Program Codes:
MSAT
Master of Science
INTRODUCTION
Athletic trainers (ATs) are highly qualified, multi-skilled health care professionals who render service or treatment to an ever-evolving physically active population. Recent history has seen the Athletic Training profession experience unprecedented growth, both in its numbers and its scope.The Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) Program will prepare students for the demands of the rapidly progressing athletic training profession.
The MSAT Program is a two (2) year, year-round graduate program designed to produce high-quality students eligible to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) Exam during their final semester of coursework. The Program would meet and/or exceed all Commission for Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) educational requirements while providing a diverse education into various innovative aspects of the athletic training profession. The curricula is intended to provide a comprehensive approach to the application of dynamic conceptual and discipline-specific skills within the healthcare arena through a hands-on and individualized approach.
ACCREDITATION
The Mercyhurst University Athletic Training Program is accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) through July 1, 2029.
ACCEPTANCE REQUIREMENTS
Students applying for acceptance into the Mercyhurst University Master of Science in Athletic Training Program must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Her/His transcript must illustrate successful course completion of courses in:
Students must also maintain current emergency cardiac care (ECC) and first-aid certifications prior to enrolling in the MSAT Program.
Admission decisions will be at the discretion of Mercyhurst University and the MSAT Program, provided
Student success will be monitored following each semester to ensure demonstrable progress towards Program-specific goals/outcomes. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and demonstrate active progress towards completion of all Program requirements (e.g. coursework, clinical experience, etc.) Should a student not maintain the minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA, (s)he will be placed on Probation. A student on Probation will have one semester to bring the cumulative GPA above 3.0 or will be dismissed from the MSAT Program during the following semester.
CLINICAL EDUCATION
An integral part to athletic training education, clinical education will be earned through a variety of mediums, predominantly focusing on in-person clinical experience. A total of nine (9) courses will provide guidance pertaining to Clinical Education through a variety of settings and/or mediums. Clinical Education will focus on various populations and diverse settings similar to those seen in the athletic training profession.
The purpose of this course is to provide fundamental and foundational information to students for the allied health profession of Athletic Training. Students will gain knowledge in injury/illness pathophysiology, evaluation, and immediate corrective course of action. History of the profession, necessary educational background and job opportunities, and the value of interprofessional collaboration will be discussed in order to promote professional development. The evaluation sequence, along with proper documentation, will be introduced and students will be encouraged to apply this knowledge.
Additionally, students will apply the hands-on skills to preventative or post-injury management. Throughout the course, students will be using and
focusing on their critical thinking skills in relation to their profession.
This course will provide fundamental and foundational information for the allied health profession of Athletic Training to Master of Science in Athletic Training students. Theories and techniques for performance of victim assessment, basic life support and medical emergencies will be taught, enabling students to administer immediate care to an injured or suddenly ill person.
This course is primarily focused on physical activity-related conditions and will begin to equip the student with the basic emergency skills of an Athletic Trainer.
The purpose of this course is to provide a fundamental introduction to the Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT). Students will come to understand the critical role of clinical evidence in research as allied healthcare professionals. The focus of the course will explore how epidemiology shapes healthcare practices for patients. Exploration wil include the acquired knowledge of the steps to find reliable information and the ability to critically process the link between data collection and professional practice.
The first in a series of Athletic Training clinical experience courses, this practicum course provides students with an opportunity to apply classroom material. Students will gain clinical experience under the supervision of designated clinical preceptors, ranging from direct patient-care to athletic training administration and healthcare organization.
Clinical assignments may occur in a variety of settings: athletics (youth, secondary, collegiate, professional, general populace), clinical, performing arts, military, civil servants, industrial emergency, or general medical/healthcare.
This course requires inital communication with the instructor, clinical experience hours, and finishes with communication summarizing said clinical experence.
The second in a series of Athletic Training clinical experience courses, this practicum course provides students an opportunity to apply classroom material. Students will gain clinical experience under the supervision of desgnated clinical preceptors, ranging from direct patient-care to athletic training administration and healthcare organization.
Clinical assignments occur In a variety of settings: athletics (youth, secondary, collegiate, professional, general populace), clinical, performing arts, military, civil servants, industrial, emergency, or general medical/healthcare.
This course requres nitial communication with the isntructor, clinical experience hours, and finishes with communication summarizing said clinical experience.
This didactic course introduces students to the clinical evaluation and management of appendicular skeleton (lower and upper extremity) injuries and conditions. Additionally, students will be
presented with the pathophysiology of common ailments, including looking at etiology, prevention and management of said ailments. There will be a strong emphasis on anatomy of bone,
muscle, and ligament at each joint. Students will be presented with hands-on clinical assessment of each area and will be evaluated on their individual psycho-motor skills.
This course is intended for students in the MS for Athletic Training program. The course reviews the scientific and foundational principles associated wth pain theory, tissue response, clinical
decision-making, and the role of psychological complexities. Finally the symbiotic relationship between those principles and those of therapeutic interventions will be discussed, debated and
researched.
This laboratory course is intended for students in the MS in Athletic Traning program. The course provides the opportunity for students to apply principles and therapeutic techniques learned in
the didactic Therapeutic Interventions and Application I course. An emphasis is placed upon students utilizing modalities, therapies, and other interventions to achieve desired Patient-Reported Outcomes.
This course in human anatomy is designed to present an extensive and fairly intensive consideration of the regions and systems of the human body. This information will be presented formally in lecture from both regional and systemic perspectives. This body of anatomical knowledge will be supplemented and reinforced by audiovisual materials and direct examination of anatomical models, human skeletal materials, and human cadavers.
BIO-537
The Human Anatomy Lab is taught concurrently with BIO 534. The student will build upon information gained in the Human Anatomy course with clinical lab application corresponding to the lecture material. This lab includes cadaver dissection and students are encouraged to use a hands-on approach when examining the structures of the human body.
BIO 534
ATR 520 - CLINICAL EXPERIENCE III
ATR 525 - CLICAL EXPERIENCE IV
ATR 528 - STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
ATR 529 - STRENGTH & CONDITIONING LAB
ATR 560 - ATHLETIC TRAINING SEMINAR I
ATR 563 - CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF AXIAL SKELETON
ATR 546 - CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF AXIAL SKELETON LAB
ATR 581 - THERAPUTIC INTERVENTIONS & APPLICATIONS II
ATR 582 - THERAPUTIC INTERVENTIONS & APPLICATIONS II LAB
ATR 590 - PERFORMANCE NUTRITION
ATR 605 - HEALTHCARE ACROSS COMMUNITIES
ATR 630 - IMMERSIVE CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
ATR 610 - CLINICAL EXPERIENCE V
ATR 620 - CLINICAL EXPERIENCE VI
ATR 642 - MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS
ATR 643 - MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS LAB
ATR 660 - ATHLETIC TRAINING SEMINAR II
SPMD 5XX - EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY FOR AT
SPMD 5XX - EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY FOR AT LAB
ATR 608 - EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH
ATR 620 - CLINICAL EXPERIENCE VII
ATR 635 - IMMERSIVE CLINICAL EXPERIENCE II
ATR 638 - ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS IN AT
ATR 652 - PSYCHOSOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS IN AT
ATR 670 - ATHLETIC TRAINING CAPSTONE