 1
ACS 4300* Advanced Echocardiography Modalities 1
ACS 3200* Comparative Imaging Analysis 1
ACS 4301* Congenital Cardiovascular Disease
  No courses scheduled during a summer break  

Fall semester (5 credits)

NumberCourseCredits
ACS 4502 Clinical Practicum IV 1
ACS 4400* Research Methods and Biostatistics 1
ACS 4401* Quality Improvement 1
ACS 4403* Instructional Techniques for the Adult Learner 1
ACS 4404* Mock ACS Boards 

Hours

The Advanced Cardiovascular Sonography Program is an online didactic program with 256 hours of online education and 256 hours of clinical education.

The clinical internship requires an on-site presence in a Mayo Clinic echocardiography  lab during the typical workweek of Monday through Friday. Timing and duration of each student's clinical hours is individualized.

Facilities and faculty

Learn more about the facilities and faculty for the Advanced Cardiovascular Sonography Program.

Minnesota campus

Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota, includes an extensive outpatient complex, the inpatient Mayo Clinic Hospital — Rochester, and substantial research and education facilities. This Mayo Clinic site is among the largest, most advanced medical centers in the world.

Clinical education for the Advanced Cardiovascular Sonography Program is primarily conducted in the Mayo Clinic outpatient Echocardiography Laboratory (Echo Lab), though clinical rotations may also be scheduled at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus, a 1,265-bed facility that was founded in 1889.

The Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Laboratory in Rochester, one of the largest echocardiography laboratories in the world, features state-of-the-art diagnostic, therapeutic, educational, and research facilities.

More than 30 full-feature scanning stations are located throughout the Mayo Clinic complex. Approximately 90 cardiac sonographers perform more than 250 echocardiographic procedures each day. The Echocardiography Laboratory is also active in clinical research and education.

Arizona campus

The Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Laboratory in Arizona is one of the most progressive laboratories in the Southwest. The lab administers approximately 132 exams a day and is staffed with 13 echocardiologists, 23 cardiac sonographers, three advanced cardiac sonographers, and additional support staff. The lab is active in clinical research and education and is a clinical site for the Advanced Cardiovascular Sonography Program.

Faculty

The Advanced Cardiovascular Sonography Program is coordinated and taught by the clinical, scientific, and technical staff of Mayo Clinic. Faculty members are chosen for their commitment to teaching, as well as clinical practice and research. Many have published and lectured extensively, and are highly regarded in their fields.

You have direct access to these individuals throughout your training, giving you the opportunity to learn directly from experienced practitioners in the field of echocardiography.

Grading and evaluation 

Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences uses these evaluative tools: examinations, hands-on simulation to demonstrate mastery of skills, self-assessment exercises, and faculty reviews.

Our system of evaluation provides students and faculty with a comprehensive look at individual performance. This allows faculty and administrative staff to direct students who are experiencing academic difficulty to the appropriate support resources, including tutoring programs and counseling opportunities.

Graduation and certification

Upon completion of the program, students receive a certificate of completion from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. Graduates are eligible to take the Cardiovascular Credentialing International ACS credentialing examination.