Due to changing national accreditation standards and an anticipated growth in demand for athletic trainers in the coming years, UW–Madison’s Athletic Training program has successfully transitioned to the master’s degree level and is up and running with two program cohorts.
The Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program — which was approved by the UW System’s Board of Regents in April of 2020 — officially launched in the summer of 2021 and will graduate its first cohort of 12 students this spring.
“The shift took a lot of hard work from a number of committed people,” says Andrew Winterstein, who directs UW–Madison’s Athletic Training program, which is housed in the School of Education’s Department of Kinesiology. “But it’s been an exciting journey and we’re very proud of how we’ve built off our tradition of excellence and made our program even stronger.”
Adds Winterstein: “It is exciting to see our first group one semester away from graduating. They are making program history as our first professional AT program graduates at the MS level.”
Winterstein notes that the changing nature of health care and an increased emphasis on inter-professional practice makes the master’s level of education increasingly important to the profession’s future. He adds that moving the program to the master’s degree level has allowed it to focus more directly on professional content as students come in with an array of strong science prerequisites.
“We have also been able to expand our content and coursework in the areas of clinical research, informatics, and quality improvement,” says Winterstein. “We’ve also added more robust general medicine courses and diagnostic imaging, and many other key areas that will better prepare ATs for the future of health care.”
The current MSAT program at UW–Madison replaced the previous Athletic Training program offered at the bachelor’s degree level. Athletic training programs across the country made the transition following a decision from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), the Board of Certification (BOC), and National Athletic Trainers Association.
Athletic trainers are multi-skilled health care professionals who collaborate with physicians as part of a health care team to provide preventive services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic trainers provide this health care in a variety of settings for people involved in all levels of physical activity. They do everything from creating injury prevention programs at high schools, to providing health care to intercollegiate or professional sports teams. Others help workers safely perform on a factory assembly line, or treat patients of all ages and skill levels in a clinical rehabilitation setting.
And the job outlook for athletic trainers is promising. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of athletic trainers will grow 17 percent from 2021 to 2031, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for athletic trainers is expected to increase as people become more aware of the long-term effects of sports-related injuries, and as a growing middle-aged and older population remains active.
The MSAT program at UW–Madison takes 24 months to complete, begins with a summer session, and includes capstone clinical preceptorships in local environments and locations around the country. The curriculum, which includes 58 credits, is front-loaded in year one (summer, fall, and spring semesters), with a heavy didactic schedule and limited clinical experiences. The second year (summer, fall, and spring semesters) then stresses immersive clinical field placements supported by innovative courses that include both face-to-face and online formats.
One aspect of the UW–Madison program that stands out is how it gives its students the opportunity of working with elite Big Ten Conference athletes competing at the highest level of intercollegiate sports. In addition, clinical education is guided by a talented collection of athletic training professionals dedicated to preparing students in the program for their future.
“Something new and exciting in the MSAT program is that we’re offering more immersive clinical experiences for the students at a variety of locations around the country and in our own Big Ten settings,” says Shari Clark, a member of the teaching faculty and the program’s former clinical education coordinator. “These intensive experiences are providing authentic clinical learning experiences to prepare students for a range of patient care.”
As a comprehensive university, UW–Madison also offers countless collaborative interprofessional education, research, and care opportunities where MSAT students can learn from physicians with the UW School of Medicine and Public Health in the classroom, operating room, and athletic health care setting. Additional opportunities exist alongside other health science students studying to become physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician assistants.
“We’re very excited about the opportunities that our new MSAT program is bringing to our students,” says David Bell, an associate professor with the Department of Kinesiology and the director of the Wisconsin Injury in Sport Laboratory. “Students are able to add to their clinical experience by learning about and participating in research that will directly benefit their patients.”
“If you enjoy sports and physical activity, solving problems, caring for patients, and working with people, then a career in athletic training might be for you,” says Winterstein.
For more information visit the MSAT program’s website.