Athletic Training Master's Degree Program

What is an Athletic Trainer?

Athletic trainers (ATs) are highly qualified, multi-skilled health care professionals who render service or treatment, under the direction of or in collaboration with a physician, in accordance with their education, training and the state's statutes, rules and regulations. Athletic Training is recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as an allied health care profession.

As a part of the health care team, services provided by athletic trainers include:

• Primary care
• Injury and illness prevention
• Wellness promotion and education
• Emergent care
• Examination and clinical diagnosis
• Therapeutic intervention
• Rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. 

Careers in Athletic Training

You’ll be ready to jump into your career the moment you earn your MAT degree. TLU graduates are currently working in military settings, in industrial and occupational health settings, across all levels of collegiate sports, and in high schools, clinics, and hospitals.

Athletic trainers treat a range of patients and can work in a variety of settings. Regardless of their practice setting, athletic trainers practice according to their education, scope of practice and state practice act. Some of the most common settings Athletic Trainers are found in include:

• Public and private secondary schools, colleges and universities, professional and Olympic sports
• Youth leagues, municipal and independently owned youth sports facilities
• Physician practice, similar to nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists and other professional clinical personnel
• Rural and urban hospitals, hospital emergency rooms, urgent and ambulatory care centers
• Clinics with specialties in sports medicine, cardiac rehab, medical fitness, wellness and physical therapy
• Occupational health departments in commercial settings, which include manufacturing, distribution and offices to assist with ergonomics
• Police and fire departments and academies, municipal departments, branches of the military
• Performing arts including professional and collegiate level dance and music

Advantages of TLU

The Option of Two Degrees in One

Earning a Master of Athletic Training (MAT) degree can be completed at the same time as a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Kinesiology. Both degrees can be earned over the course of five years.

Hands-On from Day One

You’ll be working in real clinical situations with real patients. As your expertise grows, you will engage in more hands-on patient care. This will include injury evaluation, on-field immediate care, rehabilitation design, and preventative programming. You will be able to make important healthcare decisions based on knowledge and experience.

Immersion in the Profession

In the final two semesters, students complete two separate immersive clinical experiences. During these experiences, academic coursework is delivered online allowing students to dedicate most of their time to clinical learning. Students mimic the schedule of their clinical site to experience the totality of being an athletic trainer and fine tune their decision making skills. The final immersive experience allows students the flexibility to complete their clinical education in the setting and location of their choice. Previous immersive settings have included professional level sports, high school, college athletics, physician office practice and public safety. At graduation, you will have spent countless hours fine-tuning your decision-making skills and expanding your practical knowledge.

Small Classes

Small classes make a difference and Athletic Training classes are among the smallest at Texas Lutheran University. You’ll be in a cohort of 10-12 students, allowing you to get more one-on-one time with professors and preceptors.

Accreditation & Certification

TLU’s Athletic Training Program gained accreditation in 2005 from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) and received a 10-year accreditation award in 2020-2021 through 2030-2031. Upon completion, you are eligible for national certification through the Board of Certification (BOC) and for Texas State Licensure. For more information, visit caate.net.

Admissions & Program Requirements

• Professional Program Admissions Requirements

  Concurrent Bachelor’s & Master’s Degrees

  Materials needed to complete an application file include:
  

  • A concurrent graduate student application provided by the Office of Admissions.
  • Official transcripts from all institutions attended not listed on the TLU transcript.
  • One academic and one professional recommendation letter

  View The Course Progression

  Direct Admission to MAT Program

  Materials needed to complete one’s application file include:

  • Application for Admission through the Athletic Training Centralized Application System (ATCAS)
  • Official transcripts from all institutions attended
  • Supplemental Program Form: This includes an essay on your professional goals
  • Graduate addendum
  • One academic and one professional recommendation letter

  Applications are due March 1 for students beginning the ensuing summer semester.

  All applicants who wish to be considered for the MAT program must also:
  

  • Have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale for all college coursework.
  • Complete TLU’s general education and Kinesiology Major requirements OR a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university before beginning program coursework.
  • Complete, with a C or higher, the TLU equivalent of the following coursework:

  BIOL 235: Nutrition

  BIOL 245: Human Anatomy and Physiology I

  BIOL 246: Human Anatomy and Physiology II

  CHEM 147: Principles of Chemistry

  KINS 238: Foundations of Athletic Training

  KINS 335: Exercise Physiology

  KINS 476: Biomechanics

  PHYS 141: General Physics

  PSYC 131: Introduction to Psychology

  STAT 374: Statistics

  
  All applications are obtained and submitted through the TLU Admissions Office. Students whose application file meets the admission criteria will be reviewed by the Athletic Training Admission Committee. Applications will be evaluated and ranked based on the above criteria. Students accepted into the professional phase of the program will be required to sign a technical standards document and submit a general medical physical completed by a medical doctor before beginning the clinical portion of the program.

• Program Costs & Financial Aid

  3+2 Concurrent Students

  2-Year Direct Admits

• Program Brochure & Degree Plan

  View the MAT Degree Plan

  Download the Program Brochure

• Licensure or Certification in Another State

  If you are a current or prospective student interested in pursuing licensure or certification in another state, we recommend you review your state’s licensure or certification requirements.

  Click here for more information

• Program Accreditation & Information Outcomes

  Click here to view BOC, graduation, and retention pass rates for TLU's program.

View Program Mission Statement

• Mission Statement

  The mission of the TLU Master of Athletic Training Program is to provide students foundational education and clinical experiences within the 5 domain areas delineated in the Board of Certification Practice Analysis, 7th edition, giving graduates the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue a career in athletic training. The program will emphasize students’ development of clinical decision making skills, effective communication and professional behaviors through didactic and clinical curricula grounded in the five Health and Medicine Division (HMD) core competencies. Students are routinely placed in hands on learning situations to encourage the development of knowledgeable and resourceful healthcare professionals. The program strives to prepare students to become BOC certified (ATC) athletic trainers who will work and be active participants in the athletic training profession.

  Texas Lutheran’s ATP will strive to:

  1. Successfully prepare graduates for future practice in the profession of athletic training.

  2. Provide students with a variety of clinical educational experiences.

  3. Monitor success of ATP graduates within the allied health community.

  4. Encourage active involvement in professional organizations within the athletic training profession.

  Graduates of Texas Lutheran’s ATP should have the ability to:

  1. Model professional behaviors that are congruent with the National Athletic Training Association (NATA) Code of Ethics and consistent with professional excellence and the expectations of the athletic training profession.

  2. Model job performance and communication characteristics consistent with expectations of the athletic training profession.

  3. Utilize knowledge and clinical skills consistent with expectations of the athletic training profession for entry level practitioners.

  4. Utilize clinical decision making skills to properly manage a variety of patient care situations.

  5. Deliver patient centered care as members of an interdisciplinary team, emphasizing evidence based practice, quality improvement approaches, and informatics.