Program of Study and Admission Criteria :: College of Education and Health Professions

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Program of Study and Admission Criteria

Introduction

The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville offers a Master of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in entry-level athletic training education. The athletic training education program was granted national accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Admitted students are offered the opportunity to interact with high-quality researchers/teachers in the field of exercise science throughout the 2 1/2 years of coursework, clinical rotations, and the research thesis, independent research project or case study. Employment opportunities for graduates include serving as health-care professionals for sports medicine clinics and hospitals. Other employment opportunities include professional teams as well as university, college and secondary school athletic teams.

The athletic training education program is a precertification program in athletic training and is not intended for students who are already eligible to sit for the BOC examination. Currently, the athletic training education program boasts an 85 percent pass rate on national board on the first attempt and 100 percent on the second attempt. This is a full-time graduate program and requires considerable clinical experience as part of the requirements for graduation. This is a competitive concentration that requires admission to the Department of Health Science, Kinesiology, Recreation and Dance (HKRD) department and the athletic training education program.

Admission Criteria

HKRD Department

Admission into the HKRD department is a three-tiered process. Meeting one of the below criteria will admit a prospective student to HKRD department
- An overall 3.00 undergraduate grade point average
- OR an overall undergraduate grade point average between a 2.7 and a 2.99 and a 3.00 on the last 60 credit hours (excluding student teaching)
- OR if the last 60 hours are not over a 3.00 GPA, a GRE score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative parts of the test
A selective admission process, to which 15 students are selected to enroll in courses starting in July, is completed by applicants who meet the GPA requirement, successful completion of program prerequisites (see below), and the athletic training education program application (constructed as an online application located on this Web site under Application Process)
- The University of Arkansas Graduate School transfer of credit policy will apply if a student desires to transfer from another institution into the graduate athletic training education program (see transfer of credit for the Master of Science Degree in the current graduate catalog).
- Students desiring admission to the athletic training education program must complete the following deficiency/prerequisite courses prior to admission:
  - HESC 1213 Nutrition in Health* (sample syllabus)
  - KINS 1002 Wellness Concepts* (sample syllabus)
  - KINS 2393 Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries* (sample syllabus)
  - KINS 3153 Exercise Physiology* (sample syllabus)
  - KINS 3353 Mechanics of Human Movement* (sample syllabus)
  - BIOL 2213 2211L Human Physiology and Lab* (sample syllabus)
  - BIOL 2443/2441L Anatomy and Lab* (sample syllabus)

* If the above courses were obtained at a college/university other than the University of Arkansas, course syllabi/outlines for courses that are requested to meet the requirements must be submitted to the Program Director of Athletic Training Education for approval. It is imperative that students have the equivalent of the above undergraduate deficiencies/prerequisites in order to satisfy the competencies set forth by the BOC national examination and accreditation. Click on the sample syllabi above to verify that that the student's prerequisite course meets the admission requirement.

The athletic training concentration requires 51-53 credit semester hours of graduate work and an independent research project, thesis or case study. A graduate GPA of 3.0 or better is required for graduation.

Athletic Training Technical Standards

Because the Master of Science degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Athletic Training and NATABOC certification signifies that the holder is a clinician prepared for entry into the practice of athletic training within a variety of employment and education settings, it follows that graduates must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. Therefore, the students must meet technical standards before being admitted to the Athletic Training Education Program. The technical standards set forth by the Athletic Training Educational Program establish the essential qualities considered necessary for students admitted to this program to achieve the knowledge, skills and competencies of an entry-level athletic trainer, as well as meet the expectations of the program's accrediting agency [Commission on Accreditation for Athletic Training Education (CAATE)]. Applicants who may not meet these technical standards are encouraged to contact the Program Director of Athletic Training Education, 308H HPER Building, University of Arkansas. The following are the technical standards:

Candidates must be able to actively learn from observations, demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences.
Candidates must be able to learn to analyze, synthesize, solve problems, and reach assessment and therapeutic judgements distinguished from the norm.
Candidates must have sufficient sensory function and coordination to perform appropriate physical examinations using acceptable techniques.
Candidates must be able to relate effectively to athletes and the physically active and to establish sensitive, professional relationships with them.
Candidates are expected to be able to communicate the results of the assessment to the injured or ill exerciser, to responsible officials, to parents or guardians, and to colleagues with accuracy, clarity and efficiency.
Candidates are expected to learn and perform routine prevention, assessment, emergency care and therapeutic procedures.
Candidates are expected to be able to display good judgment in the assessment and treatment of injured or ill athletes and physically active individuals.
Candidates must be able to learn to respond with precise, quick and appropriate action in emergency situations.
Candidates are expected to be able to accept criticism and respond by appropriate modification of behavior.
Candidates are expected to possess the perseverance, diligence, and consistency to complete the athletic training degree curriculum as outlined and sequenced, to attempt BOC certification within the year of program completion, and to enter the practice of athletic training.

Following the deadline for application acceptance, the athletic training selection committee, which is comprised of the two athletic training faculty and the HKRD graduate coordinator, will evaluate and rate each applicant. This rating is determined by a 5 point Likert scale and written verbal comments in the areas of GPA, work experience, letters of recommendation and writing ability (essay requirement). Once a determination has been rendered concerning the applicant's desire for admission, a formal letter noting acceptance, denial or placement on a waiting list will be sent to the applicant.

All prospective students should read the Athletic Training Education Program's Policy and Procedures Manual prior to submitting an application.

Page last updated: 3/6/2009 15:14

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