Athletic Training Degrees, Courses and Programs

Athletic training (also called athletic therapy in Canada and sports therapy in the United Kingdom, where the scope differs) is a regulated health-care profession in several countries. Athletic trainers work with athletes and active people to prevent injury, assess and manage injuries and illness, and support return to activity.

In the United States, entry to the profession is through accredited master’s-level programs and a national certification examination, with state regulation on top. Other countries have different structures and titles, so the same words can mean different scopes of practice.

Study in this area is often a mix of classroom, laboratory and supervised clinical practice. Programs that appear to be online usually still require in-person clinical placements.

Typical topics: Injury prevention, Assessment and evaluation, Therapeutic intervention, Emergency care, Clinical education, Health care administration.

Also called: Athletic therapy, Sports therapy, Sports injury management. These names lead to this one page.

Entering the profession typically requires graduating from a program accredited by the relevant body, passing the national certification or registration process where one exists, and meeting regional regulation. Programs that are not accredited for entry to practice are labelled as academic study only.

Each program below states its intended audience, whether prior professional registration is required, and links to current official requirements where we found them.

• Bachelor of Kinesiology (Athletic Therapy Option) (Acadia University - School of Kinesiology): Bachelor of Kinesiology students who have completed or registered in KINE 2413: Human Physiology 1 can apply.
• Honours Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences - Athletic Therapy (Sheridan College - Athletic Therapy): OSSD or equivalent with English (ENG4U) and Grade 12 Biology (U), each minimum 65%, plus one of Physics, Math or Chemistry (U) and three additional Grade 12 credits.
• Athletic Therapy (BSc) (Concordia University - Athletic Therapy): Admission is to the Major in Exercise Science.
• Bachelor of Kinesiology - Athletic Therapy (University of Manitoba - Athletic Therapy (Bachelor of Kinesiology)): Advanced entry: at least 24 credit hours of university-level study and minimum adjusted GPA of 2.0; meeting requirements does not guarantee acceptance.
• Master's Degree (MS) in Athletic Training (University of Kentucky): Graduate School requirements plus program-specific requirements; application through ATCAS and then the Graduate School.