About the Graduate Program

Athletic Training graduate program highlights:

• Essential opportunities are provided for intentional collaboration of learning and clinical practice with students in other healthcare programs at SRU.

• The SRU Athletic Training graduate program is structured to provide students with real-world learning experiences and clinical reasoning. For example, the knowledge and skills related to evaluation and rehabilitation were traditionally taught in separate courses. However, at SRU, essential professional knowledge and skills are integrated together into combined courses.

• The coursework emphasizes rigorous content in advanced therapeutic rehabilitation.

• The graduate program is committed to providing diverse, authentic, and immersive clinical experiences.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Athletic Training Program at Slippery Rock University is to provide graduate education that develops a proficient and contributing entry-level healthcare practitioner in the profession of athletic training. This will be accomplished by facilitating quality didactic and clinical experiences, integrating evidence-based practice (EBP) and interprofessional collaboration, encouraging mastery in the rehabilitation arts, and modeling ethical, inclusive, and professional behaviors.

PROGRAM GOALS

1. Prepare students to contribute to the greater healthcare system by delivering quality, evidence-based, patient-centered health care, within the scope of practice of an athletic trainer.
2. Guide students to develop critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills through an integrated, comprehensive, and current curriculum.
3. Prepare students to engage in interprofessional education and practice to promote safe patient-centered care, advocacy for the profession, and a culture of professional collaboration.
4. Prepare students to demonstrate cultural competence and respect for all patients across a diverse population.
5. Foster students' professional, legal, and ethical behaviors consistent with state and national standards of practice.
6. Prepare students for immediate and successful transition to autonomous practice in diverse employment settings.
7. Provide students with a variety of progressively advancing clinical experiences to include an immersive residency.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of the Athletic Training Graduate Program, students will be able to:

1. Analyze best practices and evidence for advanced clinical decision making in patient-centered care.
2. Assess, design, and deliver proficient care as primary healthcare providers, with an emphasis in advanced rehabilitation interventions.
3. Perform independently and collaboratively within the greater healthcare network.
4. Exhibit positive, ethical, professional, and interpersonal behaviors as athletic trainers.
5. Transition successfully to employment in a variety of athletic training settings.

PROGRAM CORE VALUES

Professionalism
Collaboration
Integrity
Authenticity
Student-Centered
Respect
Inclusivity
Compassion
Excellence
Patient-Centered

ACCREDITATION

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).  Additional information and program outcomes, including BOC exam pass rates, can be viewed here. 

The Athletic Training education program has a long history of accreditation becoming one of the first recognized programs in 1974. In order for students to attain the BOC certification, an individual must complete a professional athletic training education program accredited by CAATE and pass the Board of Certification credentialing exam.

ATHLETIC TRAINING POLICY & PROCEDURE MANUAL
TECHNICAL STANDARDS

Curriculum Guide & Course Sequencing

The following courses of the Athletic Training graduate program are offered once each year in the semester listed and must be taken sequentially to promote progressive, higher-order learning over time. The SRU MSAT program utilizes a cohort model and does not offer advanced placement or accept athletic training graduate transfer credits.

View the course sequencing here.

Additional costs related to the athletic training program

• $40 Required/approved uniforms (minimum of 1 uniform shirt)
• $85 NATA membership (includes NATA, EATA, & PATS or other state association)
• $85-125 CPR/First Aid Certification
• $35 Athletic Training Student Liability Insurance, Annual fee (needed for each year)
• $100 PA Criminal History Background Check (Act 34), PA Child Abuse History Clearance (Act 151), PA Department of Education or Department of Human Services FBI Federal Criminal History Record (Act 114) [depending on affiliate site assignment], PA Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Act (Act 126) [depending on affiliate site assignment]**
• Inoculations current with OSHA requirements for healthcare providers
• Others as required by affiliate sites
• $100 Minimum for Transportation to off-campus clinical rotation (Cost dependent on location of assignment [range of 3 to 30 miles from SRU], cost of gas during specific off-campus assignment, and opportunities to car pool).
• Residency Costs: Students are responsible for all costs of living and working (travel, lodging, etc.) during clinical residency courses. Costs vary depending on geographical location and clinical setting.

Criminal Background Check and Screening Policy

Criminal background check and screening requirements including fingerprinting, child abuse clearance, and drug screening (clinical site dependent) are required to matriculate into the program, participate at clinical sites, and progress through the program. Students are financially responsible for this process which may be repeated annually or more frequently as required by clinical sites. Adverse results at any time can prevent a student from matriculating into the program, progressing through the program, or attaining placement at clinical sites. Results including felony and misdemeanor convictions can limit the ability for clinical experience, national certification, or state licensure.

Students who have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor may be denied certification and/or licensure as a healthcare professional. Information regarding certification eligibility may be obtained from the Board of Certification. A student must self-report to the program director within 3 business days of any charges or any legal action taken against them outside of traffic violations.

Academic Standards

All completed courses are graded on a letter-grade basis of "A, B, C, D or F".  Passing grades are considered a grade of "C" or better.  All courses must be passed to graduate.  If a student earns a grade of "D" in a course, the student can repeat the course once with approval from the program coordinator.  A course may only be repeated one time.  Repeating a course can result in a deceleration in progress through the athletic training graduate program, as some courses are only offered once a year.  A student can have a maximum of two repeats across the curriculum.  Repeated course grades are used for GPA calculations.  A third "D" across the curriculum, a second "D" in the same course, or an "F" automatically dismisses the student from the program.

Students must have a 3.000 or better cumulative GPA on a 4.000 scale for all graduate courses attempted at Slippery Rock University to graduate.  Failure to maintain a 3.000 or better cumulative GPA at the end of any semester will result in probation/remediation (first incidence), suspension/deceleration (second incidence) or dismissal (third incidence) from the program.

Students must comply with the athletic training graduate program, Office of Graduate Admissions, and University policies and procedures, as well as the NATA Code of Ethics and the Board of Certification Standards of Professional Practice.  Student violation of these policies in any way may be subject to reprimand, including probation, suspension, or dismissal, depending on the severity of the violation.

A student has one month after notification of suspension or dismissal to submit a written petition to the program coordinator and academic dean to request readmission. If readmission is granted, the student will decelerate one year and will be required to meet readmission criteria as outlined in a contract designed by the program coordinator to specifically give the student the best possibility of success. The student may request only two readmissions to the program.  Readmitted students are responsible for meeting all academic requirements in effect at the time they are readmitted, not at the time they were originally admitted to the university.

Progression Requirements from one semester/session to the next:

1. Cumulative GPA of 3.000 for each semester/session.
2. Achieve a grade of "C" or better in all didactic and clinical courses.
3. Continuous satisfactory completion of up-to-date criminal background check, as required by each clinical affiliate site.
4. Satisfactory entry physical exam.
5. Up-to-date immunizations as required by OSHA and on-campus and off-campus clinical placements.
6. Ability to meet the technical standards for the program.

All of these components must be satisfied for a student to progress to the next semester/session of the program.

Note to Pre-AT Slippery Rock University 3+2 Students Entering the Athletic Training Graduate Program:

Provision: Should a Pre-Athletic Training SRU 3+2 student be unsuccessful in completing the 1st year (any of summer, fall, or spring terms) of the athletic training graduate program and wants to complete the original undergraduate degree, it is solely up to the discretion of the undergraduate program Department Chair to determine which, if any, graduate level Athletic Training courses will count toward the completion of his/her undergraduate degree. In addition, students must complete any unfulfilled requirements of their undergraduate major. Students may still apply to the Athletic Training graduate program with an earned Bachelor's degree.

Graduation requirements

To graduate, students must complete all athletic training graduate program courses and clinical experiences (a total of 57 credits) with a grade of "C" or better (a course may be repeated once, as approved, if a grade below a "C" was earned; students are limited to a maximum of two repeats across the AT curriculum; course repeats may result in student deceleration).

1. Earn a cumulative athletic training graduate program GPA of 3.000 or better (if a course is approved for repeat, the most recent grade, regardless of whether it is higher or lower, will be used to calculate the cumulative athletic training graduate program GPA).
2. Be in good academic standing with the athletic training graduate program, Office of Graduate Admissions, and University.
3. Be in good professional standing with the athletic training graduate program, Board of Certification, and NATA.
4. Successful completion of a comprehensive practical assessment. (This is a formative assessment which will not be used for grading purposes).
5. Successful completion of a comprehensive didactic assessment. (This is a formative assessment which will not be used for grading purposes).
6. Recommendation for graduation by the Program, the Department, and the University.
7. Satisfaction of all financial obligations to Slippery Rock University.
8. All courses offered in the curriculum are required and all of these courses and requirements must be successfully completed (as detailed above) in order to meet eligibility for graduation.

All requirements must be completed within a five-year period commencing with the first graduate course taken at SRU. Requests for extension will be considered on a case-by-case basis only through special request with an absolute statute of limitations of six years with Dean approval.

Students must complete a formal application to graduate, sent to the Office of Academic Records and Registration, by the posted deadline.

It is the student's responsibility to complete all degree requirements.