BA in Athletic Training

Why Major in Athletic Training?

The Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) at Eastern University focuses on the preparation of competent entry-level Certified Athletic Trainers with regards to the educational competencies and clinical proficiencies developed by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Education Council. Eastern’s goal is to educate students in preparation for entry-level careers in athletic training and allied health settings.

Athletic Training students work alongside dedicated faculty in small classroom settings and in the Biokinetics laboratory. Eastern’s ideal location just outside of Philadelphia provides students with an array of internship opportunities with local major and minor professional sports teams, universities, high schools, hospitals, and private practices.

The Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) has been fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) since 2006. The ATEP incorporates a liberal arts foundation, introduces and advances evidence-based practices, and promotes professional development of athletic training students. The program prepares students to sit for the Board of Certification Exam in order to be nationally credentialed as a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC).

Why Major in Athletic Training at Eastern?

Accreditation: Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (Exercise Science) and the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (Athletic Training).

Faculty: Dedicated faculty bring integrity, expertise, commitment and Christian faith to the classroom. Faculty research includes obesity, low carbohydrate diets, body image, vascular responses to physiological stress and pathophysiological states, exercise-induced cardioprotection in a model of spontaneous hypertension.

Facilities: State-of-the-art laboratory houses a variety of equipment: Wingate Peak Monarch Cycle Ergometer and software; Cardiac Science Q Stress treadmill; metabolic cart; hydrostatic weighing tank.

Curriculum, Practicum and Internship: Each program is enriched by major requirements that intentionally attend to verbal and written discourse in the discipline and research literacy. Students have opportunities to participate in practicum or internship experiences to gain proficiency in the clinical skills of their respective disciplines.

Preparation for Graduate Studies in Occupational and Physical Therapy: Regular, comprehensive, and individualized student advising of all pre-professional students ensures the required course study and timely submission of the graduate application.

Goals of the Athletic Training Program 

Foundational Knowledge: Students will demonstrate basic understanding of foundational knowledge and skills within the athletic training education program.

Critical Thinking Skills: Students will demonstrate problem-solving skills that will allow them to reason clearly and analytically.  They will be able to identify and evaluate problems, utilize critical thinking skills to find solutions, implement solutions and evaluate the consequences.

Communication Competence: Students will communicate effectively and respectfully with individuals/groups, professionals and society.

Research Literacy/Evidence-Based Medicine: Students will understand the foundations of evidence-based medicine in Athletic Training.  They will successfully access and accurately interpret a variety of research data and apply basic research methodology in order to answer clinical questions and guide clinical practice.

Christian Discernment: Students will demonstrate an integration of a Christian worldview in athletic training.

Clinical Competence: Students will demonstrate an integration of didactic knowledge and skills in a supervised clinical practice setting. Students will demonstrate entry-level proficiency through the completion of established clinical proficiencies.

Post-graduation preparedness: Students will demonstrate their ability to integrate themselves into a post graduate professional setting.