Athletic Training, M.S.A.T.

The mission of the Athletic Training (AT) Program is to integrate evidence-based education and clinical practice to develop ATs capable of advancing the quality of healthcare for athletes and physically active individuals. The Program accomplishes this educational directive through quality instruction, individualized clinical rotations, and a clinically integrated rehabilitation capstone project.

Our educational model allows you to apply knowledge and skills to real-life clinical problems, facilitating your ability to make autonomous decisions. More importantly, however, you will graduate from the program having made numerous clinical decisions and having executed real-life rehabilitation protocols. These skills will immediately prepare you for a successful AT career.

Program Distinctions

• The AT Program earned initial accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Professions (CAAHEP) in April 2003 and was granted continuing accreditation status in January 2004. In 2006 the accrediting agency for the AT Program became the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The AT Program is fully accredited by the CAATE and completed a continuing accreditation site visit during the Fall 2017 semester and was granted continuing accreditation through 2027. 
• The M.S.A.T. is the oldest professional Masters in Athletic Training program in North Carolina and one of the oldest in the country. 
• Alumni work in a wide variety of employment settings including the traditional high school and collegiate settings, professional sports, military, performing arts, industrial, and higher education academics.
• The M.S.A.T. faculty are highly distinguished and nationally recognized. From NATA Hall of Fame recognition to District and State accomplishment, the M.S.A.T. faculty provide a wealth of expertise and knowledge.
• The program has over 100 Preceptors and clinical sites available to provide diverse and exciting learning environments.

The Student Experience

• Students who successfully complete this professional  graduate degree program will earn a Master of Science in Athletic Training (M.S.A.T.) degree and will be eligible to register and take the Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC) certifying examination.
• The M.S.A.T. curriculum takes a modular approach to education. This approach combines assessment, diagnosis, and therapeutic intervention around body parts. You will “close the loop” of assessing and treating an injury in one course as opposed to having separate and disconnected evaluation, modality, and rehabilitation courses. This approach is much more clinically realistic and aligns better with current learning and teaching theory.
• You will have access to the Athletic Training Education Laboratory. It houses eight high-low tables, four taping stations, therapeutic modalities, exercise equipment, and rehabilitation tools. The room is set up with computer technology to allow both lectures and laboratories. The room also serves as a study area for you to practice clinical skills.
• Your M.S.A.T. education is strengthened by the clinical integrated rehabilitation project, which requires students to perform rehabilitation on a real-life patient and then present the project as a case study.

After Graduation

• Students who graduate with an M.S.A.T. degree and who have passed the BOC examination to obtain the ATC credential will obtain jobs as athletic trainers in a variety of patient settings. 
• The following is a list of settings where alumni currently work
  • Colleges
  • Universities
  • High Schools
  • Sports Medicine Clinics
  • Physician’s Offices
  • Pediatric Hospitals
  • Sport Performance Gyms
  • Dance Companies
  • Professional Sports
  • Military

Apply to Program

• Application Process