The primary academic mission of the Graduate Athletic Training specialization is to recruit graduate students who are Board of Certification Certified Athletic Trainers, or, at minimum, those who have completed requirements for certification, and provide them with an opportunity to gain advanced knowledge and experience in their chosen area of expertise through a combination of didactic lecture in the classroom, supervised practical application of this knowledge in a clinical setting, and a strong research experience oriented toward some aspect of clinical practice.  Our primary academic objective is to develop outstanding athletic training clinicians, teachers, and/or researchers depending on the specific interest of the individual student. 

A science/practice model provides the ideal graduate preparation. Practical clinical experience is included in each student's program to reinforce the relationship between theory and practice. In addition, the research experience culminates in a formal thesis which encompasses 6 credit hours., The program requires 2 full-time academic years for completion of the degree. 

All graduating students earn a Master of Arts in Exercise and Sport Science with a Specialization in Athletic Training.  For the athletic training students, the Master of Arts requires the completion of 35 credit hours. The graduate experience includes 29 hours of formal class work, a 6 hour research thesis and approximately 1200 hours of supervised clinical experience.  Additional information concerning degrees may be found in the University catalogue. 

Students in the Athletic Training specialization are subject to not only University requirements for graduation, but also NATA guidelines for Accredited Post-Professional Education Programs.