Mr. David Stuckey, Program Director
Master of Athletic Training
Hardin-Simmons University started a Master of Athletic Training (MAT) program in June, 2019. This 24-month program prepares students to become an entry-level athletic trainer. Program courses are now delivered online & begin in June. Besides the online courses, students are required to attend 6 1-week on-campus, intensive laboratory sessions during the first year. Failure to complete these sessions will delay or prevent graduation. These sessions typically occur:
• Mid-August
• Mid-October
• Early-Mid December
• Mid-March
• Mid-May
• Early January (Year 2)
The second year requires full-time clinical experiences for the fall & spring semesters.
Hardin-Simmons University is currently seeking accreditation for their new athletic training program and is not accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The institution will be submitting a self-study to begin the accreditation process on July 1, 2023. Submission of the self-study and completion of an onsite review does not guarantee that the program will become accredited. Students who graduate from the program prior to accreditation WILL NOT be eligible to sit for the credentialing examination for athletic trainers and will not be eligible for licensure in most states.
The program is a cohort-based, rigidly sequenced combination of classroom, laboratory and clinical experiences to provide students with the comprehensive knowledge, skills & abilities of the entry-level athletic trainer. The MAT program will continue the long tradition of our undergraduate athletic training program to provide you with unique opportunities to grow personally and professionally as an athletic trainer through an “education enlightened by faith.” Students apply to the program through the Athletic Training Centralized Application System (ATCAS) at: https://bit.ly/HSU-ATCAS
Students from other universities are welcome and encouraged to apply for admission into the MAT program following graduation, but there is a 3 year-2 year option available to HSU students, providing you the opportunity to earn both your bachelor’s and MAT degrees in 5 years. Details about the 3-2 option are provided below, please contact the program director with any questions.
All but 4 of the 50 credit hours of classroom/laboratory work are taken in the first 12 months of the program. The remaining 2 semesters are almost exclusively clinical experience. High-quality local experiences are available but the program is actively working to obtain new clinical sites throughout the region. Some examples of these sites are available on the program website in the Program FAQs tab (www.bit.ly/hsumat). Students are encouraged to work with program faculty to fit clinical sites and experiences to their career goals, while meeting program clinical requirements. Clinical experience requirements for the first year of the program are 60-100 hours in both fall & spring semesters. Second-year clinical experiences are required to be full-time (a minimum of over 30 hours per week) experiences. Exact time requirements for each clinical experience are determined by the site’s preceptor & the program’s clinical education coordinator; these will vary for different sites & could be significantly more than 30 hours/ week.
Successful completion of the MAT program makes students eligible for athletic training licensure through the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation & certification by the Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC) once CAATE accreditation is achieved. The MAT program reserves the right to modify graduation requirements at any time to maintain compliance with CAATE standards.
General MAT admission course/credit requirements (minimum grade required):
| Human Anatomy & Physiology |
8 hours (C) |
| Chemistry |
4 hours (D) |
| Physics |
4 hours (D) |
| Kinesiology/Biomechanics |
3 hours (C) |
| Exercise Physiology |
3 hours (C) |
| Nutrition |
3 hours (C) |
| Psychology |
6 hours/including 3 upper-level) (D) |
| Statistics |
3 hours/must be upper-level (C) |
50 observation hours with a licensed athletic trainer; at least 25 should be at a high school or college
2.75 overall undergraduate GPA minimum
2.5 overall prerequisite GPA preferred
GRE optional -- may be submitted in ATCAS
Early Admission (3-2) Option
This option (3 year undergraduate/2 year graduate) is available for HSU undergraduate students. Students pursuing this option complete most of the Exercise Science degree requirements, plus other specific prerequisite courses, as well as completing all Foundational Curriculum requirements prior to entry in the MAT program. Students will make application through the Athletic Training Centralized Application Service (https://bit.ly/HSU-ATCAS) their third (junior) year. If accepted into the MAT program, graduate courses will be substituted for upper-division course work in the undergraduate major of Exercise Science. Students not accepted through the Early Admission process, may complete their Exercise Science (or other) degree and reapply to be admitted after graduation.
Foundational Curriculum Requirements:
Oral Communication (3 credit hours; 1 course)
COMM 1301
Written Communication (6 credit hours; 2 courses)
ENGL 1301/ENGL 1302/ENGL 3300
Humanities (18 credit hours)
History and/or Philosophy (6 credit hours; 2 courses)
Sophomore Literature (3 credit hours; 1 course)
ENGL 2300
Fine Arts – Art, Music or Theater (3 credit hours)
Biblical/Christian Studies (6 credit hours; 2 courses)
BIBL 1301/BIBL 1302/RELI 2345
Social Sciences – completed within program requirements
Natural Sciences – completed within program requirements
Mathematics – completed within program requirements
Physical Wellness – completed within program requirements
3-2 admission has these additional course/program requirements (minimum grade required):
ATTR 1101 Intro to Athletic Training (B)
KINE 110X Aquatic course
KINE 1130 Strength & Flexibility (C)
KINE 1170 Wellness for Life
KINE 1301 Technology in Kinesiology, Health & Recreation
KINE 2303 Sport First Aid (B)
KINE 3302 Essential Elements of Nutrition
KINE 3313 Kinesiology
KINE 3314 Physiology of Exercise
FSSC 3360 Instruction of Strength & Conditioning (C)
KINE 4304 Statistical Methods
PSYC 1301 Introduction to Psychology (C)
PSYC Psychology upper-level course (C)
Recommended (1 course):
• PSYC 3302 Cognition, Learning & Motivation
• PSYC 3303 Abnormal Psychology
• PSYC 3316 Sport & Exercise Psychology
• PSYC 3318 Health Psychology
• PSYC 4312 Addiction & Recovery
• PSYC 4321 Psychological Counseling
Minimum 60 chapel credits
3.0 overall HSU undergraduate GPA preferred
Admission:
The MAT program uses a rolling admissions process; interviews and decisions are made while still accepting applications. Applications are submitted through the Athletic Training Centralized Application Service (https://bit.ly/HSU-ATCAS) and all are required to be verified before considered complete. Preference will be given to applications submitted before February 1. Students may apply before completing all prerequisites, but they must be completed prior to starting the program.
The MAT program admissions process is competitive, meaning some otherwise qualified students may not be admitted, depending on program capacity. Students will be rank-ordered based on their application materials, GPA and interview performance.
Admissions decisions are made by the MAT Program Director and Core Faculty. These faculty and other stakeholders will conduct interviews. If the faculty believes a student shows promise but has a GPA deficiency, admission may be made on a conditional basis. Questions regarding the specific prerequisite requirements and/or the admissions process should be directed to the MAT program director.
Some clinical sites may require a criminal background check. Prospective students should also be aware of credentialing agency requirements regarding a candidate’s previous criminal history. Students with a previous criminal history should direct questions regarding eligibility for athletic training licensure and/or certification to the MAT program director who will assist the student with contacting the appropriate agency.
Tuition & Fees
Costs for the program are listed on the MAT program website (https://www.hsutx.edu/academics/graduate-programs/masters-of-athletic-training/) under the Athletic Training Program-Related Costs tab.
Retention:
Once admitted into the MAT program, students must continue to demonstrate successful completion of academic courses and other continuing program benchmarks. Student compliance with these benchmarks is assessed constantly through the program. These benchmarks include maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students’ earning a grade of C in any course, will be put on probation. Any course with a grade below a C must be repeated during the probationary period. Students not progressing successfully may be placed on probation or dismissed from the program, based on the deficiency. Specific information concerning probation/dismissal policies is available in the MAT Program Handbook.
Professionalism/Behavior
MAT students, due to being in a professional program, are held to different standards of professional behavior. AT programs are responsible for ensuring that AT students have opportunities to learn and practice the standards expected of them.
This process considers AT student’s fitness to practice in relation to their behavior(s) and in relation to their health when appropriate. Poor health can affect a student’s fitness to practice either directly or by being a cause of misconduct.
Students are cautioned that actions outside the AT Program and/or off-campus may impact their AT Program status. Examples of such actions include but are not limited to other campus disciplinary action, criminal offenses, substance abuse, and academic dishonesty. The program will accept and act on information regarding fitness to practice concerns from anyone inside or outside the program.
Fitness to professionally practice concerns fall under current CAATE standard 65, the Foundational Behaviors of Professional Practice section of the 2010 NATA Educational Competencies, under the headings of legal practice, ethical practice, professionalism and the Athletic Training Licensure Statute and Rules. Because of this, students should be aware of their responsibilities as outlined in the HSU Student Handbook and the Graduate Bulletin.
Concerns with these types of issues cast doubt on the student’s decision-making, personal ethics & ability to act/practice professionally. Behaviors that breach University-level standards will be dealt with at that level first, then under the Fitness to Practice policy. The program reserves the right to suspend or otherwise restrict student participation based on the type of offense during this process. More information regarding the program’s Fitness to Practice policy is available in the MAT Student Handbook.
Graduate Coursework (** online; ^^ on-campus; ## clinical):
Year 1 Summer:
ATTR 6100 Introduction to Professional Practice **
ATTR 6301 Clinically Oriented Anatomy **
ATTR 6303 Fundamentals of Patient Assessment **
ATTR 6111 AT Skills Lab I ^^
Year 1 Fall (entire semester):
ATTR 6402 Fundamentals of Therapeutic Intervention **
Year 1 Fall Session 1 (8 weeks):
ATTR 6201 Emergency & Acute Care **
ATTR 6202 Application of Protective Equipment **
ATTR 6231 AT Clinical Experience I ##
ATTR 6112 AT Skills Lab II ^^
Year 1 Fall Session 2 (8 weeks):
ATTR 6411 Diagnosis & Management I **
KINE 6305 Statistics/Research **
ATTR 6113 AT Skills Lab III ^^
Year 1 Spring Session 1 (8 weeks):
ATTR 6413 Diagnosis & Management III **
ATTR 6414 Diagnosis & Management IV **
ATTR 6232 AT Clinical Experience II ##
ATTR 6114 AT Skills Lab IV ^^
Year 1 Spring Session 2 (8 weeks):
ATTR 6412 Diagnosis & Management II **
ATTR 6415 Diagnosis & Management V **
Year 2 Summer Session 1 (8 weeks):
ATTR 6304 Clinical Decision-Making **
ATTR 6115 AT Clinical Skills Lab V ^^
Year 2 Summer Session 1-2 (10 weeks):
ATTR 6203 Documentation & Reimbursement **
Year 2 Fall (entire semester):
ATTR 6101 Exam Preparation **
ATTR 6305 Healthcare Administration & Risk Management **
Year 2 Fall Session 1 (8 weeks):
ATTR 6533 AT Clinical Experience III ##
Year 2 Fall Session 2 (8 weeks):
ATTR 6534 AT Clinical Experience IV ##
Year 2 Spring Session 1 (8 weeks):
ATTR 6116 AT Clinical Skills Lab VI ^^
ATTR 6535 AT Clinical Experience V ##
Year 2 Spring Session 2 (8 weeks):
ATTR 6536 AT Clinical Experience VI ##