Master of Science in Athletic Training
Prepare for your career as an athletic trainer with a master’s degree in athletic training from UW-Eau Claire.
A Crucial Part of the Healthcare Team
Our rigorous program will give you the education and experience needed to pass the Board of Certification (BOC) exam and become a highly educated, versatile healthcare professional. Interactive coursework, relevant clinical experiences, and career-focused research opportunities will provide you with the skills to assist patients of all types in injury prevention, injury management, and rehabilitation. Learn how to triage patients, activate emergency action plans, communicate with a broad range of people, and become a comprehensive healthcare provider in an ever-changing environment.
In addition to clinical experience, you'll also have the opportunity to receive professional mentorship from preceptors. As part of a complete health team, you'll have clinical education experiences with a certified athletic trainer and a licensed physician, monitoring and assisting athletes competing in a variety of sports. A strong collaboration with Mayo Clinic for patient care, impactful research, and interprofessional practice — as well as other schools, universities, and minor league teams in the area — open even more doors to unique internships, experiences, and networks.
If you're still exploring undergraduate programs, our 4+1 program option lets you earn both your bachelor’s degree in exercise science (pre-athletic training concentration) and master’s degree in athletic training in only five years. This accelerated format allows you to start your master's level coursework in your fourth year, saving you time and money and getting you into the field more quickly.
Whether your goal is to be working on the sidelines of a professional team or managing patients in a clinical setting, our program is designed to equip you with the experience and knowledge necessary to enter the career force confidently.
Program Details
Accreditation Information
The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) has accredited this program since 2021. The program status is “Active in good Standing” and in compliance with all Standards.
Licensure Information
The U.S. Department of Education requires institutions to disclose information for programs leading to professional certification or licensure about whether each program meets state educational requirements for initial licensure or certification.
The requirements of this program meet licensure in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.
Numerous clinical facilities and athletic teams at UWEC allow you to graduate as a well-rounded and informed athletic trainer. But class sizes throughout your program stay small, keeping your education personal and individualized. Here, our expert faculty will know your name and will work closely with you to reach your goals.
Our program's strong collaborations with organizations such as Mayo Clinic, Eau Claire Express, and area universities and high schools will give you the opportunity to work in a variety of settings and gain invaluable experience outside the classroom. Your clinical experience may even take you out of state as you see what a day in the life of an athletic trainer is like.
As a licensed athletic trainer, you'll quickly find endless career paths are available to you. You may cover sports teams for a small high school, monitor a professional sports team, assist the military, work with pediatric and youth athletes, help performers in the arts, or find employment in sports medicine clinics, orthopedic clinics, or hospitals. Your degree can truly take you wherever you'd like to go.
Curriculum within our athletic training master's degree program includes an interprofessional education component, meaning you'll learn with and from other healthcare providers in a variety of fields. You may work alongside social workers, paramedics, nurses, and communication sciences and disorders professionals, as you solve real-world problems.
Blugold Stories
Where can the master of science in athletic training program lead me after graduation?
After completing your master's degree at UWEC, you will be eligible to sit for the national Board of Certification (BOC) exam and become a licensed healthcare provider in the state where you choose to practice. From there, your career path may take you in one of four directions: entering the field as an athletic trainer, attending physical therapy school, pursuing additional graduate degrees or entering a residency program.
If you choose to work as an athletic trainer, you have more options than ever when it comes to work settings. Athletic trainers can be found covering colleges and high schools, but may also work in the military or staff organizations such as hospitals, performing arts organizations, NASCAR, rodeos and sports medicine clinics. Those who wish to pursue additional graduate degrees may find work as a biomechanist or a career in exercise physiology. Residency programs are also available to graduates and can enable you to work in exciting fields like pediatric orthopedics.
All of these incredible paths begin right here at UW-Eau Claire with a master's degree in athletic training.
In nearly every course you take in this program, you will find opportunities for firsthand, experiential learning that takes you out of your seat and into the field — literally. Courses are interactive and provide the chance to work in small groups and to practice tests and procedures similar to what will be used with future patients. Curriculum ensures you will learn what the industry needs, including appropriate treatment practices and the latest techniques used in the field.
Here are a few courses in Master of Science in Athletic Training at UW-Eau Claire.
KINS 700
Principles of Athletic Training
Introduction to the foundational knowledge of the athletic training profession, concepts in the prevention of athletic injuries, and exposure to fundamental skills, knowledge, and techniques in athletic training based upon evidence-based criteria.
KINS 714
Pathophysiology & Emergency Medicine
A theory and lab course focused on providing the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and best-practice management for acute and emergency injuries/illnesses in the physically active patient. Successful completion of the course will result in certification as a first responder.
KINS 723
General Medicine & Diagnostic Modalities
A theory course that examines various medical specialties, surgical techniques, and clinical evaluations and diagnostics modalities used in assessing and treating medical conditions, illnesses and injuries related to the physically active populations.
Get More Info
Sign up to receive additional information about our campus.
Meet the Faculty
What's Next?
