
Athletic Training
As an Athletic Training student at Marietta, you'll study anatomy using a human cadaver -- something most students never see until medical school. You'll learn about everything from athletic training and applied nutrition to pathophysiology and kinesiology. The Athletic Training Education program at Marietta gives you a major that integrates intensive study of both medicine and the health sciences with a broad educational foundation that instills in you the critical thinking and communication skills that careers in the health care industry demand.
Marietta's Athletic Training Education program was one of the first in the nation to be accredited as a full major by the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA). It was also the first program in the state of Ohio to receive national recognition through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Classes are taught in Marietta's impressive new Sports Medicine Clinic, which features treatment rooms, a taping room, classrooms, areas for electrotherapy and hydrotherapy, and the latest in modern equipment for teaching and treatment processes. Our Dyson Baudo Recreation Center and football stadium, as well as the Ban Johnson Field House, also house satellite training rooms, while the cadaver room is in the new $10 million Rickey Science Center.
Successful graduates are qualified to sit for the Board of Certification exam to become certified athletic trainers.
Required Courses
All majors in the Athletic Training program are required to take the following courses:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Psychology
- Fundamentals of Athletic Training
- Applied Nutrition
- Personal Health
- Medical Aspects of Sports Medicine
- Therapeutic Rehabilitation
- Therapeutic Modalities
- Physiology of Exercise
- Practical Biomechanics
- Pathophysiology
- Cadaver Anatomy
- Clinical practica in Lower Extremity, Upper Extremity, Head and Spine Advanced Assessment, Advanced Assessment
- Organization and Administration
- Junior / Senior Capstone Course: Research and Design I, II & III
Junior / Senior Capstone Course: Research and Design I, II & III
In the Athletic Training major the capstone course begins during the spring semester of the student’s Junior year (SPTM 484). During the semester students are instructed on research fundamentals and begin to formulate ideas for their topic of interest. Research topics in the Athletic Training majors can include areas in therapeutic rehabilitation, therapeutic modalities, nutrition, exercise physiology, and injury prevention.
During the student's Senior year their topic has been approved by the college’s Human Subjects Review board, and they begin to collect data (SPTM 485). After the data is collected students will conduct a statistical analysis to determine significant findings. During the spring semester of the Senior year (SPTM 486) students present the results of their study to faculty members in the department and their student peers. By joining the NATA ( National Athletic Trainers Association) students are eligible to apply for funding from the OATA (Ohio Athletic Trainers Association) research grant committee to help pay for cost associated with their research project.
Places a Degree Can Take You
Internships
Our varsity sports teams serve as natural laboratories for athletic training students. Assigned to the various teams, all our majors accrue at least 800 clinical hours during four semesters. You'll receive comprehensive training by dealing with athletic injuries and overseeing rehabilitation therapy. Off campus, you'll gain expertise by working at privately owned sports medicine clinics, physician offices and hospital emergency rooms in the Marietta area.
Successful Alumni
Our graduates enter some of the nation's top health-related graduate programs, where they continue preparing for careers in athletic training, physical therapy, medicine, physician assistants, and exercise physiology. Those who enter the workforce immediately after graduation work as athletic trainers with colleges, universities, high schools, and professional teams. Other job opportunities include sports medicine clinics, fitness centers, and corporate fitness programs.
Scholarship Opportunities
The National Athletic Trainers Association and the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association offer scholarships for athletic training students.
