The bachelor's degree in athletic training in the minimum educational requirement to get a job as an athletic trainer. Students combine classroom work in learning about anatomy, physiology, injury prevention and treatment with time spent working hands-on, usually with the athletic teams on campus. The clinical part of the program exposes aspiring trainers to the daily work required of an athletic trainer and get them a beginning working knowledge. A B.S. in athletic training can be a pathway to a career working with athletes or it can also be a stepping stone to medical school or physical therapy school.
One of the career avenues for athletic trainers is in high schools. Most trainers who work at a high school must also be teachers in addition to their work as athletic trainers. This added job responsibility leads to another degree option for athletic trainers at some universities. While working on their athletic training bachelor's degree, some students work collaboratively with their college's school of education to also earn a teaching certification that will enable them to land a job with a high school upon graduation without having to pursue the teaching part of the equation separately.
While a master's degree is not required to work as an athletic trainer in most settings, trainers with advanced degrees have better career advancement opportunities. The master's degree programs take the principles learned at the bachelor's degree level and build upon them as students spend more time in creating plans and strategies for injury prevention and rehabilitation while also working to implement those plans. Master's degree students are usually already certified as trainers, but the added two years of study increases marketability in the workplace.
To serve students who are interested in a career in physical therapy that emphasizes the treatment of athletes, some universities offer dual degree programs that include a master's degree in athletic training combined with a doctorate level degree in physical therapy. Shenandoah University, Duquesne University and Seton Hall University all offer this dual degree option for athletic trainers. Many students who study athletic training at the undergraduate level already proceed to PT school, so this degree option provides a logical graduate degree step for athletic trainers. Dual degree programs like these prepare their graduates to pass licensing exams for both professions. They involve some unique coursework for each degree program, but also include some overlapping classes.