Mar 7, 2017Master’s in Athletic Training
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates jobs for athletic trainers in the US will grow 21% between 2012 and 2022, which is well above average and should lead to nearly 5,000 new jobs in the field. A certified athletic trainer is an allied healthcare professional who cares for physically active individuals and specializes in musculoskeletal injury prevention, acute injury and illness care, clinical examination and diagnosis, injury treatment, and healthcare administration. Certified athletic trainers find employment in a variety of settings, such as Universities, High Schools, Professional Sports, Hospitals, Clinics and emerging areas including Military, Public Safety, Occupational Health and Performing Arts.
In May of 2014, the national Athletic Training Strategic Alliance acted to designate the master’s level degree as the professional degree for athletic training. Baccalaureate programs may not admit, enroll, or matriculate students into the athletic training program after the start of the fall term 2022.
Northern Arizona University (NAU) began its professional level Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program in the summer of 2014, transitioning from a successful undergraduate program that was initially accredited in 2005. The MSAT program at NAU is the only professional master’s program for Athletic Training in Arizona. The program is offered at two separate campuses. One is located in the scenic area of Flagstaff and the other is within the new Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. The program’s mission is to provide a student-centered graduate learning experience that effectively links didactic and clinical education in the prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. The program faculty promote professional and ethical conduct, encourage professional leadership, prepare students to be successful on the national BOC examination, and strive to produce competent and confident Athletic Trainers prepared for a career in a variety of settings. To succeed in this, we emphasize both classroom (didactic) and clinical education every semester in our program. This provides our students with not only the necessary knowledge and skills to become athletic trainers, but also the practice to develop expertise in their skills prior to becoming providers. The classroom component repetitively utilizes situations that demands communication and documentation skills. Both campuses provide resources that enable laboratory experiences that emphasize the application of manual and mechanical treatment skill acquisition. The clinical component of the program has the luxury of providing a wide variety of job settings as clinical sites. Students will observe and assist healthcare providers with hands-on learning situations provided by an authentic environment. As a graduate-level degree, the students are also exposed to the research process, the review and critique of existing literature, along with opportunities for original inquiry.
Our program is tailored toward students who want to be involved in both healthcare and sports, working with active populations to both prevent injuries and to provide a continuum of care to get them back to a higher level of activity after injury. The faculty within the MSAT program at NAU not only have a record of numerous publications and authored textbooks in academia, but also have extensive experience practicing in various career settings.
The MSAT program at NAU emphasizes professional conduct and ethical standards by requiring students to demonstrate respect for their peers, supervisors, faculty and patients at all times. The program also encourages students to strive to achieve the highest level of competence they are capable of achieving. Our expectations are high! If you hold high expectations of yourself and are interested in become an Athletic Trainer – please delve further into the MSAT Program at NAU and the admission requirements along with application process. Please visit our website at nau.edu/athletictraining/. You may also contact us at [email protected] or call at 928-523-9075.
