Institutional Profiles of CAATE Accredited Entry-Level Athletic Training Education Programs in the United States

Abstract

Context: Educational reform has recently become common thread in athletic training education. The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Education Task force suggests that Athletic Training Education Programs (ATEPs) align within colleges of health-related professions and offer academic majors. Objective: To provide a current profile of ATEP programs including departmental nomenclature, school/college affiliation, institutional classification, degree attainment, and identify ATEPs offering an athletic training major. Design: Descriptive study Setting: Internet search of ATEP websites Subjects: 357 CAATE accredited ATEPs (341 entry-level undergraduate; 16 entry-level graduate) Measurements: Frequencies and percentages were calculated for all ATEPs based on Carnegie Institutional Classification, school/college affiliation, departmental nomenclature, degree granted and whether ATEPs offered an athletic training major. Results: Twenty-nine percent of Carnegie classified ATEPs were offered at ‘Master's Large’ institutions. Twenty-four percent of ATEPs were located in Colleges of Education and 25% in Colleges of Health Sciences. Twenty-two percent of ATEPs were located in Departments of Physical Education, followed by 18% in Athletic Training/Sports Medicine, and 16% in Kinesiology. Almost 80% of ATEPs currently offer an athletic training major, with most degrees granted as a Bachelor's of Science. Conclusions: ATEPs are adapting to new accreditation standards and suggested educational reform. Although some ATEPs are aligning with colleges of health-related professions or have evolved into their own departmental entities, the majority remains within departments of physical education or affiliated disciplines. At this point in time, it is unclear if these realignments are a direct result of the NATA's recommendations.