Many employers require athletic trainers to hold at least a bachelor's degree. This four-year degree includes general education courses such as composition, social science, algebra, arts and humanities, literature and laboratory science. Specific courses within this general core vary depending upon the student's major, but sports medicine and kinesiology majors benefit best from lab sciences such as biology and chemistry, social science courses in sociology and psychology, communications, introduction to business, physiology and statistics.
Professional courses focus more on body movement, athletics and medicine. Required courses include pathology, orthopedic examination and diagnosis, rehabilitation, nutrition, health-care administration, acute care of illness and injury, injury prevention techniques, proper exercise, biomechanics of musculoskeletal injury, therapeutic methods and psychosocial intervention. If the student's college of choice doesn't offer a specific athletic training major, a major that includes these types of courses is appropriate, such as sports medicine, kinesiology, exercise science, physical education or fitness and exercise.
Most athletic trainer programs also require students to work in clinical settings for academic credit. Students must be able to demonstrate their ability to apply classroom theory to practical situations. Students often take coursework in which they observe professional trainers in various settings and then work directly with patients in later classes. The University of Michigan's School of Kinesiology AT program divides clinical experience into separate courses focusing on evaluating or treating different types of injuries such as upper or lower body.
Some educational programs lead directly to certification through the Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer. Forty-five U.S. states currently recognize this credential as an essential part of a professional's portfolio. The certification exam covers the areas of injury prevention, diagnosis, emergency care, rehabilitation and reconditioning, administration and professionalism, so certification classes focus on these concepts, and a CPR course is also required. Practitioners must complete continuing-education courses to maintain certification, as well.