Program Overview

Master of Science in Athletic Training

Course Requirements (53-56 units)

Summer (Year One) 9 units

ATR 511 Functional Anatomy for Athletic Trainers (3)

This course deals with the study of the musculoskeletal and nervous system as they are involved in teh science of human movement.

ATR 512 Emergencies in Athletic Training (3)

This course prepares the student to be a First Responder and ready to give emergency care required for catastrophic and/or life-threatening injuries and illnesses to physically active individuals. Completion of this course provides certification in professional rescuer CPR, Bloodborne pathogens, AED and First Aid.

ATR 520 Evidence-Based Research in Athletic Training (3)

This course provides an introduction to clinical research methodology and critical interpretation of the professional literature. Students will be able to develop focused clinical questions, conduct systematic evidence based literature searches, identify levels of evidence and research design, critique methodology and summarize information, and determine the effectiveness and efficacy of an athletic training intervention utilizing evidence based practice concepts.

Fall I (Year One) 11 units

ATR 501 Athletic Training Clinical Education I - Modalities & Equipment (3)*

This course will serve as a process for monitoring student's progression toward proficiency in athletic training clinical competencies, acquiring clinical hours under the direct supervision of a certified athletic trainer, and instruction in the safe and appropriate use of athletic training equipment and therapeutic modalities. Prerequisite: ATR 500 or concurrent enrollment

ATR 506 Practicum in Athletic Training I (2)

This course provides athletic training students an opportunity to observe an athletic training facility and experience the barious duties performed by a Certified Athletic Trainer. Students are assigned to clinical instructors who directly supervise the students as they complete field experiences in athletic training settins and must complete a minimum of 225 clinical field experience hours. Students will be instructed by various medical and allied health care personnel in required weekly seminars throughout the semester.

ATR 510 Therapeutic Modalities & Pharmacology (3) 

This course focuses on the theory and operation of various therapeutic modalities and medications which are used in the treatment of injuries to the physically active. The following categories of modalities will be included: infrared modalities, electrical stimulation modalities, therapeutic ultrasound, mechanical modalities, massage and other manual treatment techniques.  Emphasis will be placed on their physiological effects, therapeutic indications and contraindications, and clinical application. Pharmacology is studied as it relates to the field of athletic training.  Included are the indications, contraindications, precautions, and interactions of medications and the governing regulations relevant to the treatment of injuries to and illnesses of athletes and others involved in physical activity.

ATR 525 Assessment of Lower Extremity Athletic Injury (3)

This course covers fundamentals of the injury evaluation process (HIPS), injury nomenclature and the assessment of injury/illness to the lower extremity, thorax and abdomen. The evaluation process will include the associated anatomy, etiology, special tests for differential assessment, immediate action plan and a referral plan.

ATR 502 Athletic Training Clinical Education II - Lower Extremity (3)*

This course will serve as a process for monitoring student's progression toward proficiency in athletic training clinical competencies, acquiring clinical hours under the direct supervision of a certified athletic trainer, and reinforcing the assessment, evaluation and rehabilitation skills related to gait, spine and lower extremity injury. Prerequisite: ATR 500 or concurrent enrollment.

ATR 507 Practicum in Athletic Training II (2)

This course provides athletic training students an opportunity to apply proficiencies associated with previous coursework at a higher level of proficiency than previously evaluated. As students display competence, they will be given increased responsibility in working directly with the athletes/clients. Students are assigned to clinical instructors who directly supervise the students as they complete field experiences in athletic training settings and must complete a minimum of 225 clincial field experience hours. Students will be instructed by various medical and allied health care personnel in required weekly seminars throughout the semester.

ATR 503 Athletic Training Clinical Education III - Upper Extremity (3)*

This course will serve as a process for monitoring student's progression toward proficiency in athletic training clinical competencies, acquiring clinical hours under the direct supervision of a certified athletic trainer, and practicing evaluation and rehabilitation skills related to upper extremity, head, and neck injury. Prerequisite: ATR 500 or concurrent enrollment

ATR 508 Practicum in Athletic Training III (2)

This course provides athletic training students opportunity to integrate the psychomotor, cognitive and affective skills, and clinical proficiencies within the context of comprehensive patient care. Students are assigned to clinical instructors who directly supervise the students as they complete field experiences in athletic training settings and must complete a minimum of 225 clinical field experience hours. Students will be instructed by various medical and allied health care personnel in required weekly seminars throughout the semester.

ATR 540 Pathology of Athletic Injury and Illness (3)

This course involves a systems approach to dealing with human disease. Fundamental etiology, progression, and epidemiology of injury, illness, and disease are discussed with a clinical emphasis.

ATR 550 Manual Therapy (3)

This course will familiarize the athletic training student with the theory, skills, and clinical application necessary to treat individuals with orthopedic dysfunction primarily related to soft tissue injury. Emphasis is placed on laboratory application and integration of theoretical constructs, evidence-based practice, examination, intervention, and measurement of outcomes.

Spring II (Year Two) 11 units

ATR 504 Athletic Training Clinical Education IV - General Medicine (3)*

This course will serve as a process for monitoring student's progression toward proficiency in athletic training clinical competencies, acquiring clinical hours under the direct supervision of a certified athletic trainer, and assessing and examining general medical conditions. Prerequisite: ATR 500 or concurrent enrollment

ATR 509 Practicum in Athletic Training IV (2)

This course provides athletic training students opportunity to make significant progress towards master of applied clinical proficiencies by demonstrating a high level of clinical performance that includes integrating previous knowledge, skills, development, BOX exam preparation as well as demonstrating a high level of critical thinking and clinical decision making. Students are assigned to clinical instructors who directly supervise the students as they complete field experiences in athletic training settings and must complete a minimum of 225 clinical field experience hours. Students will be instructed by various medical and allied health care personnel in required weekly seminars throughout the semester.

ATR 545 Management & Professional Issues in Athletic Training (3)

This course addresses the organizational, administrative, and professional aspects of athletic training care for the physically active.  Topics include: leadership, management & administrative styles, personnel concerns, facilities and equipment management, budgetary administration, medical records, insurance issues, medico-legal aspects, public relations, computer use, federal and state regulation, pre-participation physical evaluations, drug testing, ethical issues in sports medicine, and other current topics of concern in athletic training.

ATR 536 Nutrition and Wellness in AT (3)

This course provides a foundation in the science of exercise nutrition and wellness. These foundational principles will be used in promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors and constructing sound nutritional and fitness recommendations as they apply to human physical activity and sports medicine. Current research concerning pharmacologic and nutritional ergogenic aids, disordered eating, fluid balance and thermoregulation, body composition, and risk factor screening will be discussed.

ATR 555 Therapeutic Interventions (3)

This course emphasizes the theory and practice of therapeutic interventions utilized in athletic training. Focus will be applied to the application of physical, mechanical, and soft-tissue biomechanical principles in formulating a therapeutic intervention. Students will gain experience in identifying and utilizing organized and systematic clinical reasoning frameworks to improve clinical decision makign expertise. Additional presentations will discuss teh most recent clinical treatment applications discussed in the literature to treat the spectrum of the physically active population.

* The cumulative total for all Athletic Training Clinical Education courses must be at least 900 hours.