Athletic Training, M.S.

Admission Requirements

Admission decisions will be made after reviewing all materials and determining the applicant’s capacity, suitability, and preparation for graduate study. Admission decisions are based upon consideration of several criteria which are believed to indicate a high potential in the graduate program.

Admission to the Master of Science in Athletic Training requires:

• an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college;
• an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0;
• completion of a formal application, which includes three letters of recommendation;
• successful completion of a minimum of 50 pre-program clinical observation hours under the supervision of a licensed and credentialed athletic trainer that are documented;
• interview with Athletic Training program admission committee;
• documentation of current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and First Aid certification;
• successful completion of the following prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of C in each:
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology with lab (2 semesters; BIOL 2010 and BIOL 2020)
  • Physics with lab (1 semester; PHYS 2010)
  • General Chemistry with lab (1 semester; CHEM 1110)
  • General Psychology (PSY 1410)
  • General Nutrition (NFS 1240) or Sports Nutrition (NFS 3000)
  • Statistics (MATH 1530)
  • Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries (ATHT 3580)
  • Exercise Physiology with lab (EXSC 3830)
• The following courses are recommended, but not required:
  • First Aid and Safety (HLTH 3300)
  • Medical Vocabulary/Terminology Course (HUM 2130 or ATHT 3950).

All students must sign a technical standards document as part of the application/interview process. This document is attached to the resources page 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 3.0. Students must achieve a B- or better in all ATHT courses, auxiliary courses, and elective courses. If a student does not achieve a B- or better in a course, he/she must retake the course.  Students may only retake two courses during the entire program. Students must complete all clinical courses (ATHT 5100 , ATHT 6100 , ATHT 6110 , ATHT 6120 , ATHT 6130 , ATHT 6140 , ATHT 6160 , and ATHT 6170 ) with a minimum grade of B- or better. If a student fails to get a minimum grade of B- in the clinical course, 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.

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 fall 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 3.0 to graduate from the program. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are awarded a M.S. in Athletic Training (MSAT) and become eligible to sit for the Board of Certification Examination (BOC) for the Athletic Trainer.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Application deadline: Application for admission deadlines: Early decisions, November 1; Regular decisions, April 1; Late decisions, May 15.  Applications will be reviewed until the class is full.

Applicants must

1. submit application with appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php). Once this initial application has been accepted, the applicant will receive directions on how to enter the graduate portal to be able to submit other materials.
2. submit official scores on the GRE; (waived for the Athletic Training program)
3. submit official transcripts of all previous college work;
4. provide three letters of recommendation from persons who can address their academic qualifications and potential for success in graduate study.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Science in Athletic Training requires completion of a minimum of 72 semester hours.

Curriculum: Athletic Training

The following illustrates the coursework requirements.