2012-2013

Athletic Training, Bachelor of Science

Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training

College of Health and Human Services

This degree prepares you to take the National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification exam. Certified athletic trainers are medical experts in preventing, recognizing, managing, and rehabilitating injuries that result from physical activity. Athletic training is recognized by the American Medical Association as an allied health-care profession.

This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).

This plan will not be available to new students after Summer 2013

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's diversity, liberal studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • At least 84 units of major requirements
  • Be aware that you may not use courses with an AT prefix to satisfy liberal studies requirements. Contact your department for information about liberal studies courses that are specific to this major.
  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Major GPA C
Highest Mathematics Required MAT 125
Additional Admission Requirements Required
Fieldwork Experience/Internship Required
Progression Plan Link Not Available

Additional Admission Requirements

  • Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

  • Admission to NAU's athletic training education program is highly competitive. We base admission decisions on:
    • The coursework you've completed
    • Minimum college grade point average (GPA) of 2.75
    • Experience in athletic training (You need at least 80 observation hours under a certified athletic trainer (one who bears an active "ATC" designation), and completion of BIO 192 with a grade of "C" or better OR one year under an ATC.)
    • Letter of application
    • Letters of recommendation
    • An interview
    • A practical examination
    Prerequisite courses that must be completed or in progress at the time of application to the program are:
    Upon admission, we require that you have a physical exam by a physician of your choice; show proof of immunization for hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria; and attest that you meet the technical standards established by our program and by Northern Arizona University's Disability Support Services.

    Please see the athletic training education offices in NAU's College of Health and Human Services for an application.

    Transfer Admission Policy
    If you are a transfer student, you must submit a completed application to the Athletic Training Education Program. With your application, you must also submit syllabi for any courses previously taken that are required for Northern Arizona University’s B.S. in Athletic Training. To ensure that you meet all competencies, our faculty then review your transcripts and syllabi to evaluate your course equivalencies and clinical experiences.

    Probationary Admission Policy
    After you are invited to join our program, you must continue to maintain at least a 2.75 GPA. If your GPA drops below the required 2.75 during the spring term before beginning the program in the fall, you then begin the program on clinical probation. This limits the hours of experience you are allowed in your clinical setting.
Major Requirements
Teacher Preparation
  • If you plan to teach in the secondary schools, you must complete a teacher-preparation plan in addition to this athletic training major. For information about these requirements, see the heading Master's Degree in Teacher Preparation in Secondary Education (within Teaching and Learning) in the Education section of this catalog. You must work with an advisor from the College of Education to fulfill these 36 units to complete your M.Ed.

    No minor is required. However, if you complete the teacher preparation for secondary education, you should also complete a minor in an area of teaching interest. You should arrange this with your major advisor as well as with an advisor for the minor. You may use the units from your completed minor to satisfy the general electives requirements described earlier.
General Electives

  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.