Athletic training encompasses the prevention, examination, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of emergent, acute or chronic injuries and medical conditions. Athletic training is recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA), Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a health care profession.
Athletic trainers (ATs) are highly qualified, multi-skilled health care professionals who render service or treatment, under the direction of or in collaboration with a physician, in accordance with their education, training and the state's statutes, rules and regulations. As a part of the health care team, services provided by athletic trainers include primary care, injury and illness prevention, wellness promotion and education, emergent care, examination and clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. The NATA Code of Ethics states the principles of ethical behavior that should be followed in the practice of athletic training.
Athletic training is an academic program that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The current minimum entry point into the profession of athletic training is at the master’s level. Upon completion of a CAATE-accredited athletic training education program, students become eligible for national certification by successfully completing the Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC) examination.
Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)
The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) accredits professional and post-professional degree and residency programs. A list of athletic training programs and more information is available from CAATE.
Professional training education uses a competency-based approach in both the classroom and clinical settings. Using a medical-based education model, athletic training students are educated to provide comprehensive patient care in five domains of clinical practice: risk reduction, wellness and health literacy; assessment, evaluation and diagnosis; critical incident management; therapeutic intervention; and healthcare administration and professional responsibility. The educational requirements for CAATE-accredited athletic training education programs include acquisition of knowledge, skills and clinical abilities along with a broad scope of foundational behaviors of professional practice. Students complete an extensive clinical learning requirement that is embodied in the clinical integration proficiencies (professional, practice oriented outcomes) as identified in the CAATE Standards.
Athletic trainers treat a range of patients and can work in a variety of settings. Regardless of their practice setting, athletic trainers practice according to their education, scope of practice and state practice act.
Athletic Trainers Work In:
ATCAS is the Centralized Application Service (CASTM) for athletic training programs. It is supported by the CAATE and Liaison, the leading provider of admissions solutions. It simplifies both the application process for prospective students and the review and admission process for programs. Programs can review and evaluate applicants online, in real-time. Programs can also effectively manage communications with applicants. ATCAS allows for automated reports to be generated, based upon programs’ and schools’ unique review criteria.
ATCAS streamlines the application process and reduces duplicative efforts by providing a standardized online interface that allows students to use a single application to apply to multiple programs.
Students create an account and pay $85 to receive one application designation and then pay $50 for each additional application designation that they make.
To be considered for admission into the Master of Science degree in Athletic Training, applicants must have completed a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Admission into the program is based on a combination of the following factors:
As many as 9 semester credits of graduate course work (excluding research and thesis credits) may be transferred into a master's degree program from other MSU programs or postsecondary accredited institutions of comparable academic quality, if they are appropriate to a student's program and provided they were completed no earlier than three years prior to the date of matriculation into the master’s degree program. The department or school chairperson or director and dean must grant approval.
Students are asked to select their top three preferred sports or clinical settings. The Clinical Education Coordinator then collaborates with the student to identify the most suitable rotation placement. Clinical rotations are assigned based on several factors, including:
Students may select from a variety of clinical rotation settings, including:
During the clinical education experiences, a student must document the number of experience hours supervised by a Preceptor in the E-Value Clinical Education Experience Time Tracking system. The Clinical Education Coordinator will review weekly hours to ensure they are not excessive and affect a student’s progression through the program. In addition, MSU ensures that all students’ program-related time commitments, are not excessive. There is a minimum hour requirement for KIN 803, 804, 806, 807 of 150 hours per clinical course and 80 minimum hours of KIN 802 and 805. However, there is no maximum hour policy for each clinical course.
The Immersive Clinical experience serves as a culminating opportunity for athletic training students to apply comprehensive care in a clinical setting that aligns with their chosen career path. This rotation encompasses all aspects of athletic training, including organization and administration, psychosocial considerations, evaluation, treatment, and return-to-participation protocols. Designed to fully engage students in the professional practice of athletic training, the experience takes place in an authentic clinical environment under the direct supervision of a Preceptor.
Clinical Immersive Experiences occur during the final spring semester of the student's program. These experiences range from a minimum of 4 weeks to a maximum duration of the entire spring semester.
The Clinical Immersive Experience can take place at either a local or distant location, as agreed upon between the student and the program. Prior to the experience, all necessary CAATE-required paperwork and communications with the designated site must be completed. Students are responsible for planning logistics, including transportation, housing, food, and any other location-specific considerations, before the agreed-upon start of the Clinical Immersive Experience.
Below are some of the Clinical Immersive Sites previously utilized by MSU athletic training students: