Pre-Athletic Training

Through the BS Health Sciences degree program at Dallas Baptist University, along with many degrees, students have the opportunity to gain practical experiences through both for credit and not for credit internship and observation experiences. Students are able to meet with their advisors to find a location that best fits their professional pursuits, location, and personal interest. These experiential learning opportunities are critical to the development and execution of many of the skills, abilities, and dispositions that will be required to be a successful student at the next level as well as a successful professional once you enter the field.

Athletic training is a profession that incorporates the prevention, examination, diagnosis, immediate treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions among an athletic population (nata.org, 2020). Athletic trainers are a group of highly trained and qualified individuals that are categorized as multi-skilled health care professionals due to their role in numerous situations such as prevention of injury and illness, immediate care of injured athletes, and the rehabilitation of that athlete from a range of injuries and dysfunctions among many others. The path to becoming an Athletic Trainer currently requires at least an undergraduate degree from an accredited athletic training program, however, after the start of the Fall 2022 term, requirements will be increased to a Master’s degree requirement from an accredited program. Along with holding this degree, individuals pursuing a career in Athletic Training will also need to pursue national certification and licensure (state-dependent). With an expected job growth rate of 16% through 2029 and an average median salary of $48,440 (bls.gov, 2020), this is certainly an expanding field where you can exercise your calling to serve others through human movement and rehabilitation. For more information on this profession follow the links below.

• National Athletic Trainers' Association
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Athletic Trainers

Although Dallas Baptist University will not be your final stop on your journey to becoming an Athletic Trainer, we are well-equipped to provide you everything you will need in order to feel confident as you apply to a newly required Master of Athletic Training degree program during your final semesters of your undergraduate preparation.

Further Advanced Degree Preparation

As you pursue your undergraduate degree, it would be wise to focus on building tools to prepare you for applying to your advanced degree program. Graduate school applications, more specifically, applications for Master of Athletic Training programs often focus on following components:

• Academic Record (GPA and Pre-Requisites)
• Letters of Recommendation
• Observation Hours and Experiential Learning
• GRE Score

Pre-Requisite Courses

While admission to a Master of Athletic Training program does not require applicants to hold a specific degree or come from a specific major, there are many pre-requisite courses that are needed in order to meet entry requirements and set yourself apart as a qualified candidate. To aid in your preparation for applying to your advanced level athletic training program, DBU has a directed BS in Health Sciences degree that has a concentration in Pre-Athletic Training aiming to provide a Christ-centered education as you complete your pre-requisites and earn your undergraduate degree. It is to be noted that many schools require an overall GPA of at least a 3.0 with a minimum grade requirement in pre-requisite courses.

Observation Hours and Experiential Learning

As you pursue a career in athletic training it is of great importance to gain relevant and realistic information about the profession through structured experiential learning. Many Master of Athletic Training programs requires observation experiences as part of their admissions process. In order to best prepare you for this requirement, DBU makes a dedicated effort to connect you with qualified individuals to observe, intern under, and serve with during your required internship experience. Certified Athletic Trainers with whom you might work serve in many different settings including high schools, higher education, professional sports, sports medicine clinics, performing arts, military, and many more.

The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic metropolitan areas in the United States. This population growth brings a great need in many career fields, one of which is careers in health science-related disciplines. Studying health sciences in the DFW area creates an excellent opportunity for experiential learning through volunteering, scheduled observation hours, or structured internship programming. All of these are critical to the Dallas Baptist University Health Sciences degree programming and your successful application to terminal degree programs as you seek to serve in the field of Athletic Training. The BS in Health Sciences degree at Dallas Baptist University has an intentional approach to experiential learning as we have practical experience built into your course requirements. In your pursuit of this degree, you will find yourself living, learning, and serving in one of the most dynamic areas in the United States as you prepare to act out God’s call for your life.