Athletic Training

College of Education and Human Developement

109 Eppler Center, 419-372-6905

The Athletic Training major, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), prepares students to enter athletic training as an allied health care professional. Athletic Training students in this major are educated in all aspects of the professional practice of an athletic trainer. Through a combination of extensive classroom and clinical education, this major provides students the necessary competencies to challenge the Board of Certification's Examination

Due to the competitive admission criteria of the athletic training major, students must apply separately for admission. Students are considered pre-professional students as they enroll in the introductory courses and begin their directed observation for the AT major. The pre-professional phase is completed in their first two semesters on campus.

As the students complete their pre-professional requirements, students will apply for admission to the professional phase of the curriculum that includes advanced courses, five semesters of clinical education, and a semester-long internship. Admitted students will typically begin the professional phase at the start of their third semester at BGSU. Six semesters are required to complete the professional phase of the AT major.

Curriculum: (81 - 83 hours) - Fall 2014 course requirements

Technical Standards

Technical standards establish essential qualities considered necessary for students to achieve the knowledge, skills, and competencies of an entry-level athletic trainer and to meet the expectations of AT education's accrediting agency—CAATE. Candidates for selection must demonstrate:

• Mental capacity to formulate assessment and therapeutic judgments.
• Postural neuromuscular control to perform tasks and safely use equipment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to function in a stressful environment.
• Flexibility and perseverance to adjust to changing situations.
• Affective skills related to professional behaviors in the health care field.

In the event a student is unable to fulfill these technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodations, the student will not be admitted into the professional phase of the AT major.

Admission Standards

Students desiring admission to the professional phase of the AT major must meet the following requirements:

• Completion of all program application forms.
• Completion of AT 2020: Introduction to Athletic Training and AT 2100: Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries, with a letter grade of "C" or better.
• Completion of AT 2120 with a letter grade of "C" or better.
• Documentation of a minimum ~100 clinical observation hours signed by approved clinical instructor.
• Successful completion of required Athletic Training modules.
• Minimum overall BGSU GPA of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale.
• Objective evaluations from athletic training staff.
• Personal interview with program selection committee.
• Physical examination for health and the ability to perform athletic training duties is required. Required immunizations include measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, and Hepatitis B. Documentation is required on the health exam of the previous immunizations. Technical standards must be read, understood, and signed.
• First Aid and CPR for the Professional Rescuer certification.

Candidates for the AT major must meet all ten criteria listed above. The number of appointments may vary each year. Limited admission will ensure that an appropriate student to clinical instructor ratio (approximately 8 to 1) is maintained. Approximately 18-20 students are admitted into the professional program each year.

Application material should be returned to the AT Curriculum Coordinator by March 1st. Candidates will be notified of their admission status no later than May 31st.

After the requirements have been met, students will be ranked based upon their GPA, evaluation scores, and interview scores. Top-ranked students will be admitted into the professional phase of the AT major based on available space. It is essential that each student fully realize what is expected if they are admitted into BGSU's AT major. All athletic training students who are formally admitted into the AT major must complete the academic core of AT courses and complete all athletic training proficiencies. These requirements will take a minimum of six semesters to complete.

Other education costs might include transportation to off-campus clinical sites, membership in professional associations, attendance at professional conferences, clothing, and others.

Students who are not accepted into the AT major may reapply the following year. Due to the extensive clinical component associated with this major, students may reapply only once. Students who are not selected for the professional phase of this major will work with the Program Director to identify alternate academic programs to pursue.

Students who have transferred to BGSU must complete the required pre-professional period at BGSU and apply for admission into the professional phase of the AT major. Transfer students must also complete the pre-professional phase before they can be admitted into the professional phase. Once admitted into the professional phase, transfer students may complete the required coursework in no less than six semesters. All AT prefix courses must be taken at BGSU to ensure competency mastery. The Program Director and College Office will evaluate other courses in the major on an individual basis to determine transfer of credits.

Retention Policy

After official acceptance into the AT Program, the athletic training students should make continued progress toward mastery of all competencies. To achieve this mastery, the following guidelines have been instituted:

• All students must abide by all policies and procedures that are detailed in the BGSU Athletic Training Handbook.
• All students must progress through the modules and competency matrix at a satisfactory rate. Each module is to be completed in specific semesters and is outlined in the course syllabi.
• Once a student is admitted into the professional phase of the AT Major, the student must earn a letter grade of "C" or better in all AT Curriculum courses.
• All students must maintain at least an overall grade point average of 2.50.

Failure to complete the above guidelines will result in the following:

• Clinical Probation—a trial period in which a student is given time to try to redeem poor conduct. A student is placed on clinical probation for failure to abide by policies and procedures of the BGSU Athletic Training Handbook. Clinical probation will occur at the discretion of the supervising Approved Clinical Instructor/Clinical Instructor (ACI/CI) and Clinical Education Coordinator as well as the Program Director. Probation length will be determined by the Program Director.
• Clinical Suspension—Failure to maintain a 2.50 cumulative grade point average will result in the student being placed on clinical suspension. Students will not be assigned to clinical sites during this period, and therefore will not be able to enroll in clinical education courses. This will likely delay the students' projected graduation date. Students on clinical suspension must return their cumulative grade point average to the appropriate 2.50 by the next semester of enrollment at BGSU. If this is not acquired or if the cumulative GPA falls below a 2.50 for a second time, the student will be permanently suspended from the AT major with no allowance for re-entry. At this time the student, in consultation with the student's advisor, will select another major.

Graduation Requirements

In order to complete the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Athletic Training, the student must meet the following criteria:

• Achieve a minimum of a letter grade of "C" or higher in all AT required courses and have an accumulative GPA of 2.5.
• Documented mastery of all athletic training competencies and proficiencies. The Program Director will have final approval of this completion.