Athletic Training, MS

Note: This program is currently not accepting new students. Please contact the program director for more information about the program and additional available opportunities.

Program Director: Sharon Rogers Moore (252-737-2982; rogerssh@ecu.edu)

The master of science in athletic training degree is intended to be a Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) accredited graduate program. Students matriculate, progress, and complete the 57s.h. curriculum as part of a cohort following a prescribed sequence of courses spanning two consecutive years. Any deviation from the sequence of courses will delay time to degree completion. Upon completion of this degree, students will be eligible to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) exam, and be eligible to work as a health care provider.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the ECU Graduate School and the master of science in athletic training program is competitive. Minimum requirements for admission to the athletic training master of scienc degree program include the following:

1. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

2. Applicants must qualify for admission to the ECU Graduate School including, but not limited to, satisfactory GRE scores.

3. Applicants must have completed all of the following prerequisite coursework totaling 35 s.h. and have earned a grade of C or better in each course.

a. general biology with lab (4 s.h.)
b. general chemistry with lab (4 s.h.)
c. general physics with lab (4 s.h.)
d. human anatomy and physiology with labs (8 s.h.)
e. psychology (3 s.h.)
f. nutrition (3 s.h.)
g. biomechanics (3 s.h.)
h. exercise physiology (3 s.h.)
i. statistics (3 s.h.)

4. Applicants must have earned an overall 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale on all undergraduate work from institutions accredited by regional associations.

5. Applicants must have a minimum of 50 observational hours in athletic training, verified and signed by a supervising nationally certified and state licensed athletic trainer. Applicants must submit a completed observation log and provide evidence of the supervisor’s current Board of Certification (BOC) and state licensure. All observational hours must be completed within 2 calendar years from the time of application.

6. Applicants must submit an ECU Graduate School application including:

a. written statement of purpose and professional goals
b. three letters of recommendation from persons who can attest to the applicant’s character and academic competence or ability to do graduate work (one letter of recommendation must come from the certified athletic trainer who supervised the applicaant’s observational hours and one recommendation must be from an academic faculty member)
c. copy of current first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certifications from a BOC approved provider (both of these certifications must be acquired in live, not on-line, sessions signed technical standards for the master of science in athletic training program)

7. Applicants must satisfactorily complete an interview.

Degree Requirements

Graduate athletic training students must remain in good standing in accordance with the ECU Graduate School’s academic eligibility standards and the university’s student conduct policies. All students in the program are required to maintain current tuberculosis (TB) status, varicella immunization, and hepatitis B immunization (or waiver) for the duration of involvement in the curriculum.

The master of science in athletic training degree requires 57 s.h. as follows: