Master of Science in Athletic Training
The KU Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program is a 2-year full-time graduate program designed to prepare an entry-level practitioner and foster lifelong professional development. The program begins the Tuesday after Memorial Day and includes classroom, laboratory, scholarship, and clinical education opportunities.
As a leader in academic health sciences, the KU Medical Center provides ample opportunity for athletic training students to interact with a large number of health care professionals as well as students from other disciplines.
The master of science in athletic training at the University of Kansas is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), 2001 K Street NW, 3rd Floor North, Washington, DC 20006; telephone: 512-733-9700. The KU athletic training program is compliant with all standards and received the maximum initial accreditation of five years. The next comprehensive program review will be in 2027-2028.
Application Process
Applications for this program are submitted online through the Athletic Training Centralized Application System (ATCAS). Students accepted into the program must submit a secondary application using the KU online application. Instructions for the secondary application are provided to students in their letter of offer.
Information on how to apply is posted on the Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) website. Students are admitted to begin during the summer semester only. Application materials are accepted July 1-March 15 for the class entering the program during the summer semester (Tuesday after Memorial Day). Review of applications will begin as they are received in ATCAS. All application materials should be received by March 15 for consideration. If space is available after the March 15 deadline, new or completed applications may be considered.
Admission Requirements
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for this program.
Undergraduate degree: A bachelor's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution must be completed prior to the start of the program. Students may apply while course work still is in progress, but a plan for completion prior to entering the program must be articulated as part of the application. Students with degrees from institutions outside the U.S. may be subject to transcript evaluation to verify the degree is equivalent to a U.S. degree and the student meets the minimum cumulative grade-point average requirement. Prior to an offer of acceptance, the program may petition the graduate school for Individuals who have less than a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) on the transcript from the institution where their undergraduate degree was granted.
Transcripts: Official transcripts from all course work taken at any institution should be sent directly to the program via ATCAS. Students may not receive transcripts and forward them.
Grade point average: Applicants must possess an overall and prerequisite grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) to be eligible for this program. In addition, official student transcripts must document an individual course grade of no less than "C" on each prerequisite course. Information documented on student transcripts will be used to calculate all grade point averages. Consistent with University of Kansas policy, the admissions committee will replace grades of classes that have been repeated.
Prerequisite courses: Please note the following requirements related to prerequisite course work.
All prerequisite courses must be from a regionally accredited institution.
A single course may not be used to fulfill more than one prerequisite requirement (except a combined human anatomy/physiology class that is five (5) semester credits or greater and includes a laboratory may be used to fulfill both the anatomy and physiology requirements).
All prerequisite course work must be taken for a grade. Classes scored as pass/fail, credit/noncredit, or satisfactory/unsatisfactory are not acceptable. However CLEP, ACT and advanced placement credits are acceptable when officially documented on a college transcript.
All prerequisite course work must be completed before the start of the program. Preference will be given to students having completed at least 80% of the prerequisites at the time of application.
If a prerequisite course is taken more than once (even if at different universities), all instances that appear on the official transcript must be reported. The grades from the best score on each class will be used in prerequisite GPA calculations.
All courses below must be completed with the minimum grade "C" within the last 10 years.
Required Courses:
- Biology with lab (4 credits)
- Human anatomy with lab (4 credits)*
- Human physiology with lab (4 credits)*
- Kinesiology, biomechanics, or human movement analysis course (3 credits)
- Exercise physiology (3 credits)
- Personal health, community health, or wellness (3 credits)
- Nutrition (3 credits)
- Psychology (3 credits)
- Physics with lab (4 credits)
- Chemistry with lab (4 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
* When taken together, two semesters of human anatomy and physiology (with laboratory) can fulfill this requirement. Alternatively, a single combined human anatomy and physiology course (with laboratory) of five semester credits or greater will meet the requirement.
References: Two references are required. One must be from a credentialed athletic trainer or international equivalent. The other should be from a faculty member, advisor, employer, etc. who can objectively attest to the applicant's aptitude, experience, and character. The recommendations may not be obtained from family members, friends, etc.
Background check: A background check is required during the admission process; it may affect the student's eligibility to enter the program. This fee must be paid directly to the company performing the background investigation. A drug screening may also be required. More information: School of Health Professions background check and drug screening policy. Applicants who have been convicted of a felony should be aware of the fact that application for licensure, certification, or registration will be subject to review and additional information may be requested. Based on the review process, denial of licensure, certification, and/or registration may occur and subsequent opportunities for employment may be compromised.
English Language Proficiency: Applicants whose native language is not English, whether domestic or international, must demonstrate they meet the minimum English proficiency requirement. Please see the Academic English Requirements page regarding forms of verification.
Recommended observation: Applicants are expected to have a general understanding of health care and athletic training. Although KU does not require specific hours be documented, applicants are encouraged to invest the time needed to acquire knowledge of the role of athletic trainers in health care through a minimum of 40 hours of observation or volunteer experience with a credentialed athletic trainer.
Program Requirements
The Master of Science in Athletic Training is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The master's degree program in athletic training prepares students for a career as an entry-level athletic trainer. The program includes classroom, laboratory, scholarship, and clinical education opportunities.
Degree requirements are normally completed within two years of admission to the program although a maximum of seven years is allowed per university policy.
Degree Requirements
- Successful completion of a minimum of 60 credit hours.
- Successful completion of all required clinical experiences.
- Cumulative grade-point average of at least a 3.0 for all KU graduate course work.
- Enrollment in a minimum of one credit hour during the semester the student will graduate.
- Successful completion of the clinical reasoning capstone project.
- Successful completion of the following courses:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ATTR 701 | Foundations in Athletic Training | 1 |
| ATTR 708 | Applied Anatomy | 1 |
| ATTR 709 | Advanced Topics in Human Anatomy | 6 |
| ATTR 713 | Integrated Clinical Education I | 2 |
| ATTR 714 | Evaluation & Management I | 4 |
| ATTR 716 | Interventions I | 2 |
| ATTR 719 | Applied Kinesiology and Biomechanics | 4 |
| ATTR 723 | Integrated Clinical Education II | 2 |
| ATTR 724 | Evaluation & Management II | 6 |
| ATTR 725 | Research Seminar | 1 |
| ATTR 726 | Interventions II | 2 |
| ATTR 727 | Clinical Reasoning I | 1 |
| ATTR 755 | Pharmacology | 2 |
| ATTR 793 | Integrated Clinical Education III | 1 |
| ATTR 807 | Clinical Reasoning II | 1 |
| ATTR 812 | Health Care Administration | 2 |
| ATTR 814 | Evaluation & Management III | 2 |
| ATTR 816 | Interventions III | 1 |
| ATTR 818 | Medical Imaging | 1 |
| ATTR 821 | Athletic Training Seminar | 1 |
| ATTR 822 | Behavioral Health | 1 |
| ATTR 824 | Performance Enhancement | 1 |
| ATTR 827 | Clinical Reasoning III | 1 |
| ATTR 837 | Clinical Reasoning Capstone | 1 |
| ATTR 843 | Clinical Experience II | 4 |
| ATTR 863 | Integrated Clinical Education IV | 1 |
| ATTR 883 | Clinical Experience III | 8 |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Degree requirements and course descriptions are subject to change. Any courses taken as an equivalent must be approved by the Graduate Director and the Office of Graduate Studies. In most cases, use the catalog of the year student entered the program. Other years’ catalogs».
Curriculum
This program is designed to prepare an entry-level athletic trainer and to foster lifelong learning and professional development. It includes classroom, laboratory, scholarship and clinical learning experiences.
Below is a typical plan of study for completing degree requirements. All students in the program will complete a total of 60 credit hours.
| Year 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Hours | Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ATTR 701 (lab) | 1 | ATTR 713 (clinical) | 2 | ATTR 723 (clinical) | 2 |
| ATTR 708 (lab) | 1 | ATTR 714 (lab) | 4 | ATTR 724 (lab) | 6 |
| ATTR 709 (lab) | 6 | ATTR 716 (lab) | 2 | ATTR 725 | 1 |
| ATTR 719 (lab) | 4 | ATTR 726 (lab) | 2 | ||
| ATTR 755 | 2 | ATTR 727 | 1 | ||
| 8 | 14 | 12 | |||
| Year 2 | |||||
| Summer | Hours | Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ATTR 793 (clinical) | 1 | ATTR 821 (Oct-Dec) | 1 | ATTR 837 | 1 |
| ATTR 807 | 1 | ATTR 822 (Oct-Dec) | 1 | ATTR 883 (clinical) | 8 |
| ATTR 812 | 2 | ATTR 824 (Oct-Dec) | 1 | ||
| ATTR 814 (lab) | 2 | ATTR 827 | 1 | ||
| ATTR 816 | 1 | ATTR 843 (Aug-Oct, clinical) | 4 | ||
| ATTR 818 | 1 | ATTR 863 (Oct-Dec, clinical) | 1 | ||
| 8 | 9 | 9 | |||
| Total Hours 60 | |||||
Technical Standards
The KU Master of Science in Athletic Training program intends for its graduates to become competent and compassionate health care providers who are capable of entering the profession and meeting all requirements for credentialing as athletic trainers. Students are expected to develop a robust knowledge base and the requisite clinical skills, with the ability to appropriately apply their knowledge and skills, effectively interpret information, and contribute to patient-centered decisions across a broad spectrum of situations and settings related to athletic training.
The following technical standards, in conjunction with the academic standards, are requirements for admission, retention, and graduation. The term "candidate" refers to candidates for admission to the athletic training program as well as current athletic training students who are candidates for retention and graduation. The KU Master of Science in Athletic Training program maintains a strong commitment to equal educational opportunities for qualified students with disabilities who apply for admission to the program or who are already enrolled. The technical standards are not intended to deter any candidate for whom reasonable accommodation will allow the fulfillment of the complete curriculum. Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Academic Accommodations Office at (913) 945-7035 or cukoko@kumc.edu early in the application process to begin a confidential conversation about what accommodations they may need to meet these standards. This process is informed by the knowledge that students with varied types of disabilities have the ability to become successful health professionals.
Observation: Candidates must acquire information as presented through demonstrations and experiences in the foundational sciences. Candidates must also:
- Evaluate patients* accurately and assess their relevant health, behavioral, and medical information.
- Obtain and interpret information through a comprehensive assessment of patients, correctly interpret diagnostic representations of patients' physiologic data, and accurately evaluate patients' conditions and responses.
- Clinical Skills: Candidates must perform physical examinations and diagnostic maneuvers. These activities require some physical mobility, coordination of both gross and fine motor neuromuscular function, balance, and equilibrium. Candidates must also:
- Provide general care and emergency treatment for patients and respond to emergency situations in a timely manner.
- Meet applicable safety standards for the environment and follow universal precaution procedures.
Communication: Candidates must exhibit interpersonal skills to enable effective caregiving of patients/clients. Candidates must also:
- Communicate effectively, with all members of a multidisciplinary health care team, patients/clients, and those supporting patients/clients, in person and in writing.
- Clearly and accurately record information and accurately interpret verbal and nonverbal communication.
Clinical Reasoning: Candidates must effectively interpret, assimilate, and understand complex information required to function within the athletic training curriculum. Candidates must also:
- Comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand the spatial relationships of structures.
- Effectively participate in individual, small-group, and lecture learning modalities in the classroom, clinical, and community settings.
- Learn, participate, collaborate, and contribute as a part of a team.
- Synthesize information both in person and via remote technology.
- Interpret causal connections and make accurate, fact-based conclusions based on available data and information.
- Formulate a hypothesis and investigate potential answers and outcomes.
- Reach appropriate and accurate conclusions.
Judgment: Candidates must exercise good judgment; promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients; and develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. Candidates must also:
- Effectively handle and manage heavy workloads, function effectively under stress.
- Adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of the uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of patients.
Behavioral and Social Attributes: Candidates are expected to exhibit professionalism, personal accountability, compassion, integrity, concern for others, and interpersonal skills. Candidates must:
- Accept and apply feedback and to respect boundaries.
- Care for all individuals in a respectful and effective manner regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other protected status.
Professional Expectations: Candidates must understand, and function within, the legal and ethical aspects of the practice of athletic training. Candidates must also:
- Maintain and display ethical and moral behaviors commensurate with the role of an athletic trainer in all interactions with patients, faculty, staff, students, and the public.
- Maintain interest and motivation throughout the educational processes.
*The term “patient” throughout the document, refers to both patients and clients as referenced in the Standards and Procedures for Accreditation of Professional Programs in Athletic Training.
Revised by KUMC Office of Student Affairs, Office of General Counsel, Academic Accommodation Services and MSAT program: 11-2020.