Marshall University will offer the first professional Master of Athletic Training degree in the state of West Virginia in fall 2016.
The professional Master of Science in Athletic Training degree is a 3-2 program, allowing current Marshall University students to apply after their third year of undergraduate studies and graduate two years later with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, according to the program’s director, Dr. Joseph Beckett.
“This new program will allow our students to receive a master’s degree in only five years, which will save them time and money,” Beckett said. “Additionally, students who hold bachelor’s degrees from either Marshall or another accredited institution can also apply and complete the two-year professional Master of Science in Athletic Training program.”
Beckett said both routes prepare students to take the national Board of Certification (BOC) Examination.
“Currently, there are 36 institutions in the U.S. that have the professional master’s degree in athletic training,” Beckett said. “In late May, we received communication from our accreditation body, the Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), that the professional degree in athletic training will be moved from the bachelor’s to the master’s degree within the next seven to eight years. By making this transition in 2016-17, Marshall University will be ahead of other institutions across the country and will be the very first in West Virginia.”
Students who have completed the athletic training application requirements by the spring 2016 semester would be able to apply to this new program and graduate with the master’s degree in May 2018, according to Dr. Michael Prewitt, dean of the College of Health Professions.
“Athletic trainers are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians. The services provided by ATs comprise prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions,” Prewitt said “We are very proud to educate future athletic trainers to become highly qualified, multi-skilled health care professionals. We hope this new program only broadens the opportunities available for our students within the College of Health Professions.”
For more information about Marshall’s new professional master’s degree in athletic training, contact Beckett at beckett76@marshall.edu or call 304-696-2929. To learn more about the Marshall University Department of Athletic Training, visit www.marshall.edu/cohp online.
