The Athletic Training Education Program at Texas State University is an undergraduate program that leads to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Athletic Training a Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) accredited program. Students can begin the athletic training program during the Fall of their sophomore year. The athletic training major  consists of 123 credit hours that focus on competencies within the twelve NATA educational domains:

·         Risk management and injury prevention

·         Pathology of illness and injuries

·         Assessment and evaluation

·         Acute care of injury and illness

·         Pharmacology

·         Therapeutic modalities

·         Therapeutic exercise

·         General medical conditions and disabilities

·         Nutritional aspects of injury and illness

·         Psychosocial intervention and referral

·         Health care administration

·         Professional development and responsibilities

The program is designed to provide structured didactic (classroom) and clinical experiences to prepare a student for an entry-level position in athletic training. Didactic courses are sequenced to maximize student learning. "Core" athletic training courses must be taken in sequence (see course sequence); practicum courses must be taken concurrently with the appropriate didactic course. Students enroll in a clinical experience course that corresponds with specific didactic and practicum courses. The purpose of these courses is to give the students a structured clinical experience, gain clinical experience, complete required proficiency and learning over time evaluations.

Beginning in the Fall semester of the freshman year, prospective athletic training students may observe in the athletic training room. Following formal admission to the program, which occurs at the conclusion of the Spring semester, students begin the sequence of clinical rotations which provide each student with the opportunity to work with several approved clinical instructors and in a variety of sport rotations including contact/non-contact sports, team/individual sports, male/female sports, upper extremity/lower extremity sports, and general medical.

Students will gain clinical/field experience in the following settings:

·         Collegiate – Texas State University is a NCAA Division I school competing in the Southland Conference.

·         Local high schools

·         Sports medicine clinics

·         Professional teams

In all clinical rotations, students are supervised by BOC certified and Texas licensed athletic trainers.

Athletic training students must maintain an overall grade point average of 2.75 on the 4.0 scale. Any student who falls below this standard or is not making progress in the major courses will be placed on probation for the following semester. A student will be notified of their probation status in a letter from the program director. The letter will also explain the progress that must be made during the subsequent semester in order to be removed from probation. A student will be dismissed from the program if adequate progress is not made. Petition for readmission must be made to the program director. The department will make readmission decisions following a formal petition by the student.

PROGRAM OPTIONS

Students in the athletic training program can follow several tracks to increase their marketability or to prepare for further schooling:

·         Students may obtain a minor in an area of interest (i.e. biology, Spanish, psychology).

·         Students may obtain secondary education teacher certification.  (This is a double major and will take 5 years to complete)

·         Students may take courses that will serve as prerequisites for graduate school or a professional school (i.e. medical school, physician’s assistant, physical therapy).

Each student is assigned an athletic training faculty member as an advisor who will work with the individual in determining the appropriate option based on the interests of the student.  Completion of this option, only will qualify a student for the NATA Board of Certification Examination.