CARDIOVASCULAR TECHNOLOGY

Hybrid Learning

Our college's Cardiovascular Technology associate degree program is taught using a hybrid learning environment. All hybrid courses will utilize online and in-person instruction. Lectures may be offered on campus or remotely via a Learning Management System (LMS). Most laboratory classes and practical training will be held on campus or at a clinical site.

Online classes will be taught synchronously. Synchronous instruction is real-time instruction that requires students to attend classes at scheduled times.

Clinical Internship

The Cardiovascular Technology program requires students to complete 800 clinical hours prior to receiving their associate degree. Students will be placed at a clinical site by the AIMS Internship Department. The internship courses are designed to provide practical training in a real work environment; students will have a mentor who trains and guides them. The clinical internship courses must be completed within the semesters they are scheduled.

AIMS Education has clinical affiliations with numerous healthcare facilities throughout New Jersey and the surrounding areas. Students will be placed at one or more of these affiliated sites and must complete their clinical hours based on the schedule provided by the school. Internship schedules are based on the availability of clinical sites. All students (Day and Evening) must be prepared to complete their internship courses during normal business hours (Monday through Friday). The majority of clinical sites do not allow students to complete clinical hours in the evening or on the weekend.

Program Goals

The primary goal of this program is to prepare competent entry-level cardiovascular technologists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains for the adult echocardiography concentration and noninvasive vascular study.

Employment Opportunities

The majority of employment opportunities for cardiovascular sonographers exist in hospitals, imaging centers, and physicians’ clinics.

Certification/Registry Exam Eligibility

AIMS students are eligible to take the Sonography Principles & Instrumentation (SPI) examination after successfully completing CVT 122 - Ultrasound Physics and Applications II.

CVT graduates will be eligible to take the Registered Cardiac Sonographer examination offered by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) and the Adult Echocardiography specialty examination offered by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).

Graduates who pass the Registered Cardiac Sonographer exam will earn the RCS credential from CCI. Graduates who pass the SPI exam and the Adult Echocardiography specialty exam will earn the RDCS credential from ARDMS.

Eligibility requirements for the RCS and RDCS credentials are solely determined by the respective credentialing agencies, and are subject to change at any time. CCI and ARDMS are independent organizations. AIMS does not guarantee registry exam eligibility.

Classroom and Clinical Training Schedule

Students who enroll in a semester-based program must have flexible schedules and be able to attend classes and/or clinical training sessions during morning, day, and evening hours. Certain courses will only be taught in the evening regardless of the program’s standard schedule.

Program Length and Credit Hours

The Cardiovascular Technology associate degree can be completed in 6 semesters, or approximately 24 months. Students will enroll as a cohort and progress through the program at the same pace. Each cohort will complete three semesters per academic year.

• 24 Months
• 66 Credit Hours
• 800 Clinical Hours

Comprehensive Education and Training

• Medical Terminology
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Adult Echocardiography
• Vascular Sonography
• Image internal body structures
• EKG Testing
• Holter Monitoring
• Stress Testing 

Minimum Admission Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent
• A minimum score of 250 on each of the required Accuplacer tests
  • Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic
• Additional Requirements

To be eligible to apply for this program, applicants must also have at least one of the following:

• 30 college credits or more
• 1 year of healthcare experience related to direct patient care
• Graduate of the credit-bearing Patient Care Technician program at AIMS Education
• Graduate of the credit-bearing Medical Assistant program at AIMS Education

*International students seeking an F-1 visa must have completed at least one year of college-level coursework (equivalent to 30 credits) to be eligible for this program.

Selective Enrollment

The Cardiovascular Technology program has a selective application process. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee you will be accepted into the program. From the pool of applicants, those who are considered most qualified for the study and practice of sonography will be admitted.

Application Deadline

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so we strongly recommend submitting your application as early as possible. Early acceptance may be granted to exceptional applicants. All other decisions will be made after the application deadline. If a program reaches capacity before the deadline, applications may close early.