Graduate Catalog 2024-2025

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Athletic Training M.S.A.T.

Director: Dr. Lisa Griffin, School of Health & Human Performance
Office Coordinator: Toyia Barnes, toyia.barnes@gcsu.edu
Administrative Assistant: Sarah McCook, sarah.mccook@gcsu.edu

Mission

The mission of the Professional Athletic Training Program at Georgia College is to cultivate quality athletic training health care professionals who exhibit the highest standards of ethical behavior and professionalism. With a foundation built on evidence-based, progressive didactic and clinical education, GC athletic training graduates are prepared to become successful contributors to the advancement of the profession through intellectual, professional, and civic skills and dispositions that enable students to thrive in a diverse global society. 

Accreditation

The Master of Science in Athletic Training is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (caATe).

Professional Athletic Training Program Outcomes and Learning Outcomes

Goal 1:

Athletic training students will demonstrate appropriate knowledge and skills in injury prevention and wellness education.

Students will be able to:

  • Create evidence-based designs to mitigate the risk for injury/illness;

  • Apply evidence-based practices to mitigate the risk for injury/illness.

Goal 2:

Athletic training students will utilize a holistic approach to clinical evaluation and diagnosis of injuries, illnesses, and pathologies.

Students will be able to:

  • Assess an athletic injury/illness based on relevant pathology;

  • Recognize appropriate holistic diagnoses of athletic injuries/illnesses;

  • Refer patients to the appropriate medical professional based on individual need.

Goal 3:

Athletic training students will be skilled in making decisions regarding the management of acute athletic injuries/illnesses.

Students will be able to:

  • Exhibit appropriate immediate and emergency medical care within the scope of athletic training practice relevant to current standards.

Goal 4:

Athletic training students will create and implement therapeutic/educational interventions for measureable patient outcomes (competence or performance).

Students will be able to:

  • Utilize evidence-based interventions when administering and implementing therapeutic interventions;

  • Recognize need for psychosocial intervention.

Goal 5:

Athletic training students will construct and apply professional leadership and organizational paradigms.

Students will be able to:

  • Develop policies and procedures in the administration of athletic training and healthcare facilities;

  • Critique athletic training management models;

  • Utilize appropriate medical documentation and communication.

Goal 6:

Athletic training students will critically examine athletic training data and apply it to clinical practice.

Students will be able to:

  • Apply evidence based practice when making clinical decisions.

  • Critique athletic training related literature and disseminate its findings to a variety of audiences including professionals, peers, and patients.

  • Articulate the role of research in clinical practice.

Regular Admission Requirements

  1. Academic Requirements:

    1. Undergraduate degree with an upper level GPA of at least 2.75

    2. Prerequisite Courses: Applicants for the MSAT must have completed the following prerequisite courses with a grade of “C” or higher (2.0 on 4.0 scale) and an overall prerequisite GPA of 3.0:

      1. Human Anatomy and Physiology (Equivalent of GC HSCS 2813 and HSCS 2823 or GC BIOL 2160 and BIOL 2170) or 2 semester sequence or separate anatomy and physiology courses each with lab

      2. General Biology with lab (Equivalent of GC BIOL 1100, BIOL 1120, BIOL 1107, BIOL 1108 or higher)

      3. General Physics with lab (Equivalent of GC PHYS 1111 or higher)

      4. General Chemistry with lab (Equivalent of GC CHEM 1211, CHEM 1311, CHEM 1151 or higher) 

      5. Elementary Statistics (Equivalent of GC MATH 1401)

      6. Nutrition (Equivalent of GC KINS 2323) 

      7. Physiology of Exercise (Equivalent of KINS 3203)

      8. General Psychology (Equivalent of GC PSYC 1101, PSYC 2103, or higher)

    NB: The Sports Medicine and Pre-Professional Concentrations within the Georgia College B.S. Exercise Science will allow students to successfully attain all of the aforementioned prerequisites for entry into the MSAT.

  2. Application Documents

    1. Cover Letter: Indicate your interest in Georgia College and how you would be an asset to both our student body and our program. Include why you have chosen to apply to our program specifically and how your background and experiences have prepared you for our liberal arts education. This should be a formal letter addressed to the Program Director and should be no more than a page in length.

    2. Personal Statement Indicate your interest in Athletic Training (asset to the discipline, career goals) as well as what current issue related to athletic training is of interest to you and why.

    3. Professional Resume including education; honors, achievements, and awards; observation and/or internship experiences; volunteer experience; professional memberships; certifications; and work history.

    4. Reference Form: Provide the names, job titles, phone numbers, and email addresses for three references, two of whom must be academic. This must be submitted on the MSAT Reference Form after your application has been submitted.

  3. Interview Process: once completed applications are received, applicants who meet the minimum requirements may be invited to interview at one of the interview panels posted on the MSAT website.

    1. Applicants are not guaranteed an interview.

    2. Only completed applications will be considered. For an application to be considered complete, all application documents and transcripts must be received by the date listed. If documents are received after this date, applicants will automatically be moved to consideration for the next interview panel.

    3. Being invited for an interview does not guarantee admission to the program. 

    4. Interviews will be held either in person or virtually – interviewees will be able to choose which method at the time of interview slot confirmation.

  4. Program Admission: Once an offer of admission is made, applicants will be responsible for the following, information for which will be provided. All must be maintained for the duration of the program:

  • Satisfactorily complete a Criminal Background Check

  • Possess Student Liability Insurance

  • Provide proof of Health Insurance

  • CPR certification (completed as part of coursework)

  • ATrack Membership

  • Additional professional course costs

Transfer Credits

Up to 9 semester hours of graduate coursework with grades of B or better may be accepted from other institutions at the discretion of the School of Health and Human Performance Graduate Coordinator and the Program Director. No clinical or athletic training courses will be considered for transfer. The MSAT does not accept transient students into its clinical and athletic training courses.

Academic Dismissal Policy

A graduate student will be placed on graduate academic probation if the student's institutional graduate grade point average falls below a 3.00 at any point during his or her graduate studies.

A graduate student will be dismissed if the student is placed on academic probation for more than one semester, receives more than one C (or lower) during his or her graduate studies, or fails to comply with policy, procedures, and expectations as defined in current versions of the Graduate Student Handbook.

Time Limitations for the M.S.A.T.

The requirements for the degree program must be completed within a period of 6 years from the date that the student begins taking courses at Georgia College. Courses completed more than 6 years prior to completion of the requirements for the Master's degree will be regarded as outdated and will not be applied toward the degree program. This includes courses that may be transferred from other institutions. Outdated courses may be updated through appropriate means at the discretion of the School of Health and Human Performance Graduate Coordinator and the advisor.

Online Course Structure

The School of Health & Human Performance offers both synchronous and asynchronous online courses. Virtual attendance during synchronous sessions listed at the time of registration through the official Georgia College Course Schedule is mandatory. Any clinical and/or student teaching requirements must be completed in-person unless approved by Program Coordinator, Graduate Coordinator, and Director of the School of Health & Human Performance.

Program of Study

Required Courses

Satisfactorily complete the following courses:

KINS 6803Research Meth/Stats Health Sci

3
KINS 6813Applied Research in Health Sci

3
KINS 6823Admin Health & Human Services

3
Total Credit Hours:9

Athletic Training Courses

Satisfactorily complete the following courses:

KINS 6405Seminar in Athletic Training

2
KINS 6410Evidence Based Medicine in AT

2
KINS 6415Emer Mgmt & Standards of Care

2
KINS 6420Therapeutic Interventions I

3
KINS 6421Therapeutic Interventions II

3
KINS 6422Therapeutic Interventions III

3
KINS 6423Therapeutic Interventions IV

3
KINS 6425Phys Exam I: Lower Extremity

3
KINS 6426Phys Exam II: Upper Extremity

3
KINS 6427Phys Exam III: Head Neck Spine

3
KINS 6430Pathophysiology

2
KINS 6435Pharmacological Interventions

2
KINS 6440Ath Training Research Capstone

3
KINS 6445Clinical Experience in AT I

2
KINS 6446Clinical Experience in AT II

2
KINS 6447Clinical Experience in AT III

2
KINS 6448Clinical Experience in AT IV

2
KINS 6449Clinical Experience in AT V

6
KINS 6653Graduate Sports Nutrition

3
Total Credit Hours:51

Total Credit Hours: 60

Contact Information

Campus Box 112

Milledgeville, GA 31061

Phone: 478-445-4072

Fax: 478-445-4074