UM Launches New Master’s Degree in Athletic Training

When someone thinks of athletic training, their first thoughts tend to be of the person they see on the football field or the person who always has athletic tape on them, but that is just one part of a field that is evolving constantly.

There is a new Master of Science program in Athletic Training at the University of Mississippi, beginning in the summer of 2021. Although most commonly offered at the bachelor’s level, some institutions offer athletic training at the master’s level, and UM now joins this list of institutions.
When Dean Peter Grandjean arrived at the School of Applied Sciences, he spoke to a class taught by Dr. Melinda Valliant. Dr. Corbit Franks Jr., an athletic trainer for the University, was a student in that class at the time and now is a professor for the MSAT. After the dean spoke, Franks asked if he would have any interest in establishing an athletic training program at UM. Grandjean had some interest and that is where the connection was made.

From that starting point, the work to develop the program began. “After the meeting with Dean Grandjean, all the necessary steps were taken” to obtain internal approvals and the final approval from the state of Mississippi’s Institutes of Higher Learning, explained Dr. Heather Shirley, assistant professor and program director of athletic training. “From the initial conversation, it took around two years for the program development.”

According to Shirley, the new program will undergo review to obtain accreditation. Accreditation is critical as it provides documentation of the quality of the program, something very important to the graduates when they sit for their Board of Certification exam (required to practice as a certified trainer). “The process starts with [the] first class of students and the actual review will begin next summer.” Shirley elaborated that the self-study next summer constitutes the first step in the review, and will require submission of multiple forms and documentation regarding the accreditation standards for the program. “Certain education markers are to be met, like what is being taught and how the information is being taught. You have to meet all the standards in order to receive accreditation. There are 94 standards to meet for the process. All of that isn’t strictly curriculum. The procedure looks at faculty, their background, their experience in athletic training and clinical experience, as well as their degrees plus the facilities, to get an overall picture of the program.”

The initial cohort, which started this summer, has 11 students. The program will use a rolling admission process in which applications are reviewed as they are received. Shirley projects the program will grow given the success during the short window for recruiting this first year.

“The curriculum will be hands on-learning and not just [learning in a] classroom setting,” said Shirley. Learning opportunities outside the classroom called clinicals will teach students how to apply things learned in the classroom. These experiences working in real settings are the key to making students into practitioners.

The clinical portion of the curriculum starts immediately when students enter the program. As Shirley describes it, “The first semester is an introductory [to] athletic training and what to expect in a clinical setting. The clinical coordinator will work closely with the students and focus solely on shaping out the clinical experience for the students. The new program will allow students to begin clinical rotations and start to customize the academic experience based on the students’ interests and the setting they may want to work in.” The integration of the classroom concepts into practice is critical to allow students to practice what they learned and feel comfortable in the field. Shirley said, “For the capstone, there are two options with a research thesis or a field service project that will allow some creativity on the student’s part.”

“A lot of times, athletic trainers are seen as those on-field individuals. You see them running out on the football field during a time out or when there is an injury,” said Shirley. “That’s kind of our front door, students see that, and it gets them excited, but we know that setting is not the setting everyone wants to work in. We want to give students exposure to other things to broaden their horizons and explore something they may not have considered.”

Shirley described the program as a two-year intensive program where students learn as a cohort. They arrive in the summer and complete 66 credit hours to earn the degree. The timing of courses positions students to graduate in May and sit for their Board of Certification exam in their last semester. This really sets up students “with job opportunities maybe starting that summer or fall. Many professionals work in collegiate to high school level with that seasonal type of schedule.”

As Shirley summarizes the program, “We just want to mainly share the excitement” they have for the program. “Corbit and I are extremely grateful to be a part of this unique opportunity to move from the clinical side after such a long time knowing we can help contribute to the profession and to the students and help make them future professionals for our field’s future. We can’t say how exciting that is for us, and we hope the students see that and know that we want them to succeed.”

UM Launches New Master’s Degree in Athletic Training

Newsletter Spring/Summer 2021 Articles