Bachelor of Medical Sonography/Graduate Diploma of Medical Sonography

Rank thresholdATAR: 77 SR: 77
Duration4 years full-time
Location
Brisbane and
Next start termTerm 1, 2025
Study modeOn Campus
Course codeCG91
First-year fee
$9,889 (Indicative) (CSP)
$28,671 (Indicative) (FFP)
Students using a Sonography machine on a patient's neck

Overview

Play an integral role in making a difference in the health of individuals, and working in tandem with other health professionals. Combine your passion for helping others with your fascination of medical diagnostics with the Bachelor of Medical Sonography/Graduate Diploma of Medical Sonography.

This course is the first of its kind in Australia, allowing you to enter a niche medical profession with no prior degree in health sciences. Medical sonographers take diagnostic images using ultrasonic equipment to create still, video or 3D studies of anatomy and diagnostic data. They scan, analyse and modify images to optimise the information and require highly developed patient care and communication skills.

Throughout your course, you'll learn to apply sonographic knowledge and practical scanning skills in the diagnostic imaging setting. You will develop a high level of skill and proficiency in performing sonographic studies and evaluate your findings to tailor your scans to the individual patient in a safe, caring and effective manner.

Learning from experienced professionals, you'll enhance your communication skills to interact positively with patients and other health professionals in the clinical work environment. Your clinical decision-making and problem-solving skills will be promoted through the use of simulation-based learning techniques and exposure to 'real world' conditions while on clinical practice. 

You'll study most of this course on-campus however, your first year is delivered online, with two compulsory two-day residential schools. These residential schools must be attended at your campus of admission.

As a graduate, you can apply to register as 'General Sonographers' with the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry.

Study experience

Career Opportunities

The Bachelor of Medical Sonography/Graduate Diploma of Medical Sonography prepares you to practise as a Sonographer or Ultrasonographer. Employment opportunities may exist in organisations such as:

  • public and private hospitals
  • clinics
  • community health care services.

Australian Sonographers are well regarded globally and there are strong employment opportunities if you are looking to travel and work overseas.

Benefits of being a medical sonographer

  • Important part of patient care and wellbeing
  • Highly respected, niche health profession
  • Excellent remuneration
  • Growing shortage of sonographers, in Australia and worldwide
  • Opportunity to move into speciality areas of ultrasound and medicine

CQUniversity's Bachelor of Medical Sonography/Graduate Diploma of Medical Sonography prepares you for a successful career in sonography by ensuring you have the following attributes:

  • high level of practical scanning skills and image evaluation
  • clinical decision making and problem solving
  • high level communication skills,
  • ease in adapting to different environments,
  • good eye-hand coordination and,
  • a passion for health care.

Structure & Availability

You are required to complete 24 core units throughout the course. The units you will study in the fourth year are postgraduate-level units. This course is intensive due to the theoretical and clinical requirements of the accrediting professional body. Most of the clinical periods extend beyond the limits of the normal term.

The course is structured so that Year One is delivered online, with two compulsory two-day residential schools. These residential schools must be attended at your campus of admission.

Unit information

For information on the units you could study as part of this course, visit the Handbook and select the "Course Structure" tab.

Credit transfer information

If you have already completed study relevant to the course you have enrolled in, you may be eligible for credit transfer.

On-Campus Availability

IntakeLocations
Term 1, 2023Brisbane, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney
Term 1, 2024Brisbane, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney
Term 1, 2025Brisbane, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney

Course delivery

Year 1

While you will need to select a campus to study this course, the first year of this course is studied online, with the exception of attendance at two compulsory two-day residential schools. One of these residential schools is scheduled in your first term, and the second is scheduled in your second term. These residential schools must be attended at your campus of admission.

Year 2

In Year 2, you will be required to study across Terms 1, 2 and 3. In your second year, you will have large components of compulsory campus attendance, which must be completed at your campus of admission. During Terms 1 and 2 in your second year, you can expect to be on campus most days each week due to the number of labs and practice sessions. The timetable for your on-campus units is released four weeks before the start of each term.

Year 3

Like Year 2, you will have large components of compulsory campus attendance, which must be completed at your campus of admission. Extensive learning activity takes place in the clinical simulation laboratories during the Term 1 Year 3 profession-specific unit. Profession-specific units are run as internal units on your campus of admission. You can expect to be on campus most days each week in Term 1 due to the number of labs and practice sessions.

Year 4

In your fourth year, you'll complete your third and fourth clinical placement units. Placements are determined each year based on demand for certain locations from our students and availability from our partners who host our clinical placements. This means that we can not guarantee or indicate where a likely placement will be, so you may need to travel (at your expense) to complete your placement requirements. We endeavour to meet your needs when coordinating and scheduling placements. However, placements are heavily dependent upon availability with partner hosts.

Note: Years 2, 3 and 4 have large components of clinical placement, which will be allocated by CQU's Clinical Academic and Work Integrated Learning teams. You may be required to undertake a clinical placement in a rural or remote location.

Campus transfers

To ensure that you have the opportunity to attend designated times in our simulation labs and use our ultrasound equipment, this course has strict quota limits that apply to each campus. This means that internal transfers between campuses to our CQUniversity Brisbane campus are not permitted. If you apply for a particular campus of study for this course and wish to transfer to another campus (excluding CQUniversity Brisbane), transfer applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, provided you meet specific requirements. For details, please refer to the 'More Details' section of our student handbook.

Deferment/Leave of Absence

Due to accreditation requirements, the Bachelor of Medical Sonography and Graduate Diploma of Medical Sonography does not currently permit a deferment and/or Leave of Absence (LOA). In order to meet accreditation requirements, as a student, you must be able to demonstrate continuous enrolment in this course. This means that you must enrol in the units available for you to study in each term, taking into account pre- and co-requisite requirements.


There are first year units that include mandatory residential schools/workshops for ALL students. These residential schools must be attended at the campus of enrolment ONLY
Medical Sonography Clinical Unit 2 - MEDS13006

Students will complete a ten week block placement (400 hours) in a diagnostic imaging facility. Students perform specified general ultrasound studies under the direct supervision of a qualified sonographer, or delegate. Students are supported on-site by a clinical supervisor and by the academic course coordinator and clinical academic at CQUniversity.

Medical Sonography Clinical Unit 3 - MEDS20016

Students will complete a nineteen week block placement (760 hours) in one (or more) diagnostic imaging facilities. Students perform a broad range of general ultrasound studies under the direct supervision of a qualified sonographer, or delegate. Students are supported on-site by a clinical supervisor and by the academic course coordinator and clinical academic at CQUniversity.

Medical Sonography Clinical Unit 4 - MEDS20017

Students will complete a sixteen week block placement (640 hours) in one (or more) diagnostic imaging facilities. Students perform a wide range of general ultrasound studies, progressing to independent practice in preparation for entry to professional practice. Students are supported on-site by a clinical supervisor and by the academic course coordinator and clinical academic at CQUniversity.

Medical Sonography Clinical Unit 1 - MEDS12007

Students will complete a five week block placement (200 hours) in a diagnostic imaging facility. Students perform specified general ultrasound studies under the direct supervision of a qualified sonographer, or delegate. Students are supported on-site by a clinical supervisor and by the academic course coordinator and clinical academic at CQUniversity.


Requirements

Recommended study

English, Maths, Biology, Physics, Science

Prerequisites

No pre-requisite subjects required

When applying, you must demonstrate that you have met the listed Entry Requirements and English Language Proficiency requirements.

After you have applied and enrolled in this course, you will need to be able to meet the Security and Health Requirements as these generally relate to work-integrated learning activities that form part of your course. You will be provided with more information about security and health requirements after enrolling in the relevant units that these relate to. 

Entry Requirements

English Language Proficiency Requirements

If you were not born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa or United States of America you are required to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements set by the University.  Applicants are required to provide evidence of completion within the last 5 years of:

  • A secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent), or
  • Bachelor level qualification study for a period of at least 2 years fulltime with a minimum overall GPA 4.0

Completed within Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, or United States of America, which will meet the English proficiency.

If you do not satisfy any of the above you will need to undertake an English language proficiency test and achieve the following scores as below:

  • An International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) overall band score of at least 7.0 with a minimum 7.0 in each subset; or
  • An Occupational English Test with Grades A or B only in each of the four components; or
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBt - 94 or better overall and no score less than 24 for listening and reading, 27 for writing, and 23 for speaking; or
  • Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) - Requires an overall score of 65 with no sub-score less than 65.

English test results remain valid for no more than two years between final examination date and the date of commencement of study, and must appear on a single result certificate.

Each student will be assessed individually.

Effective 25 September 2023, updates have been made to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for Queensland Health sites and the Queensland Ambulance Service. While Queensland Health does not currently mandate evidence of COVID-19 vaccination, it's essential to recognise that other organisations may enforce their own vaccination specific criteria. This situation is similar across other states and territories, with the exception of Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, where COVID-19 vaccination is mandatory for all healthcare students.    

Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) placements apply to this course and as such are subject to compulsory pre-placement conditions referred to as mandatory checks and are outlined in the health, security and other compulsory requirements sections. Mandatory checks are determined by industry, organisations, legislation, regulations, policies, and procedures. To be eligible for a WIL placement, students must first achieve compliance with mandatory checks by each closing date prior to a WIL placement and maintain current evidence for the duration of the course. 

Mandatory health requirements include immunisation and vaccination evidence (and serology where required) to the following diseases: Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps and Rubella, Varicella, Pertussis, Influenza, and Tuberculosis screening. Additional vaccinations and screening are subject to the site or state health authority. Respirator mask fit testing is also an annual requirement for this course. 

Mandatory security requirements include an Australian Federal Police clearance and working with children check.

 

Other mandatory requirements include a student agreement to privacy and confidentiality, fitness to participate in WIL student declaration, jurisdictional and site-specific compulsory requirements, and other training modules. 

You will have to meet this course's inherent requirements by demonstrating essential skills and attributes.

Fees & Scholarships

2024 Indicative Fees

Fee TypeFees
Commonwealth Supported Place – Indicative First Year Fee$9,889
Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee$28,671

Indicative first-year fee

The fees listed are indicative only and based on enrolling in a full-time study load for one academic year (generally, this is eight units over two terms). Your fees may vary depending on the units you select and the number you study per term. Fees are reviewed annually and are subject to change. Understanding your fees.

Commonwealth support and government assistance loans

Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) are subsidised by the Australian Government, meaning you are only required to pay the student contribution rather than full tuition fees if you meet eligibility requirements. If offered a CSP, you may be eligible for a HECS-HELP government loan. HECS-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme that assists you in paying your student contributions. Provided you meet the HECS-HELP eligibility criteria, you may use HECS-HELP to defer part or all of your student contribution fees. Learn more about paying for university.

Other study costs

Part of your course costs includes Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF). There may also be additional costs as part of your studies, such as textbooks, technology expenses, travel expenses, professional certifications, uniforms, or vaccinations. Explore other study costs.

At CQUniversity, we believe higher education should be for everyone. No matter your situation, we know that everyone needs a helping hand from time to time, and we are proud to offer a wide range of scholarships, bursaries and stipends.
Our scholarships could help you pay for things like relocation, living on campus, laptops and technology, childcare, study and living expenses, travel and more. 


How to apply

StateAdmission Code
VictoriaMelbourne: 153003
New South WalesSydney: 160010
QueenslandBrisbane: 881691; Mackay: 841691

If you have decided what you would like to study and are ready to apply, we’re here to help you along the way. Before you apply, you will need to have a Unique Student Identifier (USI). If you do not have a USI, creating one is quick and easy. Visit usi.gov.au to create one.

Want to know more about application dates and other admission information?

View our important dates information and read about other admission considerations, such as information for domestic students with overseas qualifications, indigenous support, and elite athlete, coach and performer support.

What’s the best way to apply?

  • Option 1: Ideal for most situations, whether you have completed high school recently or some time ago.
  • Option 2: Perfect if you have completed CQUniversity's Skills for Tertiary Entrance Preparatory Studies (STEPS) program or Tertiary Entrance Program (TEP).

Option 1: Ideal for most situations, apply via a tertiary admission centre

View the table below for the best application option based on where you live.

If you live in: Tertiary Admissions Centre (TAC)*
Queensland Apply via QTAC
New South Wales; Australian Capital Territory Apply via UAC
Victoria Apply via ApplyCQUni
All other states and territories Apply via the TAC relevant to the campus location you are applying for.

*Please note that you may be required to pay a fee when applying via a TAC.


Option 2: Are you a CQUniversity STEPS or TEP graduate? Apply directly to CQUniversity

You may be eligible to apply directly to CQUniversity provided you meet one of the following criteria:

  • You have successfully completed or are currently completing our Skills for Tertiary Entrance Preparatory Studies (STEPS) program.
  • You have successfully completed our Tertiary Entrance Program (TEP)