College of Education and Human Development

Master of Science in Athletic Training Program Receives CAATE Accreditation

One of the College of Education and Human Development’s youngest programs has completed the accreditation process, providing further proof that the new classes are equipping students with the tools they need to succeed in the field of athletic training.

The Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program at Mason, housed on the Science and Technology campus, recently received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, or CAATE.

MSAT’s mission, according to program director Amanda Caswell, is “to prepare certified athletic trainers with the clinical knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes that will enable them to deliver health care effectively to diverse patients in a variety of clinical settings, with an emphasis on the pediatric population.”

The program enables students to practice as athletic trainers and prepares students to successfully complete the athletic training Board of Certification examination.

Though the program just recently received its CAATE accreditation—which required an in-depth self-study and a four-day site visit from a CAATE review team—students have been enrolled in MSAT since June 2016, and the first student cohort will graduate this May.

They will be able to explore a wide variety of career paths once they complete the certification exam. According to Caswell, athletic trainers work in public and private schools and in colleges and universities; in hospitals and in occupational health departments in the commercial sector; in sports and the performing arts (such as dance and music); and more. They will be able to work in professional roles focused on injury and illness prevention, wellness promotion and education, emergent care, and rehabilitation, to name a few.

“Students from our program will be prepared for all of these settings,” she says.

The MSAT program encompasses 65 credit hours of evidence-based instruction and laboratory skills practice, providing students with a total of 1,125 hours of clinical education. That includes five unique, hands-on clinical experiences helping a diverse group of patients. These experiences are overseen by real-world health care practitioners around the Northern Virginia community—so students are making a real impact while preparing for a career in athletic training.

Prospective students can find a complete list of admissions requirements at cehd.gmu.edu/admissions. For more information on the program, go to rht.gmu.edu/msat.