About the Program

The Post-Professional Graduate Athletic Training Program is CAATE-accredited. Since 1972, Ohio University has been educating post-professional students to become leaders and contributing members of the athletic training profession. We offer a two-year program that emphasizes academics, research and clinical practice. This advanced program, focusing on research, evidence and best practices in clinical practice, communication and leadership, challenges students to become better clinicians, scholars, teachers, leaders and assets to the community. Students who successfully complete the program will receive a master of science in athletic training degree.

Students may elect to complete a research project or a thesis as partial fulfillment of the requirements to graduate. Our program is designed to accomplish two goals: (1) guide students through the research process as they work to complete an original data-driven research project or thesis, and (2) teach students to analyze translational research in an effort to inform clinical practice. Experienced faculty mentors guide the student both in class and in one-to-one mentorship meetings to meet both goals. Students are encouraged to pursue grant opportunities from the Graduate Student Senate, professional organizations and other private organizations.

In addition to the quality research that our students complete and submit for publication, we offer valuable teaching experiences. Post-professional students may serve as teaching assistants in our professional (undergraduate) athletic training program. Post-professional students are also offered the opportunity to function as preceptors so that they may directly supervise undergraduate students in a clinical experience.

Campuses

Each post-professional admissions class is composed of graduate students representing two campuses. The Athens Campus, chartered in 1787, is located on the main campus in Southeastern Ohio. Located in an Appalachian setting, the Athens Campus offers a residential learning experience in one of the nation’s most picturesque academic campuses, serving nearly 6,000 graduate and medical students and over 18,000 undergraduate students. In contrast, the Dublin Campus, located 15 minutes northwest of Columbus, Ohio, opened its doors in 2015 and is an academic campus offering graduate medical and health science programs. The Dublin community hosts the Memorial Golf Tournament annually and offers access to three different medical centers within the Dublin city limits. Currently, there are less than 400 Ohio University (OHIO) students enrolled at the Dublin Campus.

Program Design

The post-professional program aims to develop scholarly clinicians. The curriculum consists of a two-year, five semester academic plan. All students (Athens and Dublin) complete a summer semester on the main campus in Athens during July of their first year. This is followed by two fall and two spring semesters on each cohort’s respective campus. While Athens and Dublin offer classes on their own campuses, nearly half of the curriculum is delivered to both cohorts simultaneously via PolyCom technology. This allows both cohorts to learn from each other’s unique experiences.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships may be available for students who are Ohio licensed athletic trainers or West Virginia registered athletic trainers.

Athens Graduate Assistantships

Athens graduate assistantships are located in a medically underserved area and provide an important community service. While managing the health of patients, the program also strives to raise public awareness of the role of the contemporary athletic trainer. 

The graduate assistantships available in Athens range from completely autonomous experiences at a rural high school without supervision from an experienced AT to autonomous sport (e.g., baseball, football, ice hockey, soccer, softball, swimming, track and field, wresting) or performance specific (e.g., The Marching 110, theatre, ROTC) experiences with various levels of mentorship from an experienced AT. Contact Chad Starkey, PhD, AT FNATA, at starkeyc@ohio.edu for more information.

• Campus recreation
• High schools in Southeastern Ohio
• Intercollegiate athletics
• Science and Health in Artistic Performance (SHAPe) Clinic

Dublin Graduate Assistantships

Dublin graduate assistantships are offered through a unique partnership with Ohio Health Sports Medicine, the largest sports medicine program in Central Ohio. These assistantships are offered throughout Central Ohio at local high schools and sport clubs.

The graduate assistantships in Dublin are based upon the model of transitioning a young professional to practice with active mentorship. Each clinical site is staffed by a full-time AT with multiple years of experience and a graduate assistant. While the graduate assistant will have an autonomous sport experience, active mentorship and administrative oversight is available daily to facilitate the transition from professional student to practicing clinician. Additionally, Ohio Health offers each graduate assistant the opportunity to earn additional experiences at large events such as the Columbus Marathon and the Memorial Golf Tournament. Contact Laura Harris, PhD, AT, at harrisl2@ohio.edu for more information. The following list provides examples of available graduate assistantships in Dublin.

• Columbus Crew Soccer Club – Youth Development Academy
• High schools in Central Ohio (i.e., Columbus suburbs)
• Ohio Wesleyan University

Institutional Aggregate Data:

Retention rate:  97%
Graduation rate:  97%
Transfer-out rates:  0%
Job placement:  89%

*Job placement includes students who continued their education; 12 students elected to pursue other life options.

Applying to the Program

Graduate Program Brochure 2020-2021 (pdf)   (curriculum included) 
Program Application Form (doc)
Evaluation Form (doc) 

Watch a video about athletic training at Ohio University

Student Resources

• Student Accessibility Services
• OHIO Graduate Student Handbook
• Academic Calendar with Drop Deadlines
• Schedule of Classes
• Canceling Registration or Withdrawing from University
• Dropping Courses
• Academic Misconduct
• Ombuds
• Thesis and Dissertation Services
• Reporting a Student of Concern

Athletic Training Professional Organizations

• National Athletic Trainers Association
• Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
• Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer
• Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Athletic Trainers Board

Contact

Program Director: 
Chad Starkey, PhD, AT, FTNATA 
740.593.1217 
starkeyc@ohio.edu

 

We appreciate any questions or comments.