Athletic Training
Preventing, diagnosing, and treating movement-related injuries.
Athletic training prepares students to prevent, assess, and treat injuries, particularly musculoskeletal ones, in athletes and physically active people, combining anatomy and injury science with hands-on clinical skills. Many programs are now offered at the master's level with an undergraduate pre-athletic-training track.
Clinical education hours are required throughout the program, working under supervision with sports teams, clinics, or rehabilitation settings to apply assessment and treatment skills in real time.
Typical courses you might take
- ✓Human Anatomy & Physiology
- ✓Kinesiology & Biomechanics
- ✓Injury Assessment & Evaluation
- ✓Therapeutic Modalities
- ✓Therapeutic Exercise & Rehabilitation
- ✓Emergency Care & First Response
- ✓Pharmacology for Athletic Trainers
- ✓Clinical Education Rotations
Sample four-year plan
Illustrative, not a registration planOne possible way these courses could be sequenced alongside general education and elective credit. Real programs vary in order, pacing, and prerequisites by school, use this to get a rough sense of the arc, not to plan actual registration.
- ✓Human Anatomy & Physiology
- +General education requirement
- ✓Kinesiology & Biomechanics
- +General education requirement
- ✓Injury Assessment & Evaluation
- +General education requirement
- ✓Therapeutic Modalities
- +Free elective
- ✓Therapeutic Exercise & Rehabilitation
- +Free elective
- ✓Emergency Care & First Response
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Pharmacology for Athletic Trainers
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Clinical Education Rotations
- +Capstone, thesis, or culminating project (common in many programs)
Skills you'll build
This major might be a good fit if you...
- ★Interested in sports medicine and hands-on injury care
- ★Calm and decisive in urgent or high-pressure moments
- ★Comfortable working closely with athletes and coaches
- ★Willing to commit to a structured, clinically intensive program
Common minors & double-major pairings
Kinesiology · Biology · Psychology
Roles this major could lead to
Factual, day-to-day descriptions from our Career Role Encyclopedia, not a guarantee this major leads to any specific job.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Athletic Training major?
Preventing, diagnosing, and treating movement-related injuries.
What courses do Athletic Training majors take?
Typical coursework includes classes like Human Anatomy & Physiology, Kinesiology & Biomechanics, Injury Assessment & Evaluation, among others, see the full course list above for this major's typical lineup.
What skills do you build in a Athletic Training program?
Athletic Training coursework typically builds skills like Injury assessment and emergency response, Designing rehabilitation programs, Applying therapeutic techniques and modalities, Working calmly in high-pressure, live situations.
Is Athletic Training a good major for me?
It tends to be a good fit if signals like "Interested in sports medicine and hands-on injury care" or "Calm and decisive in urgent or high-pressure moments" describe you. See the full "good fit if you..." list above for more.
What can you do with a Athletic Training degree?
Majors in this field often go on to roles like Athletic Trainer. See our Career Role Encyclopedia for more, a major shapes what you study, not a guarantee of any specific job.
What other majors pair well with Athletic Training?
Common minor or double-major pairings include Kinesiology, Biology, Psychology.
How is Athletic Training different from Kinesiology & Exercise Science?
They're related but distinct. Athletic Training: Preventing, diagnosing, and treating movement-related injuries. Kinesiology & Exercise Science: The science of human movement, fitness, and physical performance. Use the compare tool to see courses and skills side by side.
How long does it take to earn a Athletic Training degree?
Most bachelor's degrees, including this one, are designed to be completed in about four years of full-time study. Exact timing depends on your school, course load, transfer credit, and any changes of major along the way.
Printed from majoratlas.com/majors/athletic-training