Athletic Training

Overview

The Athletic Training program prepares students for a career as an allied-health professional and prepares them for the BOC examination, the examination leading to certification and the credential of a certified athletic trainer. Students in this program study the concepts and skills to properly manage the health care problems associated with physical activity. In cooperation with physicians and other health care personnel, the athletic trainer functions as an integral member of the health care team in secondary schools, colleges and universities, professional sports, sports medicine clinics, and other health care settings. The athletic trainer's professional preparation is directed toward the development of specified competencies in the following domains: injury prevention and risk management, pathology of injuries and illnesses, assessment and evaluation, acute care of injury and illness, pharmacology, therapeutic modalities, therapeutic exercise, general medical conditions, nutritional aspects of injury and illness, psychosocial intervention and referral, professional development and responsibilities, and health care administration.

All students complete 49 hours of general education requirements and a 9 hour sport foundation core. Once admitted to the program, students engage in a 68-hour core curriculum. This includes four 4-hour practicum courses in athletic training where students participate in the clinical education aspect of the curriculum. Clinical education represents the students' formal acquisition, practice, application, and evaluation of the Entry-Level Athletic Training Clinical Proficiencies through classroom, laboratory, clinical and field experiences under the supervision of a clinical instructor. The clinical and field experiences include the opportunity for students to apply related skills in the context of direct patient care at one of our clinical affiliate sites, which includes area high schools, clinics, and collegiate settings. The student shall make arrangements to reserve his/her afternoons for clinical education. This entails approximately 20 hours per week of learning, practicing, and applying specific clinical skills in a practical setting. Students are responsible for demonstrating the clinical skills learned in the lecture classes on real or simulated patients in the field during the field experience. Students will work under the supervision of a clinical instructor during the field and clinical experiences, and will acquire and master the skills necessary of the entry-level athletic trainer. A minimum of 126 credit hours with a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.5 is required for graduation. Non-Discrimination Statement The Athletic Training education program is non-discriminatory with respect to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, creed, and veteran status.