Undergraduate Clinical Athletic Training Education Program
Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training
- Overview of Program
- Academic Degree Requirements
- Clinical Experience Requirements
- FAQ'S
- General Information
Overview
The Athletic Training Education Program at UNLV is the only CAATE accredited athletic training curriculum program in the state of Nevada. Athletic training students will attain competencies and proficiencies through a specialized clinical experience as they progress through the program. The staff of certified athletic trainers, graduate intern athletic trainers, along with athletic training students are all involved in the care for the athletes competing in the intercollegiate athletic programs at UNLV. The athletic training students gain a vast array of knowledge by providing this daily care for student athletes while receiving clinical instruction. All of the 17 Division I sports at UNLV compete in the Mountain West Conference.
The athletic training student gains clinical experience directly from team physicians and staff athletic trainers in the areas of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation for athletic-related injuries. In addition to the UNLV athletic training room and field exposure, students may complete internships at high schools, sports medicine clinics, observing surgical procedures, and assisting physicians in an office setting. This hands-on, clinical instruction not only compliments the educational experience, but also provides excellent field based learning opportunities for each student. Upper-class students may also be responsible for athletic team medical care under the direct supervision of a clinical preceptor. This experience will allow each student the opportunity to simulate the role of a staff athletic trainer while receiving clinical instruction.
Academic Degree Requirements
To complete the athletic training major students must take classes from four categories: General University Requirements, SIM Core, Athletic Training Courses, and Approved Electives.
The General University Requirements are broken down into subcategories by UNLV. Students are required to take classes in the following areas:
- First Year Experience (2 credits)
- English and Literature (9 credits)
- Constitution (both Nevada and U.S. for 4 credits)
- Humanities (6 credits), Fine Arts (3 credits)
- Social Science (9 credits)
- Mathematics (3 credits)
- Logic (3 credits)
- Computer Science or Statistics (3 credits)
- Science (9 credits, which for Athletic Training majors should be BIO 189, BIO 223 and BIO 224).
The Core courses include:
- Introduction to Athletic Training
- Management of Sport Trauma
- Lower Extremity Evaluation
- Upper Extremity Evaluation
- Therapeutic Modalities
- Therapeutic Exercise
- Sports Medicine
- Anatomical Kinesiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Nutrition
The Athletic Training Courses are only available to the Athletic Training major and include:
- Introduction to Clinical Athletic Training
- Clinical I and II
- Advanced Clinical I and II
- Organization and Administration of Athletic Training Program
- Advanced Athletic Training
The student and academic advisor set the approved electives. Classes from other disciplines may be included to obtain the 120 total credits that are required for UNLV graduation.
Please view our Undergraduate Degree Plan
Clinical Experience Requirements
The length of the Athletic Training Education Program is five semesters excluding summers. Once accepted into the program students are required to obtain clinical internship hours in the UNLV Athletic Training Facility or allied clinical setting for a minimum of 100 hours in the first semester, 300 hours every subsequent fall semester, and 200 hours every spring semester. Students clinical internships with be comprised of a variety of sports teams during the five semesters. Assignments are made on a rotating basis among the different internship possibilities not only to fulfill accreditation requirements, but also to allow students to obtain clinical experience with a wide variety of athletes and sports. Students will obtain experience with both men's and women's teams, individual and team sports, and with upper and lower extremity and equipment intensive sports.
The Athletic Training major at UNLV is a rigorous and intense program that places specific requirements and demands on the students enrolled in the program. An objective of this program is to prepare graduates to enter a variety of employment settings and to render care to a wide spectrum of individuals engaged in physical activity. The technical standards set forth by the Athletic Training Education Program establish the essential qualities considered necessary for students admitted to this program to achieve the knowledge, skills, and competencies of an entry-level athletic trainer, as well as meet the expectations of the program’s accrediting agency (Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education [CAATE]). For more information on this topic, please refer to our Technical Standards for Admission.
Frequently Asked Questions
High School Student
1) What is the average salary for an ATC?
Salary will vary from setting to setting; however, the average starting salary is approximately $22,000-$36,000. With the National average salary of all Athletic Trainers is approximately $44,235 according to the NATA in 2008.
2) What are the responsibilities of an ATC?
The certified athletic trainer is involved in the daily, prevention, recognition,
care and rehabilitation of athletic injuries as well as health care administration.
3) Will my high school experience be useful?
Your high school hours should help you with the entrance
exam and will be considered as previous clinical experience.
4) How long, after I enroll as a freshman, before I can apply to the ATEP?
You may apply to the Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) in the fall of any year as long
as the prerequisite classes for the program have been completed
or are in progress. Should you be a successful candidate, you
would be admitted to the program during the spring of that academic
year.
Junior College (JC) Transfer
1) Will my classes transfer?
The admissions office will make the decision as to which
classes transfer to UNLV.
2) Will I receive full credit for my JC experience?
Hours attained before you are admitted will not count toward
the minimum number of athletic training hours required at UNLV,
but they will be considered as previous clinical experience for
acceptance into the program.
3) What opportunities are there for earning
a teaching credential?
Programs to earn teaching certifications exist within the
College of Education.
WHAT IS A BOC CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINER?
The Board of Certification (BOC) certifies individuals who successfully pass the national certification examination. To become eligible for this exam students must complete a college or university athletic training program accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAATE). The duties and responsibilities of certified athletic trainers include risk management, assessment and evaluation of athletic injuries; management, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries; and health care administration. Certified athletic trainers may be employed in a wide variety of settings including: colleges and universities, high schools, private and/or hospital sports medicine clinics, corporate or industrial settings, and with professional sports.
There is growing concern nationwide that athletic injuries are on the rise in all levels of athletic competition. In addition, there are many individuals who believe that all athletic practices and competitions should be monitored by a certified athletic trainer to protect the health and well being of athletes. These trends indicate that the future of athletic training looks bright and that there will be an increasing demand for certified athletic trainers.
BOC CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION
Upon completion of the academic degree requirements and the clinical experience requirements students are eligible to sit for the BOC Examination. Those students passing this national exam are recognized as certified athletic trainers and may use the credential ATC. http://www.bocatc.org
For more detailed information on our athletic training program, please visit our athletic training program webpage.
