Accreditation
The MAT program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) until the 2026-2027 academic year.
Master's in Athletic Training
Mission Statement
The Master's in Athletic Training Program is designed to produce scholarly healthcare practitioners that excel in the areas of leadership, education, and service in all aspects of life. Program graduates will be committed to continuous patient-centered care and advocacy within their community using evidence-based practices within their chosen area.Summer and Fall Entry Options!
We are starting our first summer entry cohort on May 8th, 2025.
Our Fall 2025 Cohort is full. Applicants who wish to apply to this cohort, will be waitlisted.
Apply using ATCAS.
For more information contact Dr. Chris Clark
*Information to apply for Summer 2026 and Fall 2026 cohorts will be coming soon!
Social Media and Events
MAT Program Information
About the Program
The Master's in Athletic Training Program is housed in the Department of Kinesiology and within the College of Health Professions and Wellness. Our program is administratively housed with similar healthcare profession programs (I.e. nursing, respiratory therapy, sport management, physical education, and exercise science and wellness) that are subject to specialized programmatic accreditation. The College of Health Professions and Wellness was established to deliver a top-quality education for 21st century professionals in an effort to promote health and wellness in our communities, state, nation, and around the world. It is our goal to prepare future leaders in health and wellness professions. While completing your Master's Degree, we will ensure and maintain professional socialization, which is the process by which students develop a sense of self as members of a profession, internalize the values of their profession, and exhibit these values through their behavior. We will conduct this by integrating athletic training students into various College of Health Professions and Wellness courses, other than athletic training courses, and provide in-class activities/education with other healthcare fields at Jacksonville State University.Our Facilities and Experiences
Our Facilities and Experiences
Fun Facts
You do not have to have an undergraduate degree in Athletic Training to pursue your master’s in our program?
Our admission requirements mandate the completion any bachelor’s degree. While we recommend a degree in Exercise Science and Wellness or a healthcare field, undergraduate degrees in fields like education, marketing, public relations, communications, and business can make you uniquely qualified and enhance your professional opportunities after completing of a Master’s in Athletic Training degree. (However, there are certain pre-requisite courses that must be completed in order to apply for our program).
ATs now are required to obtain an entry-level Master’s degree rather than an entry-level Bachelor’s degree?
The governing bodies for Athletic Training mandated the education change by 2022 so there will no longer be any undergraduate programs by 2022. A recent mandate by the Strategic Alliance of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) is changing the professional education of Athletic Training students from an entry-level Bachelor’s degree to an entry-level Master’s degree.
Where do ATs work?
Professionals settings in AT include professional sports, collegiate sports, secondary schools, hospital/clinics, industrial settings, military, and recreation, health and wellness facilities…just to name a few!
There are many career opportunities in Athletic Training?
Employment of athletic trainers is projected to grow 14% from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 2,700 openings for athletic trainers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Announcing our Newest MAT Cohort
From Left: Dalton Busby, David Johnson, Devin Jones, Gabrielle Coughlin, Grant Irby, John Calvert, and Masruna Kampi