This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).
The Athletic Training Program is designed to prepare those students seeking a career as a Certified Athletic Trainer. Completion of the program will qualify students to take the certification exam administered by the Board of Certification. Successful completion of the exam will result in Certification as an Athletic Trainer by the BOC. A student in athletic training will learn to apply knowledge of human anatomy, human physiology, exercise physiology, sport & exercise biomechanics, conditioning, strength training, nutrition, and therapy in the prevention, evaluation, recognition, immediate care, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. Career opportunities include working with athletic teams at all levels of competition, in sports medicine, clinical settings, or other allied health facilities and industry.
Students will be selected in the Athletic Training Program in a three step process.
Admission Criteria
Application for admission into the Athletic Training Program requires the applicant to be in her/his sophomore year. Submit completed application by September 30th. The Program requires a 5 semesters to complete. A maximum of fifteen (15) students will be selected to enter the program each year. Each year, there are more students applying than can be accepted, so the process is competitive.
Candidates are admitted to the Athletic Training Major Fall semester after the completion of a formal admission process the previous fall semester. Admission is based on measures of student performance in academic settings, personal recommendation, and personal interview. Notification of admittance occurs by the end of fall semester.
Admission Requirements - current SUU students
- Overall GPA equal to or greater than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Completion of the following prerequisite classes with a grade of C or better or current enrollment.
Admission Requirements - students transferring from another institution
- Admission to Southern Utah University
- Overall GPA equal to or greater than 3.0 on a 4.0 sale.
- Successful completion of courses (with a grade of C or better or current enrollment) comparable to the following which are provided at SUU.
Credit transfer of the above listed courses is accepted only with permission of the Athletic Training Major Program Director.
Application Procedure
- Submission of Athletic Training Major application form, copy (front and back) of current First Aid and CPR card, and unofficial transcript by September 30. The transcript is necessary to analyze overall GPA and to verify the completion of or current enrollment in prerequisite courses. Continuing SUU students are not expected to turn in a transcript (that information is obtained from the Banner program).
- Submit three recommendation questionnaires.
Admission Basis
Objective Section
- Application and unofficial transcript. Award 5 points if the application is complete and the required contents are attached.
- Proof of CPR/Standard First Aid from a Health Safety Education Agency (American Red Cross, American Heart Association, National Safety Council). Points given for copy of current CPR and First Aid Card (5 points each).
- Academic Prerequisite Courses (20 points).
- Overall Grade Point Average (10 points). Using unofficial transcript (Banner), award the applicant points according to overall grade point average.
Subjective Section
- Response to questions on application form (10 points).
- Personal recommendation (10 points).
- Personal interview of qualified candidates (10 points).
Qualified candidates are determined by their score on the objective section, response to questions on application form, and personal recommendation.
The Athletic Training Program faculty/staff will make the final decisions regarding acceptance into the program based upon the candidate’s total ranking on the admission criteria. All applying candidates will receive written notification from the program director indicating their acceptance or denial into the Athletic Training Program. A waiting list of three will be kept in the event one of the candidates accepted is unable to accept the position. A candidate may re-apply to the Athletic Training Program the following year but will need to repeat the application process. Upon acceptance into the Southern Utah University Athletic Training Program, the following will be required:
- Completion of a background check.
- Documentation of personal vaccination record. Completion of Hepatitis B vaccination and documentation (at candidate’s expense) or Hepatitis B declination form.
- Completion of drug test.
Prospective students should refer to the online version of the student handbook for more information on policies and procedures including, but not limited to associated costs of acceptance, curriculum and expectations of athletic training students, at http://www.suu.edu/ed/pe/pdf/student-handbook.pdf