Post-Professional Concentration

The M.S. in Athletic Training Post-Professional Concentration is a post-certification degree program and is offered in the Department of Sports Medicine. This program is appropriate for students who have completed an undergraduate degree in athletic training or students with a strong science and/or exercise science background. The program is a 36 credit, two year degree program that mandates the completion of either a Master's Thesis or Research Project. This program is designed to enrich academic preparation for graduate work beyond the master's degree and to advance the students' abilities as an athletic trainer by providing course work that will enhance clinical practice.

Contact Information

Spring 2020 Athletic Training Club News

Nicole Cattano, PhD, LAT, ATC
Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator for Post-Professional Program
222L Sturzebecker HSC
West Chester University
West Chester, PA 19380
Phone: 610-436-2250
Fax: 610-436-2803
Email: ncattano@wcupa.edu

Program Benefits

The program provides an advanced curriculum that enhances athletic training skills beyond the entry level and enriches academic preparation for advanced work in the field of exercise science. The program is interdisciplinary in nature and provides students with a well-rounded educational experience. The thesis requirement allows students to acquire skills to perform experimental research and to create a specialized area of interest. Students have the option of working with a diverse faculty with varied research interests. This includes working with novel technologies in the HEAT (Heat Illness Evaluation, Avoidance and Treatment) Institute and the possibility of studying a professional athlete population. Additionally, the Department of Sports Medicine offers several athletic training graduate assistantships, allowing students to remain clinically active while completing graduate studies. Graduates of the program are competitive and typically gain employment at the college/university level. Additionally, graduates have continued their education in other allied health programs, such as physician's assistant school.

Job placements of our recent graduates include:

University of Florida
Chestnut Hill College
East Stroudsburg University
Bryn Athyn College
North Shore High School
Mifflin County High School
Holy Family University
College of St. Elizabeth
Lehigh University
Gallaudet University
The Hill School
Gwynedd Mercy College
The Steadman Clinic
Catholic University

Admission Requirements

To be accepted as a fully matriculated student into the master's program, an applicant needs to meet the requirements for WCU graduate study. Specifically, a student must have a minimum 2.8 undergraduate GPA, a minimum 3.0 GPA in the major discipline, and a competitive GRE score. An applicant must present a bachelor's degree in athletic training or a program that includes the following undergraduate courses: human anatomy and physiology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and statistics. The application package must also include official transcripts representing all previous coursework, two letters of recommendation, and a written goals statement.

Students may apply online. When completing the online application process, you must create a profile and select your program of study. Be sure to select M.S. in Athletic Training Post-Professional Concentration within the Sports Medicine Department in the College of Health Sciences.