Why Earn Your MSAT?
An athletic trainer is a healthcare professional who works with physicians to provide physical medicine, prevent and diagnose injury, and treat and rehabilitate acute and chronic issues that would impair or limit their patients’ activity. Â鶹ӰÊÓ offers an entry-level Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT), as well as an accelerated five-year Kinesiology and Athletic Training 3:2 program. Pacific’s MSAT program prepares Â鶹ӰÊÓs to sit the Board of Certification exam, along with additional opportunities to obtain certifications throughout their course of study. Pacific students in the MSAT program also complete five semesters of clinical educational experience. Meeting this program requirement enables MSAT students to gain valuable professional experience in a wide variety of clinical settings, such as high schools, universities, professional soccer and hockey teams, medical clinics and fire and rescue units.
The MSAT program is located on the Â鶹ӰÊÓ Hillsboro Campus, which is home to Pacific's College of Health Professions. By virtue of being co-located on the Hillsboro Campus with other professional healthcare students, MSAT students participate in an interdisciplinary learning environment. This collaborative educational experience prepares MSAT students to work as part of an interprofessional team to deliver patient care and excel within the athletic training field professionally.
What Can You Do with a MSAT Degree?
In 2015, the AT Strategic Alliance established the professional degree for an athletic trainer at the master’s level. A MSAT degree from an accredited college or university prepares you for certification and licensure as an athletic trainer. Career opportunities for licensed athletic trainers are forecasted to grow 17% from 2021 to 2031 — much faster than the average for all occupations — by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics with an average of 2,500 openings each year. Pacific Â鶹ӰÊÓs with an MSAT degree pursue careers working with other healthcare professionals in clinical settings to provide emergency and follow-up care after injury, as well as developing injury prevention and treatment programs.
Get Involved
With a focus on community service, fundraising, and event planning, the ATSA seeks to promote program growth and encourage students to become advocates, not only for their profession, but for their community.
Clinical Education
Students participate in clinical education in the MSAT program over five semesters at approved clinical affiliates starting in the fall term of the student’s first year in the program. Each semester athletic training students enroll in a practicum course for 2 to 10 credits, depending on their semester in the program. These clinical educational experiences enable athletic training students to integrate psychomotor skills within patient care and apply athletic training skills under the supervision of a preceptor. Students will benefit from direct supervision by a preceptor and the opportunity for on-going feedback and guidance.
Interprofessional Concentration
Pacific’s athletic training program provides opportunities for students to explore models of person-centered healthcare and gain the skills to practice in a changing healthcare environment. Students who choose to pursue interprofessional experiences beyond what is required by their degree program can earn the Concentration in Interprofessional Education, offered by the College of Health Professions. This formal recognition is documented on transcripts as a specialization, indicating that students have gained specific competencies in interprofessional education.
Save Your Seat
The Â鶹ӰÊÓ athletic training program participates in Pacific’s Guaranteed Grad School Admission Program. Students may apply for the athletic training program as soon as they commit to Pacific as underÂ鶹ӰÊÓs or transfer students, or during their junior year.
3:2 Pathway
Â鶹ӰÊÓ underÂ鶹ӰÊÓ students can opt for a kinesiology major that leads directly into the athletic training program. The kinesiology-athletic training 3:2 pathway combines the senior year of undergrad and first year of the master's program into one, allowing students to earn a bachelor's and master's in just five years.
Andrea Lybarger | Senior Assistant Director of Graduate and Professional Admissions
503-352-7217 | PT.AT@pacificu.edu
The Â鶹ӰÊÓ athletic training program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. This program meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in these U.S. states and territories. Student learning outcomes and additional curriculum information is available in the .
