Athletic Training, B.S.

Department of Health and Human Performance
615-904-8453
Bill Whitehill, program coordinator
William.Whitehill@mtsu.edu

The Athletic Training Program consists of four academic years and is a limited enrollment program. The program’s academic and clinical foundation is based upon the National Athletic Trainer’s Association Educational Competencies and the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education accreditation standards and guidelines for entry-level athletic training education programs. The program consists of 120 credit hours, which include General Education, athletic training core courses, and major auxiliary courses. Students enter the program as pre-athletic training majors and must complete the first year of pre-athletic training curriculum consisting of General Education and athletic training prerequisite courses. Students then make formal application for admission to the last three years, which includes 62 hours of athletic training courses. When a student applies for admission and is accepted, the student is then classified as an Athletic Training major. Transfer students are evaluated on an individual basis and substitutions made at the discretion of the Athletic Training Program faculty based on Accreditation standards and guidelines. The number of students accepted into the program is limited, making the application process competitive.

Students seeking admission to the program must have a 2.50 cumulative grade point average. The application process includes the following:

completion of a formal application, which includes three letters of recommendation;
successful completion of ATHT 3570 and ATHT 3580 and BIOL 2010 /BIOL 2011 with a minimum grade of B- in each;
successful completion of pre-program clinical observations as part of ATHT 3570 ;
successful completion of pre-program clinical proficiencies;
successful completion of a minimum of 24 credit hours;
interview with Athletic Training program admission committee.

After students have met the admission requirements, acceptance is based upon weighted criteria. Meeting minimal admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.

All students must sign a technical standards document as part of the application process. This document is attached to the program application form and is in the Athletic Training education program manual.

Once a student is admitted, he/she must follow a prescribed course of study, which includes both academic and clinical courses. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.50. Students must achieve a B- or better in all ATHT courses and a C- or better in BIOL 2020 /BIOL 2021 ; NFS 1240 ; EXSC 4240 , EXSC 4260 , EXSC 4830 ; and the natural sciences to continue in the program. If a student does not achieve a B- or better in an ATHT course and a C- or better in the above courses he/she must retake the course.

Only admitted students are allowed to register for athletic training clinical courses (ATHT 3000 , ATHT 3001 , ATHT 3002 , ATHT 3003 , ATHT 4430 , ATHT 4950 , and ATHT 4990 ). These courses require a structured clinical rotation under an approved clinical instructor/supervisor. Clinical courses provide the student with a variety of athletic training experiences including contact-collision, collision, and non-contact sports for males and females in the collegiate, high school, and professional sport environment. Students also take a practicum (ATHT 4430 ) in athletic training at the completion of their junior year, which requires a clinical rotation in a non-traditional sport environment (i.e., sports medicine clinic, physical therapy clinic). Students must complete all clinical courses with a minimum grade of B- or better. If a student fails to get a minimum grade of B-, the student cannot matriculate on to the next clinical course. The student will be on leave from the clinical portion of the program for one year. The student can, however, continue taking academic coursework that does not require clinical courses as co-requisites or prerequisites upon approval of the program director. A student must successfully pass ATHT 3000 ATHT 3001 , ATHT 3002 , and ATHT 3003 with a B- or better before continuing on to ATHT 4950 and the semi-independent field experience.

Matriculation and progression each year in the Athletic Training program depends on successful completion of a comprehensive written and oral examination scoring 80 percent or better. The exam is given at the end of the spring semester of the first and second year. Each student will be given three attempts to successfully complete these exams; failure to score 80 percent or higher after three attempts will result in remediation. The student must meet with the athletic training program faculty and the designation of specific course work will be identified for the student to retake in order to learn and master the material.

Students must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.50 to graduate from the program. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are awarded a B.S. in Athletic Training and become eligible to sit for the Board of Certification Examination (BOC) for the Athletic Trainer.

Curriculum: Athletic Training

Curricular listings include General Education requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

Pre-Athletic Training Program

Freshman Fall

ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing 3 credit hours (Comm)
ATHT 3580 - Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries 3 credit hours
Social/Behavioral Sciences 3 credit hours
BIOL 2010 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4 credit hours (Nat Sci) AND
BIOL 2011 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab 0 credit hours (Nat Sci)
MATH 1530 - Applied Statistics 3 credit hours (Math) OR
MATH 1710 - College Algebra 3 credit hours (Math)

Subtotal: 16 Hours

Freshman Spring

ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing 3 credit hours (Comm)
ATHT 3570 - Psychomotor Skills in Athletic Training 3 credit hours
COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication 3 credit hours (Comm)
Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2030 - Tennessee History 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Application to Program and Program Admission

Admitted Athletic Training Program

Sophomore Fall

ATHT 3000 - Clinical A in Athletic Training 3 credit hours
ATHT 3590 - Athletic Training Medical Documentation and Terminology 2 credit hours
ATHT 3980 - Introduction to Evidence-Based Medicine in Athletic Training 2 credit hours
ATHT 3900 - Human Structure and Movement in Sport and Injury 4 credit hours AND
ATHT 3901 - Human Structure and Movement in Sport and Injury Lab 0 credit hours
ATHT 4200 - Acute Trauma and Emergency Care in Athletic Training 4 credit hours AND
ATHT 4201 - Acute Trauma and Emergency Care in Athletic Training Laboratory 0 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Sophomore Spring

ATHT 3950 - Evaluation and Assessment of Injuries to the Lower Extremities 3 credit hours
ATHT 3001 - Clinical B in Athletic Training 3 credit hours
NFS 3000 - Nutrition Principles for Physical Activity and Health 3 credit hours
HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2030 - Tennessee History 3 credit hours
BIOL 2020 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 2021 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab 0 credit hours

Subtotal: 16 Hours

Junior Fall

ATHT 3960 - Evaluation and Assessment of Injuries to the Upper Extremities and Thorax 3 credit hours
ATHT 3002 - Clinical C in Athletic Training 3 credit hours
ATHT 4000 - Strength, Conditioning, and Human Performance 3 credit hours
ATHT 4500 - Therapeutic Medications and Ergogenic Aids in Sports 3 credit hours OR
ATHT 4820 - Organization and Administration of Athletic Training 3 credit hours
ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture 3 credit hours (Hum/FA) OR
ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature 3 credit hours (Hum/FA) OR
HUM 2610 - Foreign Literature in Translation 3 credit hours (Hum/FA)

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Junior Spring

ATHT 4960 - Rehabilitation Techniques 4 credit hours
ATHT 3003 - Clinical D in Athletic Training 3 credit hours
EXSC 3830 - Physiology of Exercise 4 credit hours AND
EXSC 3831 - Physiology of Exercise Lab 0 credit hours
ATHT 4970 - Therapeutic Modalities 4 credit hours AND
ATHT 4971 - Therapeutic Modalities Lab 0 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Senior Fall

ATHT 4500 - Therapeutic Medications and Ergogenic Aids in Sports 3 credit hours OR
ATHT 4820 - Organization and Administration of Athletic Training 3 credit hours
ATHT 4950 - Pathology of Sport Illness and Consideration of Special Populations 3 credit hours
ATHT 4980 - Advanced Evidence-Based Medicine in Athletic Training 3 credit hours
PSY 1410 - General Psychology 3 credit hours (Soc/Beh Sci)
Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Senior Spring

ATHT 4975 - Psychosocial Aspects of Sport, Health, and Rehabilitation 3 credit hours
ATHT 4990 - Senior Seminar in Athletic Training 3 credit hours
ATHT guided elective 3 credit hours
PHYS 2010 - Non-Calculus-Based Physics I 0 credit hours AND
PHYS 2011 - Physics Problems Laboratory I 4 credit hours
OR
CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I 4 credit hours AND
CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry I Lab 0 credit hours

Subtotal: 13 Hours

Total hours in program: 120

Athletic Training Program Costs

Athletic training students pay the same fee schedules as do all other undergraduate students at the University. These fees are described in detail elsewhere in this catalog. Additional expenses incurred by athletic training students include

the cost of a uniform package - varies in price (yearly);
liability insurance - $35 (yearly);
membership into the National Athletic Trainer’s Association (yearly);
maintenance of professional rescuer CPR (yearly);
verification of immunization;
their own transportation to and from clinical sites including, but not limited to, vehicle and fuel costs.
the cost of a background check, if required by the clinical site.

Clinical sites may be assigned to a student within a 60-mile radius of the MTSU main campus. Students are required to have a minimum of four off-campus clinical rotations, with a maximum of six off-campus clinical rotations, to complete the clinical component of the Athletic Training Program.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Athletic Training, B.S., Academic Map