Athletic training is practiced by athletic trainers, health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to optimize activity and participation of patients and clients. Athletic training encompasses the prevention, diagnosis, and intervention of emergency, acute, and chronic medical conditions involving impairment, functional limitations, and disabilities. Opportunities for employment exist with interscholastic and intercollegiate programs, sports medicine clinics, professional teams, industrial and several other locations.

The Athletic Training major at Missouri State is a four-year undergraduate degree program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training (comprehensive major) that prepares students for entry-level positions in the profession and to take the Board of Certification (BOC) examination.   The Athletic Training major is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).  The curriculum combines a strong academic preparation with a wide variety of clinical experience to prepare the student for numerous sports medicine and athletic training career options.

The Athletic Training education program has been in existence since 1979, making it the oldest accredited athletic training education program in the state. The major typically requires eight semesters to complete.  The program consists of coursework and required clinical experiences in a variety of clinical practice settings. Admission to the major is competitive. Not all students who apply to the program may be accepted. During the first year students take introductory courses in athletic training where elementary skills are introduced and assessed, begin limited clinical observations, and complete necessary prerequisite coursework in the basic sciences. After completing the pre-admission criteria students may apply for full admisson into the program.. The final six semesters introduce students to more advanced topics in sports medicine and athletic training and allow the student to begin applying clinical skills in real-life situations in concentrated clinical experiences.

Visit the department’s web site at http://sportsmed.missouristate.edu.

General Studies Courses

• BMS 110: Concepts in the Biomedical Sciences or BIO 121: General Biology I
• CHM 160 and CHM 161: General Chemistry I or CHM 105: Fundamentals of Chemistry
• PSY 121: Introductory Psychology

Required Courses

• ATC 220: Introduction to Athletic Training
• ATC 221: Clinical Skills in Athletic Training
• ATC 224: Basic Athletic Training/Sports Medicine Techniques
• ATC 240: Clinical Practicum I
• ATC 241: Clinical Practicum II
• ATC 320: Athletic Training Administration
• ATC 324: Therapeutic Modalities
• ATC 326: Therapeutic Interventions in Athletic Training
• ATC 328: Athletic Injury Assessment – Lower Body
• ATC 329: Athletic Injury Assessment – Upper Body
• ATC 332: Research Methods in Athletic Training
• ATC 340: Clinical Practicum III
• ATC 341: Clinical Practicum IV
• ATC 344: Foundations of Rehabilitation
• ATC 354 Clinical Applications of Rehabilitation
• ATC 420: Medical Aspects of Athletic Training
• ATC 421: Therapeutic Exercise
• ATC 425: Contemporary Topics in Athletic Training
• ATC 440: Clinical Practicum V
• ATC 441: Clinical Practicum VI
• PSY 200: Psychological Statistical Methods
• BMS 240: Introduction to Nutrition
• BMS 307: Human Anatomy
• BMS 308: Human Physiology
• BMS 430: Sports Nutrition and Exercise Physiology
• BMS 450: Kinesiology/Biomechanics
• BMS 567: Physiology of Exercise Metabolism

A highly motivated staff of certified athletic trainers, physicians and a cadre of health professionals from the Springfield community contribute to the students’ overall academic and clinical experience. Class sizes are small, which allows for good student-instructor interaction. The large number of clinical instructors also ensures a low student-to-instructor ratio in the various clinical sites.

The department is located in the Professional Building and has classrooms, dedicated lab areas, exam rooms and faculty offices. Facilities for clinical experience assignments include the Forsythe Athletic Center and the Hammons Student Center athletic training rooms, the St. John’s Sports Medicine Center, HealthTracks Sports Training Center, local colleges and high schools. The Athletic Training major also uses off-campus facilities at St. John’s Hospital for such activities as surgery observation and physician evaluation.