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Athletic Training Education Program criteria and guidelines
The athletic training major is designed to prepare students to take the Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer exam (BOCATC) for the purpose of becoming a certified athletic trainer (ATC). Acceptance into the athletic training education program is competitive. Applications are accepted two times each year, due Oct. 1 and Feb. 1. Students have until the February deadline of their sophomore year to apply to the program. Acceptance procedures for transfer students vary depending on the institution the student is transferring from (i.e., accredited or non-accredited program). There is no guarantee that students joining the program late in their college career will be able to graduate in four years.
Each interested student must submit a formal application to the program. If the student meets all the necessary criteria (listed below), he or she will be interviewed by the athletic training program director and staff. Students intending to pursue a career in athletic training will be given preference.
Admission requirements
Students interested in enrolling in the Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) must:
- Complete an application to the program;
- Meet established technical standards, assessed through a student’s grade point average (GPA), successful completion of mock assessments and results of a physical examination by a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner;
- Be certified in First Aid/CPR/AED;
- Complete 30 observation hours and required clinical rotations;
- Meet the following additional criteria:
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
- Passing of the following class:
- KIN 151: Introduction to Athletic Training
- Completion of the following classes with a C- or better:
- CHE 101: College Chemistry
- BIO 121: Human Anatomy or BIO 102 or BIO 115
- Currently Enrolled in the following classes:
- KIN 152: Emergency Care & Environ Considerations in AT
- KIN 234: Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries
- CHE 102: College Chemistry
- BIO 122: Human Physiology (not required if completed BIO 102 or BIO 115)
- Participate in an interview with the ATEP staff and one athletic training student.
Note: Students who meet all the above criteria still may be denied admission to the ATEP if the program is full. ATEP staff are committed to maintaining a faculty/staff-to-student ratio that ensures high-quality education and supervision.
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Technical standards for admission
The Athletic Training Education Program at Northwestern College is rigorous and intense. An objective of this program is to prepare graduates to enter a variety of employment settings and to render care to a wide spectrum of individuals engaged in physical activity. The technical standards set forth by the ATEP establish the essential qualities considered necessary for students admitted to this program to achieve the knowledge, skills and competencies of an entry-level athletic trainer, as well as to meet the expectations of the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The following abilities and expectations must be met by all students admitted to the ATEP. In the event a student is unable to fulfill these technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, the student will not be admitted into the program.
Compliance with the program’s technical standards does not guarantee a student’s eligibility for the Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer (BOCATC) certification exam.
Candidates for selection to the Athletic Training Education Program must demonstrate:
- The mental capacity to assimilate, analyze, synthesize, integrate concepts and problem solve to formulate assessment and therapeutic judgments and to be able to distinguish deviations from the norm;
- Sufficient postural and neuromuscular control, sensory function and coordination to perform appropriate physical examinations using accepted techniques, and to accurately, safely and efficiently use equipment and materials during the assessment and treatment of patients;
- The ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and colleagues, including individuals from different cultural and social backgrounds. This includes, but is not limited to, the ability to establish rapport with patients and communicate judgments and treatment information effectively. Students must be able to understand and speak the English language at a level consistent with competent professional practice;
- The ability to record the physical examination results and a treatment plan clearly and accurately;
- The capacity to maintain composure and continue to function well during periods of high stress;
- The perseverance, diligence and commitment to complete the ATEP as outlined and sequenced;
- Flexibility and the ability to adjust to changing situations and uncertainty in clinical situations; and
- Effective skills and appropriate demeanor and rapport that relate to professional education and high-quality patient care.
Candidates for selection to the ATEP will be required to verify they understand and meet these technical standards or that they believe, with certain accommodations, they can meet the standards.
 Learn more
Meeting the technical standards with accommodation
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Admission procedures for transfer students
Students transferring to Northwestern College’s Athletic Training Education Program must first declare this intention in writing to the athletic training program director. Each transfer student will be evaluated individually to determine his/her suitability for the program as well as an appropriate entry level. This evaluation will be made only after the program director has received the following:
- A letter of recommendation from the program director/head athletic trainer of the institution from which the student is transferring;
- Documentation of hours from the above-mentioned program director/head athletic trainer;
- Transcripts from the institution from which the student is transferring; and
- A copy of the competencies and proficiencies matrix of the courses the student has successfully completed at his/her previous institution (if an accredited ATEP).
It is unlikely a transfer student will have accumulated many clinical hours that can be applied toward the clinical experience. However, if a transfer student feels such time has been accumulated, the student must provide Northwestern’s program director written documentation from his/her former supervising certified athletic trainer. This documentation must include a weekly log of hours, a list of completed clinical experiences and competencies, and a statement signed by the certified athletic trainer verifying satisfactory completion of the competencies in question.
All competencies must meet the standards set forth by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). Course work more than three years old will need to be repeated. Any request for course credit transfer must be made to the registrar’s office and then communicated to the program director. The following describes in more detail the procedures, depending on the type of institution from which a student is transferring.
Learn more
Accredited program transfer
Non-accredited program transfer
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Retention requirements
In order to maintain “athletic training student” status, one must:
- Maintain a cumulative college GPA of 2.5;
- Minimum of a C or higher all Kinesiology (KIN) course requirements;
- Minimum of C- or higher in all cognate requirements;
- Maintain First Aid/CPR/AED certification;
- Obtain and maintain professional membership (required by beginning of third year);
- Successfully complete proficiency assessments and demonstrate learning over time;
- Show effort and demonstrate the appropriate professional and ethical standards; and
- Complete the minimum number of clinical instruction/observation hours required for adequate progression toward the program total of 800 hours:
- Level 1: 30 hours (these must be completed before official acceptance to the program)
- Level 2: 220 hours
- Level 3: 250 hours
- Level 4: 300 hours;
- Attend weekly meetings with an approved clinical instructor (ACI); and
- Adhere to the clinical rotation schedule (see the ATEP handbook).
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Graduation requirements
In order to graduate, athletic training students must:
- Have a cumulative college GPA of 2.5;
- Have First Aid/CPR/AED certification;
- Be in good standing as a National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) member;
- Be proficient in all clinical competencies that meet the standards set forth by the NATA;
- Have completed the minimum number (800) of clinical instruction/observation hours required;
- Have completed the required clinical rotations; and
- Pass the fitness assessment that is required of all kinesiology majors (final year of program).
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Degree-completion timeline
The ATEP is designed to be completed in a typical eight-semester sequence, including all course work and clinical experiences. Situations that may prolong a student’s completion of the program may include but are not limited to:
- Athletic participation or co-curricular activities;
- Participation in study abroad or an off-campus semester;
- Transferring from another institution;
- Delaying admission to the ATEP until after a student’s third semester at Northwestern; and
- Other extenuating circumstances that require a student to miss a semester of college.
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