About Athletic Training
Athletic Trainers are healthcare professionals who specialize in preventing, recognizing, managing, and rehabilitating injuries among the physically active population. Athletic Trainers are credentialed through the Board of Certification of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Colleges and Universities that prepare Athletic Training students to sit for the national exam do so under the authority of the Commission for the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The Athletic Training Program at Muskingum University is accredited by the CAATE.
Mission Statement
The Mission of the Athletic Training Program is to provide a quality classroom and clinical experience that prepares students to successfully sit for their Board of Certification exam and take their place as a medical professional all done in the context of a liberal arts education. In line with the mission of Muskingum University we will help develop whole persons who can think critically, behave ethically, and engage socially so that they may lead vocationally productive, personally satisfying, and socially responsible lives.
Entrance requirements
Students who wish to apply for admission to the Athletic Training Program (ATP) enter Muskingum University identified as Pre-Athletic Training students. Pre-AT students spend their first year at Muskingum fulfilling requirements that allow the student to apply for formal admission. Applications for admission to the ATP are due by April 1 during the spring semester of a Pre-Athletic Training student's first year.
Admission to the ATP is highly competitive. Admission to Muskingum University and fulfillment of the requirements to apply does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Depending on the slots available, up to 15 students are accepted each year. Those accepted into the formal ATP complete an intense three year regimen including classroom and laboratory instruction as well as clinical rotations.
Each student who applies is interviewed by a Selection Committee. Once spring semester grades are posted final admission decisions are made. All applicants are notified of their success during the summer. If accepted into the program students are required to accomplish specific tasks during the summer in anticipation of beginning the formal part of the program in the fall of their second year. Failure to complete the tasks may jeopardize the retention of the slot a student has been accepted into.
Requirements for application
- Course work: ATHT 110, ATHT 120, ATHT 170, NUTR 131, PSYC 101, HLSC 101, HLSC 110
- First-year GPA at least 2.75
- No AT major course grade below a C
- Must have mastered all required competencies in courses taken during first year
- Must pass the Candidate Assessment quiz
- Must complete Directed Observation (shadowing that is part of ATHT 110 & 120
- Required to attend a practice and competition from a list of sports as part of the AT staff
- Completion of technical standards form
- Submission of Recommendation Assessment Forms (2 recommendations)
- Interview with Selection Committee (interview granted if only if requirements are met)
- Application submitted to the ATP Director by April 1
Additional Requirements
Once accepted Athletic Training students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75 and must not have a grade in the AT major below a “C”. If this standard is not met the student may be placed on probation or may have to retake the course before continuing the major. (See progression policy)
Students accepted must also arrive each fall having met all program requirements including but not limited to immunizations and current valid CPR training.
Students Seeking to Transfer to Muskingum
Muskingum University Athletic Training considers transfer students on a case-by-case basis. To be considered, an applicant must first be admitted as a student to Muskingum University. Students interested in acceptance to the Athletic Training Program should contact Director Tiffanie Jones via email at tdjones@muskingum.edu.
Link to Transfer Policy Transfer Policy.pdf
Post-Muskingum options
Our graduates have several options available to them. Alums may seek to pursue further education. Options vary depending on professional goals. Alums could apply to Physical or Occupational Therapy School. Some may want to pursue grad school to be a Physician’s Assistant. Once accredited, ATP graduates may pursue further education hoping to be hired as a GA or TA while serving as an Athletic Trainer. There are literally 100’s of these positions that open up nationwide every year.
Students may also go directly into the workforce. Venues can include jobs at the college/ university level, outreach clinic, public school, occupational/ industrial setting or even the fine arts and professional rodeo.
Facilities
The ATP utilizes a new athletic training lab. The program also uses the Kalnow Athletic Training Room located in the Anne C. Steele Center. These rooms are used for lab classes as well as clinical rotations. The program also utilizes new faculty offices, a student resource room and a classroom designated for the ATP.
Muskingum University is a member of the NCAA III and the Ohio Athletic Conference. Our Athletic Training students will serve as a part of the medical team that provides care for these athletes. Our students also complete clinical education rotations at several off-campus sites.
Program Fees
Students who are accepted into the formal program are assessed a $100/semester fee. This fee covers program expenses including, but not limited to, NATA membership, CPR training, program apparel, and expenses related to supplies used in certain courses. In addition, during the course of the major, other expenses will be incurred. These include required apparel, transportation costs to clinical sites, and optional attendance at professional meetings. The program estimates these expenses to be on average $140 per year.
Program Goals
Upon completion of the ATP our students will:
Goal 1
- To be prepared to pass the Board of Certification examination
Goal 2
- To prepare students for professional practice by demonstrating the Foundational Behaviors of Professional Practice as identified by the 5th edition of the Athletic Training Educational Competencies (Primacy of the Patient, Team Approach to Practice, Legal Practice, Ethical Practice, Advancing Knowledge, Cultural Competence, and Professionalism).
Goal 3
- To prepare students for graduate studies and entry into the Athletic Training workforce in any chosen clinical setting
Goal 4
- Be prepared to be a lifelong learner in both the professional and personal realm.