CURRICULUM PROGRAM

Program Information

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - SPORT & EXERCISE SCIENCE: ATHLETIC TRAINING

ATHLETIC TRAINING is a major in the School of Sport and Exercise Science which entails prevention, immediate management, and rehabilitation of injuries that occur in sport and physical activity. The general field of Sports Medicine includes many allied health professions of which ATHLETIC TRAINING is one.

The ATHLETIC TRAINING EDUCATION PROGRAM at UNC prepares the undergraduate student to become a CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINER through successful completion of the BOC exam.

The University of Northern Colorado Athletic Training Education Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).

Upon successful completion of this program, the student will have fulfilled the requirements to take the national certification examination administered by the Board of Certification of the National Athletic Trainers Association under the approved undergraduate curriculum section. Certification is considered the minimum requirement for entrance into the profession at any level. In addition, most states including Colorado, also have enacted legislation which set standards for athletic trainers in the specific state.

The 12 content areas established as Athletic Training Educational Competencies are:

1. Risk Management & Injury Prevention
2. Pathology of Injuries & Illnesses
3. Orthopedic Clinical Examination & Diagnosis
4. Medical Conditions & Disabilities
5. Acute Care of Injuries & Illnesses
6. Therapeutic Modalities
7. Conditioning & Rehabilitative Exercise
8. Pharmacology
9. Psychosocial Intervention & Referral
10. Nutritional Aspects of Injuries & Illnesses
11. Health Care Administration
12. Professional Development & Responsibility

EMPLOYMENT SETTINGS for the CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINER include:

1. Teacher/athletic trainer in secondary schools.
2. Teacher/athletic trainer in college/universities.
3. Athletic trainer in professional sports.
4. Athletic trainer in private practice (e.g., industry, clinics)
5. Athletic trainer at a hospital.
6. Athletic trainers, with proper preparation and background, have gone into other health professions (e.g., medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant, etc.)

COURSE OF STUDY:

Preparation for the profession of Athletic Training is based on the natural sciences. Coursework is taken in areas of Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, and Physiology as well as the movement sciences of Anatomical, Mechanical, Neuromotor, and Physiological Kinesiology. Specific courses in the applied and theoretical basis of ATHLETIC TRAINING AND SPORTS INJURY are offered to round out the students' classroom preparation.

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE: Students typically obtain approximately 20-25 hours per week of athletic training clinical experience.  This experience will provide the athletic training student an opportunity for the practical application of athletic training knowledge and skills, under the supervision of an Approved Clinical Instructor (ACI). The intercollegiate athletic program at Northern Colorado consists of 19 sports and related activities that serve as the primary base supplemented with other approved affiliate settings. The minimum time period to complete the clinical requirements is 2.5 years or 5 consectutive semesters.