March 6, 2020 - In response to more demanding industry standards and building on a successful bachelor’s degree program, King’s College will begin offering a master’s degree in athletic training beginning in July.

The 60-credit program is designed to allow full-time students to finish in two years.  Beginning in 2022, the athletic training profession will require a master’s degree from an accredited program before a candidate is eligible to sit for the Board of Certification Examination and practice.

King’s has had an accredited bachelor of science program in athletic training since 2001.  The program received the maximum 10-year reaccreditation in 2015 from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training and is currently applying for a degree-level change from bachelor’s to master’s degree.  Program administrators are expecting accreditation of the master’s program next year.

Recent pass rates for King’s graduates of the athletic training program on the Board of Certification exam is 95 percent, four percent higher than the national average.  The program has placed 100 percent of its graduates either in master’s degree programs or in professional positions, including with the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New York City Football Club, the University of Louisville, and the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center.

“Our master’s degree program has been designed to integrate formal classroom instruction with clinical education and laboratory experiences,” said Jeremy Simington, ATC, director of the athletic training program.  “The facilities at the Alley Center for Health Sciences will provide state-of-the-art equipment, including an on-campus cadaver lab and access to faculty and students in complementary fields such as exercise science, physician assistant and nursing for cross-disciplinary coursework.”

“The new master’s in athletic training degree is another example of King’s developing an academic program that fills a national demand,” said Father John Ryan, C.S.C., King’s president.  “The US Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting a faster than average growth in demand for athletic trainers through 2028.”

The program courses will be taught by eight full-time faculty of the athletic training faculty.  The faculty have consistently earned recognition from the National Athletic Trainers Association for research and academic activities that allow students maximum exposure to clinical practice.

The master’s degree program will consist of four 15-week sessions and one five-week summer session.  The two-year program will be open to students who have earned a bachelor’s degree, preferably in exercise science, kinesiology, or a health sciences field, and have met the necessary course requirements.   In addition to class and lab classes, students will also complete clinical experiences of various time commitments, starting with shorter rotations and transitioning into more full-time experiences.

A program has also been established for students who have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree. The program will allow students to earn both their bachelor’s and master’s degree in a maximum of five years.

An information session for those interested in the program will be held starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 14th.   Register at www.kings.edu/graduateevents.

Additional information on the program is available at kings.edu/MSAT or by contacting Christine Stevens, director of Graduate Admission at christinestevens@kings.edu or (570)208-5991.