This is an archived copy of the 2018-2019 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.valdosta.edu.

The Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education identifies a number of specific educational outcomes necessary for accreditation and preparation of students to become athletic trainers.

Selected Educational Outcomes

Athletic training students will possess knowledge, skills, and values, as well as demonstrate competency and proficiency in the following areas:

  1. Evidence-Based Practice (EBP): to incorporate the best available evidence, a clinician’s skills, and the needs of the patient to maximize patient outcomes.
  2. Prevention and Health Promotion (PHP): to develop and implement strategies and programs to prevent the incidence and/or severity of injuries and illnesses and optimize the client’s/patient’s overall health and quality of life.
  3. Clinical Examination and Diagnosis (CE): to possess strong examination skills in order to accurately diagnose and effectively treat the patient.
  4. Acute Care of Injuries and Illnesses: to be knowledgeable and skilled in the evaluation and immediate management of acute injuries and illnesses.
  5. Therapeutic Interventions (TI): to enhance function by identifying, remediating, and preventing impairments and activity restrictions to maximize participation; to conduct rehabilitation in a wide variety of settings on a wide range of patients.
  6. Psychosocial Strategies and Referral (PS): to recognize the client/patient exhibiting abnormal social, emotional, and mental behaviors and have the ability to refer the individual as necessary.
  7. Healthcare Administration (HA): to understand risk management, healthcare delivery mechanisms, insurance, reimbursement, documentation, patient privacy, and facility management.
  8. Professional Development and Responsibility (PD): to embrace the need to practice within the limits of state and national regulations using moral and ethical judgment, as well as to work collaboratively with other healthcare providers and to refer clients/patients when warranted.
  9. Clinical Integration Proficiencies (CIP): to represent the synthesis and integration of knowledge, skills, and clinical decision-making into actual client/patient care.

Admission Criteria

Students declare the major in athletic training as enrolling freshmen and formally begin the application process to the program during the fall semester of their freshman year.

Admission to the program is limited by the number of available clinical positions and requires two semesters to complete. Applicants will be accepted each year according to the criteria listed below.

  1. Overall grade point average
    A student must have a 2.75 overall grade point average (includes transferred coursework) after the completion of all prerequisite/application required coursework.
  2. Course work
    1. Completion of 24 semester hours
    2. A grade of “C” or better in HSAT 2050, HSAT 3430, and HSAT 4300
  3. Directed Observation
    1. Rotations at each site fall and spring semesters (number of rotations indicated in the syllabi for HSAT 2050 and HSAT 4300)
    2. Clinical skills proficiency
  4. Successful interview (end of spring semester)
  5. Favorable recommendations from three non-familial sources
  6. Completion of required admissions paperwork, to include criminal background check (as a part of HSAT 2050, the type of criminal background check to be indicated in the syllabus for HSAT 2050)
  7. Ability to provide own transportation to clinical education sites
  8. Official transcript
  9. Hepatitis B vaccine inoculation or signed waiver
  10. Documentation of required immunizations
  11. Attendance at specified OSHA training and adherence to OSHA regulations
  12. Ability to meet the published technical standards of the program

Disclaimer: Fulfillment of the eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.

Retention Requirements

  1. In order to participate in academic and/or clinical components of the program, students must:
    1. maintain an overall minimum GPA of 2.75. Students whose overall GPA falls below 2.75 will be placed on probation for one semester, meaning that the student would not be able to participate in the clinical portion of the academic program.
    2. obtain student liability insurance annually
    3. obtain the Hepatitis B vaccine inoculation or a signed waiver
    4. complete and pass a pre-participation physical annually
    5. attend OSHA training and abide by all OSHA regulations
    6. meet the published technical standards of the program
  2. Students will be dismissed for any of the following reasons:
    1. an overall GPA below 2.75 and inability to achieve this requirement after one semester of probation
    2. an overall GPA below 2.75 a second time (once accepted into the program)
    3. receiving two final course grades below a “C” in any major courses
    4. any violation of the program’s policy and procedures manuals that results in dismissal
  3. Students must master specific technical standards of the VSU Athletic Training Program prior to admission. The Standards can be found on the Athletic Training Education website.

Students must be aware that a final course grade below a “C” in a major course may result in a delay of graduation. The course may be offered only once in an academic year. No mechanism exists, nor will one be devised, for making up the deficiency other than retaking the course when it is offered the next time.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training Degree

Core Curriculum60
Core Areas A-E (See VSU Core Curriculum)42
Area F Requirements
BIOL 2651
& BIOL 2652		Human Anatomy and Physiology I
and Human Anatomy and Physiology II		8
ACED 2400Computer Technology for the Workplace3
or CS 1000 Introduction to Microcomputers and Applications
PSYC 2103Introduction to Human Development3
KSPE 2150
& HSAT 2050		First Aid - CPR
and Introduction to Athletic Training		4
All courses in Area F must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.
Professional Program Requirements60
HSAT 3200Nutrition for Health and Human Performance3
HSAT 3420Exercise Physiology3
HSAT 3430Kinesiology3
HSAT 4300Foundations of Injury Prevention and Care4
HSAT 4350Evaluation and Assessment of Upper and Lower Extremities4
HSAT 4360Evaluation and Assessment of Head, Neck, and Trunk4
HSAT 4400Therapeutic Modalities and Pharmacology in Athletic Training4
HSAT 3440Athletic Training Clinical Competencies I2
HSAT 3441Athletic Training Clinical Competencies II2
HSAT 4440Athletic Training Clinical Competencies III2
HSAT 4441Athletic Training Clinical Competencies IV2
HSAT 4250Organization and Administration Strategies in Athletic Training3
HSAT 4450Sport Related Illness and Conditions3
HSAT 4490Rehabilitation Techniques in Athletic Training4
HSAT 3020Assessments in Athletic Training3
HSAT 4600Athletic Training Ethics and Psychosocial issues3
HSAT 4491Procedures and Protocols in Athletic Training3
HSAT 4700Athletic Training Professional Practice Seminar2
HSAT 4442Athletic Training Clinical Competencies V2
HSAT 4443Athletic Training Clinical Competencies VI2
HSAT 3500Athletic Training Special Topics2
Total hours required for the degree120