Athletic Training Major (B.S.)

Requirements for Admission to the Athletic Training Education Program

A committee, based upon current selection criteria, will select students to be admitted to the Athletic Training Education Program. Students should apply to the Athletic Training Education Program after completing the prerequisite application requirements. All application forms can be downloaded from the Athletic Training Education Program website (www.svsu.edu/phe/at.cfm). The admission process takes place twice a year and actual admission occurs at the beginning of fall or winter semesters.

Technical Standards For Admission

The Athletic Training Education Program at Saginaw Valley State University is a rigorous and intense program that places specific requirements and demands on the students enrolled in the program. 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 Athletic Training Education Program 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 meet the expectations of the program’s accrediting agency, the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). All students admitted to the Athletic Training Education Program must meet the following abilities and expectations. 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 BOC certification exam.

Candidates for selection to the Athletic Training Education Program must demonstrate:

1. 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.
2. Sufficient postural and neuromuscular control, sensory function, and coordination to perform appropriate physical examinations using accepted techniques; and accurately, safely and efficiently use equipment and materials during the assessment and treatment of patients.
3. 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 judgment and treatment information effectively. Students must be able to understand and speak the English language at a level consistent with competent professional practice.
4. The ability to record the physical examination results and a treatment plan clearly and accurately.
5. The capacity to maintain composure and continue to function well during periods of high stress.
6. The perseverance, diligence and commitment to complete the athletic training education program as outlined and sequenced.
7. Flexibility and the ability to adjust to changing situations and uncertainty in clinical situations.
8. Affective skills and appropriate demeanor and rapport that relate to professional education and quality patient care.

Candidates for selection to the athletic training education program will be required to verify they understand and meet these technical standards or that they believe that, with certain accommodations, they can meet the standards.

The Office of Disability Services at SVSU can assist with accommodations for those with learning or physical disabilities SVSU will make every reasonable attempt to meet the needs of qualified individuals.

If a student states he/she can meet the technical standards with accommodation, then the University will determine whether it agrees that the student can meet the technical standards with reasonable accommodation; this includes a review a whether the accommodations requested are reasonable, taking into account whether accommodation would jeopardize clinician/patient safety, or the education process of the student or the institution, including all coursework, clinical experiences and internships deemed essential to graduation.

Selection Criteria for the Athletic Training Education Program

Ordinarily, the entering class is admitted to the Athletic Training Education Program in the fall or winter semesters. Admission to SVSU is required for, but does not guarantee, acceptance into the Athletic Training Education Program. The program is planned to accommodate a limited number of students each year and this number may vary depending on available resources. Prospective students must submit an application for admission to the Athletic Training Education Program by April 15 preceding fall admission or by November 15th preceding winter admission. Preference will be given to those applicants who have:

1. Completed a minimum of 12 college level semester hours and are currently enrolled in a minimum of 12 college level semester hours.
2. Achieved a minimum cumulative 2.75 GPA for all completed course work (based on all college-level work computed both at SVSU and at other schools and colleges).
3. Completed (or are in the process of completing) the following courses with a GPA of 2.75 or better in each:
   1. KINE 120 First Aid & CPR for the Professional Rescuer
   2. KINE 232 Athletic Injury Managment 
   3. KINE 232L Athletic Injury Management Laboratory
   4. KINE 252 Introduction to Athletic Training & Exercise Science
4. The following valid certifications (or their equivalents):
   1. Sport Safety Training - American Red Cross
   2. CPR for the Professional Rescuer - American Red Cross
5. Completed a minimum of 50 voluntary observational clinical hours under the direct supervision of a BOC certified athletic trainer. These hours need to be recorded on the appropriate form, which will be provided. Transfer students may complete documented observational clinical hours under the direct supervision of a certified athletic trainer at the institution from which they are transferring. These hours must be completed under the direct supervision of a Board of Certification certified instructor.
6. Submitted two letters of recommendation.

Standards for Retention in the Athletic Training Education Program

Students will be retained within the SVSU Athletic Training Education Program providing the following criteria are maintained throughout the student’s undergraduate experience:

1. Receive a grade of “C” or better in all major courses within the Athletic Training major and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75.
2. Receive written clinical evaluations that reflect positive advancement in the Athletic Training Education Program. The Clinical Instructors of the Athletic Training Education Program will complete evaluations at the end of each semester.
3. Maintain personal liability insurance in order to participate in clinical experiences.
4. Demonstrate professional and ethical behavior as members in the Athletic Training Education Program.
5. Abide by all policies and procedures as outlined in the Athletic Training Student Handbook of the Athletic Training Education Program at SVSU.

NOTE: A student failing to fulfill any of the above requirements will be removed from the clinical portion of the Athletic Training Education Program until the deficiency is satisfactorily remedied. The faculty and staff reserve the right to dismiss students from the program when the student fails to comply with the outlined requirements.

Athletic Training Clinical Education Experience

All athletic training students will have the opportunity to participate in upper extremity intensive, lower extremity intensive, equipment intensive, and general medical clinical education experiences with a variety of different populations including genders, varying levels of risk, and protective equipment. These clinical experiences will allow students opportunities to practice with different patient populations in different athletic and allied health care settings. Athletic training students will have the opportunity to participate in clinical education experiences at off-campus sites. All athletic training students who participate in clinical education experiences off campus must provide their own transportation to each clinical site as well as meet additional requirements as established at each off-campus site.

Eligibility for Certification

Certifying athletic trainers ensures high standards of professional practice. Certification by the Board of Certification (BOC) is considered the entry-level credential and is required by most employers nationwide. Students in the Athletic Training Education Program at Saginaw Valley State University will become eligible to sit for the BOC certification examination if they complete all of the athletic training major requirements and university requirements for graduation.

In addition to certification, athletic trainers may have to meet individual state licensing and regulation requirements. To determine if these added requirements apply, athletic trainers must check with the states in which they practice.

General Education and Major Required Courses: (89 credits)