Program Information

The athletic training major is a rigorous and demanding competency-based, professional preparation program leading toward eligibility to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC)®, Inc. national certifying examination boards for athletic training. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).  In addition to prescribed coursework, students complete a minimum six clinical experiences under the direct supervision of BOC-certified and Massachusetts licensed athletic trainers. Clinical experiences are sequenced to facilitate learning of both theoretical and clinical competencies and problem solving skills. The supervised clinical experiences take place in Springfield College’s athletic health care clinic as well as off-campus, approved affiliate settings, including high schools and colleges, clinics and hospitals.

Athletic training at Springfield College is a four-year undergraduate major, requiring completion of 120-121 credit hours.  At the end of the fourth year of study, students graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree and are eligible to sit for the board of certification (BOC) examination in athletic training. 

Admission into the athletic training major is competitive for both incoming freshmen and transfers, with more applications than admission slots. Students are admitted directly to the major and the Athletic Training Program (ATP).  There is no secondary selection process. The Springfield College ATP maintains appropriate preceptor and athletic training student ratios.

Factors that will be examined in the admission process for incoming freshman applicants will include: high school science and math grades, high school grade point average, SAT and/or ACT scores and communication skills demonstrated in the application essays and on the Athletic Training Supplemental Application.  Factors examined in the admission process for transfer applicants will include those listed for incoming freshman as well as transcripts representing college courses taken.  Again, emphasis will be placed on science and math courses.  For both the incoming freshman and transfer applicant, having experience in athletic training either through assisting, observing or shadowing Certified Athletic Trainers or participation in athletic training coursework or workshops is highly recommended.

Students applying to the athletic training major also have the option of applying to the physical therapy dual admission program. This program includes all coursework needed to earn a bachelor of science degree in athletic training  and 16 additional credits of prerequisite coursework for the doctor of physical therapy program; it can also be completed within four years.  At the end of the fourth year of study, students graduate with a bachelor of science with a major in athletic training and are eligible to sit for the board of certification (BOC) examination in athletic training.  If the student has successfully completed the athletic training degree, successfully completed all DPT prerequisite coursework, and met all program standards, the student enters the doctoral program in physical therapy, starting the summer after the completion of the bachelor’s degree. At the completion of three years of graduate study in physical therapy, students are awarded a doctorate physical therapy, and are eligible to sit for the national physical therapy exam (NPTE).

For more information on the Athletic Training and the Exercise Science and Sports Studies Department, click here.

Degree Information

Degree: Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a major in Athletic Training

(120 - 121 credit hours) Requirements subject to change

Contact Information

For more information about the athletic training major and/or the athletic training/DPT dual admission program, contact Dr. Mary Barnum at (413) 748-3763 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257.

Curricular Requirements

General Education Program (40 - 46 credits)

The General Education program at Springfield College is informed by its century-old Humanics tradition of educating the whole person in spirit, mind, and body, for leadership in service to humanity. These requirements have the goal of developing literate, thoughtful, socially responsible students, and instilling in them a spirit of inquiry into the nature of humankind and the universe. Towards those ends, the requirements emphasize and encourage: the acquisition of knowledge, understanding, and competency essential for the improvement of the human condition in a diverse society; a search for personal and spiritual values; and the development of an understanding and appreciation of physical well-being. 

For specific requirements, see the General Education Program (40 - 46 credits)  section.

II. Major Requirements

III. Electives (to complete a minimum of 120-121 credits)

Program Standards

In order to qualify for to as an athletic training major, the student must meet the following standards.

Matriculation Standards:

1. All ATRN prefixed courses must be passed with a grade of B- or higher.  If the class in which the unacceptable grade is earned is a pre-requisite, the student will not be permitted to enroll in the next course in the sequence until an acceptable grade (B- or higher) in the pre-requisite class is achieved.  For example 227-228 sequence or 305-307 sequence.
2. All other required courses must be completed with a passing grade.  Grades of F and I are unacceptable.
3. A student must achieve and maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.000 or higher.     

Freshman students:

• with a cumulative GPA  below 2.500 will be dismissed from the program.
• with a cumulative GPA between 2.510 - 2.749 will be placed on academic probation.   Two consecutive semesters on academic probation in which the student’s cumulative GPA does not exceed 2.749 will result in dismissal from the program at the end of the freshman year.
• with a cumulative GPA between 2.750 and 2.999 will be placed on academic warning.  If, at the end of the freshman year, the student’s cumulative GPA remains between 2.750 and 2.999, the student is then placed on academic probation. 

Sophomore, junior and senior students:

• Students with a cumulative GPA between 2.75 - 2.999 will be placed on academic probation.  Two consecutive semesters on probation in which the student’s cumulative GPA does not show improvement or continues to decline will result in dismissal from the program.  Departmental probationary status is reviewed by the athletic training faculty on an individual basis after each semester.
• First semester sophomore students who are on academic probation may participate in ATRN 284: Sophomore Practicum I.  For students on academic probation, continued participation in clinical experiences beyond the first practicum will be reviewed case-by-case.

Terms:

• Warning: Indicates that student is not meeting matriculation standard and is used to alert student that they are in danger of being placed on departmental academic probation if grades do not improve.  Applies only during the freshman year of coursework.
• Probation: Indicates that the student is not meeting matriculation standard and alerts the student that if they fail to meet their pre-scripted probationary cumulative GPA for two consecutive semesters, they will be dismissed from the program.
• Dismissal: Indicates that the student’s cumulative GPA is below the probationary range (2.750 and 2.999) and/or failed to meet a pre-scripted probationary cumulative GPA for two consecutive semesters is being dismissed from the Athletic Training Major.  The student will need to transfer into a new major.

Proper professional and responsible behavior is expected of each student in the athletic training major.  Failure to maintain the established Standards of Professional Behavior will result in probation or dismissal from the program.  Standard of Professional Behavior for students in the ATRN Major include complying with:

1. The Student Code of Conduct as outlined in the Policies and Procedures section of your Springfield College Student Handbook.
2. The guidelines set forth in M.G.L., Chapter 112,S. 23E, Code 259 Regulation, Section o1 for Athletic Training Students by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Division of Professional Licensure Board.
3. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association Code of Ethics as applied to athletic training students in an educational program setting.
4. And maintaining a B- or better on all Evaluations of Meeting Standards of Professional Behavior conducted for all ATRN Practicum courses.
5. The student must meet the Athletic Training Technical Standards for admission and retention (available from the department).

Appeal Process

A Student may appeal any action taken by the department regarding his or her probation or dismissal from the major. In order to appeal, the student must submit a letter to the department of Exercise Science and Sports Studies (ESSS) chairperson requesting a review of their status. This appeal must be submitted within two weeks of the student being notified of his or her probation or dismissal. The athletic training program director will call a meeting of the appropriate faculty. The student will be notified within ten days of the meeting regarding the outcome of their appeal.

Technical Standards

The athletic training major at Springfield College is a rigorous and intense program that places specific requirements and demands on the students enrolled in the program. An objective of this program is to prepare graduates to enter a variety of athletic health care employment settings and to render care to a wide spectrum of individuals engaged in physical activity. The technical standards set forth by the athletic training major establish the essential qualities considered necessary for students admitted to this program to achieve the knowledge, skills, and competencies of an entry-level athletic trainer, as well as meet the expectations of the program’s accrediting agency, Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education(CAATE). The following abilities and expectations must be met by all students admitted to the athletic training major. In the event that these abilities are not met, a student will not be admitted into the program.

Compliance with the program’s technical standards does not guarantee a student’s eligibility for the BOC certification exam.

Candidates for selection to the athletic training major must demonstrate:

1. the mental capacity to assimilate, analyze, integrate concepts and problem solve to formulate assessment and therapeutic judgments and to be able to distinguish deviations from the norm;
2. sufficient postural and neuromuscular control, mobility, sensory function, strength, endurance and coordination to accurately, safely, and efficiently perform and/or provide;
   -appropriate physical examinations;
   -emergency care skills and procedures including transportation techniques (lifts, carries, and litters);
   -appropriate therapeutic techniques including use of equipment and exercise techniques
3. the ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, colleagues, other health care professionals including individuals from different cultural and social backgrounds; this includes, but is not limited to, the ability to establish rapport with patients and communicate judgments and treatment information effectively. Students must be able to understand and speak the English language at a level consistent with competent professional practice;
4. the ability to record the physical examination results and a treatment plan clearly and accurately;
5. the capacity to maintain composure and continue to function effectively and appropriately during periods of high stress;
6. flexibility and the ability to adjust to changing situations and uncertainty in clinical situations;
7. effective skills and appropriate demeanor and rapport that relate to professional education and quality patient care.
8. the perseverance, diligence and commitment to complete the athletic training education program as outlined and sequenced.

Candidates for selection to the athletic training educational program at Springfield College will be required to verify they understand and meet these technical standards or that they believe that, with certain accommodations, they can meet the standards. The Academic Success Center’s Learning Support Services will evaluate a student who states he/she could meet the program’s technical standards with accommodation and confirm that the stated condition qualifies as a disability under applicable laws.

If a student states he/she can meet the technical standards with accommodation, then the College will determine whether it agrees that the student can meet the technical standards with reasonable accommodation; this includes a review whether the accommodations requested are reasonable, taking into account whether accommodation would jeopardize clinician/ patient safety, or the educational process of the student or the institution, including all course work, clinical experiences and field work deemed essential to graduation.