MAT-Master of Athletic Training
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Distance Education Program
Program Description
INTRODUCTION
The Gannon University Master of Athletic Training (MAT) program is designed to prepare students to become certified Athletic Trainers through the Board of Certification (BOC). The Master of Athletic Training Program is designed around a comprehensive curriculum that has been created to integrate formal classroom instruction, online coursework and hands on, clinical education experiences.
Athletic Trainers (ATs) are health care professionals who collaborate with other healthcare providers, under the direction of a physician, to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic trainers provide medical services to all types of patients, not just athletes participating in sports. Athletic Trainers practice in professional, collegiate, high school, military, performing arts physician offices, industrial settings and a variety of other healthcare settings.
VISION
The Master of Athletic Training Program will be recognized within the community as a leader in preparing students to become exceptional athletic trainers, embracing social responsibility, and contributing to the profession’s body of knowledge.
MISSION
The mission of the Gannon University Athletic Training Program (ATP) is to prepare graduates to enter the field of athletic training as knowledgeable, skilled, confident, compassionate, and reflective healthcare professionals. The ATP will provide an environment to facilitate clinical reasoning by promoting critical thinking, professional and ethical behaviors, interprofessional collaboration, and patient-centered care through didactic learning, clinical experiences, integration of contemporary evidence-based practice, and student-faculty interactions. The ATP is designed to foster the ideals of life- long learning, social awareness, and service for the purpose of enabling graduates to act as leaders and advocates who serve their community and physically active patients in a rapidly changing healthcare environment.
PROGRAM GOALS
The Master of Athletic Training Program will:
Produce quality students who are prepared to transition and become excellent entry-level professionals and leaders in accordance with professional standards, responsibilities, and guidelines.
Promote and support excellence in academic and clinical teaching and learning by providing a safe and motivational learning environment.
Provide support and promote the field of athletic training in the community.
Promote, support, and participate in interprofessional and collaborative practice.
ACCREDITATION
The Gannon Master of Athletic Training program is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Only graduates of programs accredited through CAATE are eligible to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) examination for athletic trainers.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
ENTRY-LEVEL MASTER OF ATHLETIC TRAINING (POST BACCALAUREATE)
Students who have, or will have, completed an undergraduate degree will be considered for admission if they meet the following minimum qualifications:
Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
Overall undergraduate GPA of 2.80 or higher on a 4.0 scale
Prerequisite course at a C- or better.
3-4 credits of Biology (lab optional)
May not count anatomy or human physiology for the biology requirement.
3 credits Social/Behavioral Science (200 level or higher)
Gannon students are recommended to take PSYC 222, but other courses are acceptable.
3-4 credits Physics (lab optional)
3-4 credits Chemistry (lab required)
6-8 credits of Anatomy and Human Physiology (labs required)
Maybe taken as two 3-4 credit Anatomy and Physiology courses, with labs
OR taken as 3-4 credits of Anatomy with lab and 3-4 credits of Human Physiology with lab
3 credits of Statistics
Applicant demonstrates the ethical, personal, and professional qualities to fulfill the roll of the athletic trainer as determined by review of the applicant’s references
Meets Technical Standards of the athletic trainer
Successfully pass background checks as required
International Students: ILETS score of 6.5 or higher, or a TOEFL score of 69 or higher
The above requirements cannot be waived. Prerequisites must be completed within five years prior to the beginning of the first summer session after admission into the graduate program. Students not completing prerequisites at the time of application may be admitted provisionally, pending completion before the summer session begins.
The student is permitted to retake prerequisite courses but must recognize that, given the accelerated nature of the program, deviating from the designed progression is not recommended if the student is to stay on pace for successful matriculation through to the professional portion of the program.
No otherwise qualified individual, by reason of their disability alone, shall be excluded from admission to the program in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students must complete the Technical Standards form for admission. It is the policy of Gannon University and the GU MAT Program to affirmatively implement equal opportunity to all qualified applicants. In administering its affairs, the University and MAT Program shall not discriminate against any person on any basis prohibited by law. All aspects of student affairs and education of students including recruitment, admissions, financial aid, placement, access to facilities, student discipline, student life, and student employment conform to this policy.
3+2 ACCELERATED PATHWAY
5 YEAR MASTER OF ATHLETIC TRAINING
High school students will be eligible for the five-year accelerated pathway for the Master of Athletic Training program. For more information, see the programs in the Undergraduate Catalog:
BS- Applied Exercise Science 3+2 MAT
BS-Health Science-AT 3+2
ADMISSIONS PROCESS
Candidates for the entry-level master’s program will be considered for enrollment on a rolling basis. Students will be accepted for a summer semester entry only. Gannon University and the Master of Athletic Training program receives and reviews applications for the professional Master of Athletic Training program. Gannon internal candidates may apply through the Gannon University graduate admissions application process. Students entering the Master of Athletic Training program through any articulation agreements will be considered internal candidates. All external candidates (non-GU students) must apply through the Athletic Training College Application Service (ATCAS), provided by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Full application instructions can be found on the Gannon University, Master of Athletic Training page by visiting https://atcas.liaisoncas.com.
Students will be notified of admissions decisions after review from the Office of Graduate Admissions and the Master of Athletic Training Program admissions committee. Students will be required to submit official transcripts and verification of degree completion prior to starting course work. Students must attest they are able to meet the technical standards of the program prior to full admission. Additionally, students must complete a criminal background check, a completed physical examination, immunization records and proof of health insurance as part of the final application process. International students must submit a criminal background check from their country of citizenship in addition to any other criminal background checks required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Out of state students must complete a criminal background check in their state of residency in addition to any other criminal background checks required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The Master of Athletic Training Program has specified admissions guidelines for both five-year and post-baccalaureate students that are outlined on the Gannon Master of Athletic Training website.
3 + 2 MAT PROGRAM
Those students enrolled in either accelerated 3 + 2 MAT program must successfully complete the first-year graduate courses for completion of the intended undergraduate degree. Failure to successfully complete the graduate coursework may result in additional undergraduate coursework to fulfill the undergraduate degree requirements.
TECHNICAL STANDARDS OF THE ATHLETIC TRAINING STUDENT
The Gannon University Athletic Training Program (MAT) 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 MAT program establish the essential qualities considered necessary for students admitted to this program to achieve the competencies of an entry-level athletic trainer, as well as meet the expectations of the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. The following abilities and expectations must be met by all students admitted to the MAT program. 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 exam. Candidates for selection to the Athletic Training 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 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 ATP curriculum as outlined and sequenced.
Flexibility and the ability to adjust to changing situations and uncertainty in clinical situations.
Affective skills and appropriate demeanor and rapport that relate to professional education and quality patient care.
Candidates for selection to the Gannon University MAT 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 Gannon University Office of Accessibility Services (814-871-5522), located at Palumbo Academic Center 824 Peach St, Erie, PA 16541, will evaluate a student who states he/she could meet the program’s technical standards with accommodation and, given appropriate documentation, confirm that the stated condition qualifies as a disability under applicable laws.
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 of whether the accommodations requested are reasonable, taking into account whether the accommodations would jeopardize clinician/patient safety, or the educational process of the student or the institution, including all coursework and clinical experiences deemed essential to graduation.
These technical standards are necessary for full participation in the curriculum and it is expected that students will function independently, which generally means, without the aid of an intermediary, to achieve proficiency in all curricular areas. Applicants and students should review the technical standards for the AT Program carefully.
ACADEMIC PROGRESSION
Students enrolled in the MAT Program are preparing to enter the healthcare field and must maintain academic standards and rigors aligned with professional expectations. Students must maintain retention standards outlined in this Handbook and the Graduate Catalog for both programmatic and University criteria to remain in good academic standing. The following conditions are expectations of all MAT graduate students:
Graduate students must maintain a Cumulative GPA of a 3.0 or better. Students falling below this standard will be placed on academic probation within the program for no more than one semester. Students with a GPA below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters will meet with the MAT faculty to determine if they will be removed from the program or decelerated to retake course(s) the next time they are offered. Students who are decelerated may not matriculate in the course sequence until they successfully repeat any necessary course(s) to improve their GPA. Any course(s) to be taken again as part of a decelerated plan will be determined by the MAT faculty and the involved student. The Gannon Graduate Catalog does not permit graduate students to repeat more than six graduate level credits (500 level or higher).
Graduate students may not earn more than 2 C’s throughout the graduate program. Students earning a third C will meet with the MAT faculty to determine if they will be removed from the program or decelerated to retake course(s) the next time they are offered. Students who are decelerated may not matriculate in the course sequence until they successfully repeat any necessary course(s) to improve their GPA. Any course(s) to be taken again as part of a decelerated plan will be determined by the MAT faculty and the involved student. The Gannon Graduate Catalog does not permit graduate students to repeat more than six graduate level credits (500 level or higher).
Graduate students may not earn less than a B- in any clinical experience or immersive course. Students earning below a B- in any clinical experience or immersive course will meet with the MAT faculty to determine if they will be removed from the program or decelerated to retake course(s) the next time they are offered. Students who are decelerated may not matriculate in the course sequence until they successfully repeat any necessary course(s) to improve their GPA. Any course(s) to be taken again as part of a decelerated plan will be determined by the MAT faculty and the involved student. The Gannon Graduate Catalog does not permit graduate students to repeat more than six graduate level credits (500 level or higher).
Students failing (receiving below a C or 75%) in a single course will meet with the MAT faculty to determine if they will be removed from the program or decelerated to retake course(s) the next time they are offered. Students who are decelerated may not matriculate in the course sequence until they successfully repeat any necessary course(s) to improve their GPA. Any course(s) to be taken again as part of a decelerated plan will be determined by the MAT faculty and the involved student. The Gannon Graduate Catalog does not permit graduate students to repeat more than six graduate level credits (500 level or higher).
If any of the above conditions exist, the student will meet with the MAT faculty to create an individualized retention plan if it is determined they will be decelerated in the MAT program. Students not meeting the conditions of the retention plan will be removed from the program.