• The response of the Kinesiology Department to the national mandate that all professional athletic training degrees must be at the masters level by 2022 is that we will offer a pre-athletic training track beginning Fall 2017. This will be integrated into our very successful pre-allied health track (for PT, OT, medical school, etc.) within our Exercise Science major. All colleges and universities with bachelor’s level athletic training programs in the country must respond to this national mandate in some way. Since Albion College does not offer any masters degrees we will create hybrid courses in orthopedic evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation coupled with our core Exercise Science courses that will provide students an excellent preparation for all masters’ level athletic training programs that will be available to them. Albion College has requested a voluntary withdrawal of its accredited athletic training major from CAATE effective June 1, 2019.
  • Albion College has provided a quality Athletic Training major for 11 years as evidenced by the success of the graduates from the major. Our plan moving forward is to provide the same quality in a pre-athletic training program within the Exercise Science major. While the questions surrounding this national mandate are still settling Albion College has decided to move forward in a positive way. The fact is 75% of all athletic trainers have a master’s degree and we will prepare our students so they will not only have that opportunity but will be sought by entry-level master’s athletic training programs.
  • This change in the education structure for athletic training it is not unlike what other allied health care programs have undergone; Physical Therapy recently moved to a doctorate degree. We believe that our response to this mandated change will be very positive, and in fact, may even provide some advantages for students wanting to pursue athletic training as a career. For example, student-athletes wanting to pursue this route will be able to do so within a less time pressured environment (trying to get clinical athletic training hours while also fulfilling the requirements of a sport). Students, as they pursue their master’s degree, may explore athletic training at larger colleges and universities giving them a variety of athletic training experiences. This variety will not only help students determine at what level they may want to work as an athletic trainer but will also make them more employable by having a variety of experiences.