Athletic Training – M.S.AT.

The Athletic Training program at the University of Miami (UM) is a graduate professional program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The program is designed to provide a structured classroom and clinical experience to prepare students to become eligible to sit for the Board of Certification exam.

The University of Miami is currently accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), 6850 Austin Center Blvd., Suite 100, Austin, TX 78731-3101. The program is currently applying to the CAATE for a change in level of degree and is pending approval.

Click here to see a list of courses offered in the program.

Admission to all graduate degree concentrations in the School of Education and Human Development is based on the recommendation of the faculty. Admissions decisions are based on faculty review of the general requirements that apply to all Graduate Programs in the School as well as specific documents listed under additional program requirements and prerequisites. General requirements include, not limited to, (1) B.A. or B.S. in exercise science/kinesiology or a related field, (2) minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, and (3) a minimum 297 GRE score and 4.0 Analytical Writing score. A wavier of the GRE requirement may be available. Please contact the program director for more information.

Please note that it is a cohort program with limited admissions: Rolling admissions, so apply early; late applicants will be wait listed.

Please click here for general application procedures.

1. A minimum of 100 observation experience hours (volunteer hours or work hours) with an Athletic Trainer is required;
   Please email documentation of your 100 hours to Lois Heffernan, the graduate admissions coordinator at lheffernan@miami.edu
2. At least one of the recommendation letters above must be written by an Athletic Trainer;
3. An interview may be required. Applicants will be notified as appropriate; and
4. Applicants must complete or be enrolled in the prerequisite coursework listed below prior to acceptance and/or enrollment (Please contact the Program Director for course equivalency information)

Required prerequisite coursework for admissions

At the undergraduate or graduate level

1. Anatomy & Physiology (Separate or combined a minimum of 6 credits)
2. Biology: Introduction with Lab
3. Chemistry: Introduction with Lab
4. Introduction to Physics
5. Introduction to Statistics
6. Psychology: Intro to Psychology or Sports Psychology (preferred)

In addition to the above courses, CPR Certification is required (AHA BLS for Healthcare Providers or equivalent as indicated by Board of Certification’s ECC list). Students must have proof of current certification before the start of classes and maintain certification throughout the program.

Recommended foundational coursework for admissions

The following courses are suggested foundational areas of knowledge that are included in the curriculum of the MSAT program. However, introductory courses in the areas below may provide the student with extra preparation for the rigorous graduate coursework of the MSAT program. Therefore, these courses are suggested but not required for admissions or for completion of the degree program:

1. Nutrition: Introduction to Nutrition or Sports Nutrition
2. Exercise Physiology
3. Kinesiology and/or Biomechanics
4. Care & Prevention of Athletic Injuries, Intro to Athletic Training, or Equivalent

Transfer of courses

Transfer of graduate credits previously earned from other accredited healthcare degree-granting programs is determined on a case-by-case basis. The Program Director and the appropriate course instructor(s) will review the transfer course syllabus to ensure the content match those of the program’s course and that all competencies can be identified. Credits can be transferred ONLY if they are less than six years old, were taken from a graduate degree program, and taken in an accredited institution. In addition, students must have earned a grade of B or better in the course.

AT Program charges a $1,100 annual fee. In addition, Students are required to bring a laptop computer to classes, purchase books, and equipment necessary to fulfill course requirements. Students may also incur a cost for a physical exam, additional vaccines (flu shot and TB testing), transportation to and from clinical education sites, and any background checks and administrative fees as required by a clinical education site.

Additional fees may apply to Clinical and Clinical Immersion sites.

Graduate athletic training students at UM are encouraged to explore all of the financial resources available to them. Click here.

Athletic Training education requires that the accumulation of scientific knowledge be accompanied by the simultaneous acquisition of skills and professional attitudes and behavior.

The University of Miami School of Education and Human Development, Department of Kinesiology & Sports Sciences, awards a Master's of Science Athletic Training degree to students who successfully complete the curriculum. Students are expected to acquire a broad base of knowledge and skills, and competencies of an entry-level Athletic Trainer as well as meet the expectations of the program’s accrediting agency, The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).

The Master's of Science Athletic Training degree will be required to acquire the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. In order to learn the variety of tasks needed to become proficient as an Athletic Trainer, the student must be able to perform the following tasks, which are all essential requirements of the program: observation, communication, motor, conceptual (integrative and quantitative), and behavioral/social.

Observation
The candidate must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in basic and applied sciences, including, but not limited to human anatomy and physiology, neuroscience, as well as in didactic courses in Athletic Training theory and practice for normal and pathologic states. A candidate must be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand. Observation requires the use of common sense, as well as the functional use of the senses of vision, audition, olfaction, and palpation.

Communication
A candidate must be able to elicit information from patients, describe the patient’s mood, activity and posture, and perceive and accurately report nonverbal communications. A candidate must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with coaches, administrators, patients and their families. Communication includes not only oral, but also reading and writing. The candidate must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with all members of the health care team in both immediate and recorded modes.

Motor

Conceptual-Integrative and Quantitative Analysis
These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, synthesis, and retention of complex information. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of Athletic Training practitioners, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, the candidate should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.

Behavioral/Social Attitudes

Completion of the program’s technical standards does not guarantee a student’s eligibility for the Board of Certification (BOC) exam.

Students requesting accommodation to meet the technical standards must contact the Office of Disability Services prior to the start of the program or immediately upon a change in health status.