Master of Athletic Training

The Master of Arts in Athletic Training Program at Carthage is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training (CAATE). All students must enter the program with foundational knowledge in biology, human anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, exercise physiology, chemistry, physics, psychology, and statistics. The program is open to current Carthage Allied Health Science majors as well as students with a bachelor’s degree in a related field.

There are two options for students to earn their Master of Arts in Athletic Training at Carthage. The 3+2 Accelerated Track is for students who major in Allied Health Science as an undergraduate at Carthage. The Two-Year Track is for students who already have a bachelor’s degree in a related field.

3+2 Accelerated Track

For students who major in Allied Health Science as an undergraduate at Carthage

This track offers students a five-year path to a master’s degree in athletic training, shortening the typical route by a full year. To be eligible for this track, students must enter Carthage as undergraduates and declare an Allied Health Science major. This is the pre-professional phase (three years). Allied Health Science provides an interdisciplinary and liberal arts foundation to recognize and understand key theories and concepts associated with health, wellness, and pathophysiological conditions, preparing students for admission into the professional phase (two years). Those students accepted into the professional phase finish the 3+2 program with graduate-level courses and clinical experience in multiple settings.  

See 3+2 Accelerated Track requirements

 

Two-Year Track

For students with a bachelor’s degree in a related field

Students with an earned bachelor’s degree in a related field can complete a Master of Arts in Athletic Training at Carthage. Following admission to the program, students will complete two years of graduate-level coursework. 

See two-Year Track requirements

 

Courses You’ll Take

Students pursuing a Master of Arts in Athletic Training at Carthage take classes in such topics as Administration in Athletic Training, Therapeutic Interventions, Emergency Medical Response, Health and Fitness Principles, and Psychological Aspects in Athletic Training. 

See Course Descriptions

 

Clinical Experiences

Interact with patients from NCAA (Division I, II, and III) and high school sports programs, plus others in industrial and performing arts settings, physicians’ offices, physical therapy clinics, and orthopedic surgery units. Carthage’s Master of Athletic Training program has diverse local, regional, and national clinical education opportunities available.

During the tradition semesters, students will experience seven-week blocks of clinical placements. During summer and J-Term, placements will allow students to experience an immersive opportunity in the traditional collegiate setting, along with an additional student-preferred location.

 

Faculty and Preceptors

Besides their combined decades of work with Carthage’s own teams, athletic training faculty members draw from experience in a variety of clinical and industrial settings, including physician’s offices, high schools, and NCAA/NAIA institutions. Faculty and preceptors alike mentor athletic training students in their areas of expertise.

Meet our faculty

 

Opportunities for Athletic Training Students

Original Research: For more than a decade, Carthage has been at the forefront of concussion research in collegiate sports. In collaboration with renowned doctors at the Medical College of Wisconsin, students use leading-edge technology to study head trauma.

Facilities and Equipment: The Master of AT Program (MAT) has a dedicated classroom and laboratory with the latest technology and supplies. MAT students have unlimited, after-hour access to study groups and review sessions. Additional athletic training facilities include a rehabilitation lab and the Jon Swift Sports Medicine Center.

Study Abroad: Understand patients’ cultures by visiting other countries on J-Term study tours such as the medical mission to Nicaragua. Carthage ranks in the Top 5 nationally for student participation in short-term study abroad.

 

Career Outlook

Through at least 2028, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth for athletic trainers to far exceed the average for all occupations, “as people become more aware of the effects of sports-related injuries, and as the middle-aged and older population remains active.” Alumni of Carthage’s former bachelor’s degree program in athletic training found positions in a variety of settings:

• Collegiate athletics — NCAA Division I, II, and III levels
• Clinics — Comprehensive Orthopaedics, Froedert South, Ascension, Illinois Bone & Joint Institute
• Industrial — Quad/Graphics
• Performing arts — Cirque du Soleil
• Tactical — Warrior Research Center
  
  

CAATE Program Information and Outcomes

See Program Handbook