Athletic Training Program Admission Requirements

All internal and external candidates must meet all application requirements at the time the application is submitted.  All GPA’s, courses and clinical observation hours must occur prior to application submission.

All native Rowan University students (freshman & transfers without a Bachelor's Degree) must meet all the Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training Studies at the time of application and prior to being fully accepted into the Professional Preparation Athletic Training Program. Please see Pre-Athletic Training Program curriculum. All classes in bold are BS in Athletic Training Studies major classes. The criteria are no grade lower than a C in these courses and the student must have the required 3.0 overall and 3.0 major GPAs.

Admission Requirments:

1. 3.0 Overall GPA
2. 3.0 Major GPA (Rowan University Pre-Athletic Training Students): No grade lower than a C in any of the Pre-Athletic Training major/pre-requisite courses.
3. Pre-requisite Courses: Rowan University students will accrue these courses as part of the Pre-Athletic Training Curriculum. No grade lower than a C will be accepted in any of the courses listed below.
   1. Human Anatomy and PhysiologyI and II (4 credits with lab for each course): The Human Anatomy and Physiology requirement can be fulfilled at Rowan University by taking BIO10210 Anatomy and Physiology I and BIO10212 Anatomy. If Human Anatomy and Physiology are taken as separate courses, then one semester each of Human Anatomy with Lab and Human Physiology with Lab are required.
   2. Biology with lab(3-4 sh) The biology requirement can be fulfilled at Rowan University by taking BIO01113 Gen. Bio -Human Focus I or BIO01104 Biology I
   3. Chemistry with lab(3-4 sh): The chemistry requirement can be fulfilled at Rowan University by taking CHEM05103 Chemistry in the World Around Us
   4. Physics with lab(3-4 sh): The physiology requirement can be fulfilled at Rowan University by taking PHYS00150 Physic for Everyday Life or PHYS00210 Physics I – no calc
   5. Introduction to Biomechanics (3-4 sh): The Introduction to Biomechanics requirement can be fulfilled at Rowan University by taking HES00346 Introduction to Biomechanics
   6. Exercise Physiology with lab(3-4 sh): The Exercise Physiology requirement can be fulfilled at Rowan University by taking HES00345 Exercise Physiology with Lab
   7. Nutrition(3-4 sh): The Nutrition requirement can be fulfilled at Rowan University by taking NUT00415 Nutrition for Fitness
   8. Statistics (3-4 sh) One course to include descriptive statistics, correlation, and introduction to inferential statistics or research design. The statistic requirement can be fulfilled at Rowan University by taking STAT02260 Statistics I
   9. General Psychology(3 sh): The General Psychology requirement can be fulfilled at Rowan University by taking PSY0107 Essentials of Psychology
4. 50 Hours of Athletic Training Clinical Observation Hours 
   1. Rowan PreAT students must complete these hours during the PreAT curriculum. All students, including non-PreAT students (those with an undergraduate degree), must complete hours within an Athletic Training Clinic and have hours certified by a Licensed Athletic Trainer in order for their application to be considered for acceptance to Athletic Training Rowan PreAT students will be able to complete a maximum of 25 hours on-campus over the three years of the pre-athletic training program.
5. 2 Letters of Recommendation 
   1. These must be from an athletic trainer working within the profession that can attest to your character and abilities to be an athletic training student.
6. Interview
   1. Each student must complete a face-to-face interview with the selection committee. Students applying from a great distance from Rowan University will be considered for a virtual interview.
   2. A score of at least 70% is needed to successfully complete the interview process
   3. The grading criteria for the interview are as follows:
      1. Understanding of Profession- 12.5%
      2. Career Goals and Congruence with Athletic Training Major - 12.5%
      3. Personal Qualities, Preparation, and Ability to Meet Challenges - 12.5%
      4. Problem Solving Abilities - 12.5%
      5. Clarity of Expression (Thoughts are clearly expressed and organized) - 12.5
      6. Enthusiasm/Affect (demonstrates an upbeat and positive attitude) - 12.5%
      7. Poise and Confidence - 12.5%
      8. Ability to ask pertinent questions of interview committee - 12.5%

Final Acceptance Criteria

The RUATP's maximum capacity is 20 students for junior level admission; however, the actual number is based on the number of clinical assignments available during a given year. It usually ranges between 18-20 students. Students are ranked, and the highest rated students are conditionally accepted into the Professional Preparation ATP.  Students must maintain all acceptance criteria by May 1 of the application year to be fully accepted into the athletic training program.  Failure to maintain program requirements will result in the student’s conditional acceptance being rescinded.

It is possible that a student may minimally achieve all academic and clinical observation requirements but does not fall within the available clinical assignment slots for the next academic year. If this occurs the student may not be accepted into the Professional Athletic Training Program.

The score for rank ordering students is calculated as follows:

Application Calculation Sheet

Students must also meet ALL admission requirements before being eligible to apply to the ATP.

• Overall GPA- 40 points
  4.0=40 pts. 3.0=30 pts. 2.0=20 pts 1.0=10 pts <1.0=0 pts
  Applicant Subsection total ________________
• Major GPA - 40 points
  4.0=40 pts. 3.0=30 pts. 2.0=20 pts 1.0=10 pts <1.0=0 pts
  Applicant Subsection total ________________
• Letters of Recommendaton - 30 points
  Outstanding=30 pts Good= 20 pts. Fair= 10 pts. Poor = 1 pt 
  Applicant Subsection total ________________
• Interview- 30 points
  100%=30 pts 90%=20 pts 80%=10 pts 71%=5 pt <70%=0 pts
  Applicant Subsection total ________________
• Clinical Observation Hour Completion -- 30 points
  50 hours = 30 points, <50 hours = 0 pts and termination of application process                        Applicant Subsection total ________________
• Applicant's Total for Acceptance into the ATP ____________________/170
  All scores are converted to a percentage based on 100% and the average score is taken.

Final acceptance for students appplying from the Pre-Athletic Training program does not occur until all grades are in at the end of the application year's spring semester.  Students not meeting all admission requirements at the end of the spring semester for which they are applying will have their conditional acceptance withdrawn and they will not be allowed to matriculate into the athletic training program.  For example, if a student receives a C- in any spring course of the application year, that student will not be formally accepted into the athletic training program because the minimum grade for acceptance is a C. 

External students that possess a Bachelor's degree and meet all athletic training program pre-requisites will be notified of their conditional acceptance by April 1 of the application year. 

All tudents conditionally accepted into the ATP must by May 1 of the application year provide the following:

1. Proof of NATA membership. Please go to:  https://www.nata.org/membership/about-membership/join-or-renew
2. Proof of ATrack subscription.This is needed because the ATP uses ATrack to track clinical experiences. Please go to: https://www.atrackonline.com/

Retention is a continuing process based on the athletic training student's academic, clinical, and behavioral achievement in accordance with established criteria set forth within the Program’s policy and procedures manual. The student within the Athletic Training Program must be aware that there is an expected level of achievement that must be maintained:

Completion of Curricular and Clinical Knowledge on schedule.

Mastery of curricular content is completed upon successful evaluation of course-work as all course objectives are tied to the CAATE Curricular Content standards. All clinical experience expectations are outlined in each Residency in Athletic Training I & II and Fellowship in Athletic Training I & II syllabi and on the ATrack software. Academic retention criteria include but may be not limited to:

            Passing all didactic and clinical classes with a C or better

            Passing all simulations with an 80% or better. Please see simulation policy.

            Remaining in good standing with the ATP’s policy manual

            Students must be evaluated on all clinical evaluations with a grade no lower than a 8/10.

GPA Requirements.

3.00 = Overall GPA

No grade lower than a C in any athletic training course. Failure to maintain the minimum grade will result in the student being suspended from the program until all academic deficiencies are remediated in accordance with the Athletic Training Program's Policy & Procedure manual.

CPR and First Aid certification. 

All students must maintain Professional Rescuer CPR and First Aid certification. Students are required to give the Program Director a copy of all certification cards. These will be kept in the student's file.

Confidentiality of Medical Records and Information.

Students must abide by the policy signed during application into Professional Athletic Training Program. Please see disciplinary action for breaking confidentiality of medical records and information within the Policy & Procedure Manual

NATA Code of Ethics & BOC Standards of Practice.

Students must conform to the standards of the NATA Code of Ethics and BOC Standards of Practice (see Policy & Procedure Manual) when practicing Athletic Training related skills within their clinical assignments. Students must also conform to the behavior standards expected of intercollegiate athletes regarding substance abuse, controlled and dangerous substances, harassment and hazing (See Rowan University Student Handbook).

Violations of this type will place the student under immediate review by the Professional Athletic Training Program's Student Issues Committee (RUATP SIC) and the Department of Health & Exercise Science’s Academic and Student Affairs Committee.

Academic Honesty.

Since the primary goal of education is to increase one's own knowledge, academic dishonesty will not be tolerated at Rowan University. Violation of the Rowan University's Academic Honesty Policy (https://confluence.rowan.edu/display/POLICY/Academic+Integrity+Policy) will place the student under immediate review by the RUATP SIC and the Department of Health and Exercise Science Academic and Student Affairs All violations will then be forwarded to the Provost's Office in accordance with Rowan University policy.

Academic dishonesty includes the following examples, as well as similar conduct aimed at making false representation with respect to academic performance: cheating on an examination; collaborating with others in work to be presented contrary to the stated rules of the course Plagiarizing, including the submission of others' ideas or papers as one's own stealing examination or course materials falsifying records, laboratory results, etc. knowing and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above activities or similar activities.

Clinical Experience.

The student is expected to enthusiastically complete all clinical education responsibilities including pre-practice activities, coverage of practices and games, post-practice activities, cleaning and general Athletic Training Clinic duties, and abide by the NATA Code of Ethics. The RUATP SIC will determine the disciplinary action for students not meeting their clinical experience responsibilities. All students are supervised by a Preceptor during their clinical experiences.

Master’s Comprehensive Exam

Students must receive a 75% or higher on this written exam to be able to continue matriculating through the athletic training program, respectively. This exam is part of the Capstone in Clinical Reasoning I grade.  The Comprehensive Exam will consist of a 150-question written test on all athletic training courses and clinical experiences taken within the ATP. Students will have two opportunities to pass this exam. Failure to pass this exam on the second attempt will disqualify students from passing Capstone in Clinical Reasoning I.

Coursework to be included on this exam include:

• Cadaver Anatomy
• Management of Medical Emergencies
• Clinical Assessment I
• Injury Risk Management to Enhance Human Performance
• Principles in Evidence Based Medicine  
• Clinical Assessment II
• Therapeutic Interventions I
• Therapeutic Interventions II
• Clinical Assessment III
• Healthcare Management & Quality Improvement
• Pharmacology
• Behavioral Health
• Seminar in Healthcare Interprofessional Education and Practice
• Residency in Athletic Training I & II
• Fellowship in Athletic Training I & II

NATA Membership. 

Professional Athletic Training Program students must become a member of the NATA prior to starting classes. The NATA membership must be maintained throughout the completion of this

ATrack.

All students must complete clinical hours, patient exposures and patient encounters within the ATrack system.

Minimum GPA = 3.00

Completion of All Clinical Assignments and Simulations.

Students will gain clinical experiences with a variety of diverse populations including genders, non-sport patient populations, sports using different protective equipment (i.e., helmets and shoulder pads), and medical (non-orthopedic) conditions over a minimum of two academic years from entering the Professional Athletic Training Program. Students must pass all clinical evaluations provided by the student's respective Preceptor before being eligible to graduate. The clinical education grade is recorded within the classes Residency in Athletic Training I & II and Fellowship in Athletic Training I & II in each respective semester over the two-year course sequence.

Successful completion of CAATE Curricular Content as scheduled via coursework and clinical experiences.

For the curricular content not assessed within the course work or clinical experiences, simulations will take the place of real-world experience.  All students must successfully demonstrate that they are competent and ready for autonomous practice on all real-world and/or simulated patient exposures prior to being eligible to graduate from the athletic training program and sit for the BOC, Inc Exam. A Simulation Outcome Policy has been developed (see page 30 Athletic Training Policy and Procedures Manual).

Completion of the Summary of Student Experiences Form. 

All items on the Summary of Student Experiences document (found on ATrack) must be assessed as “ready for autonomous practice” by the 12^th week of the semester in Fellowship in Athletic Training II. Failure to accomplish this will result in the student receiving an incomplete grade for Fellowship in Athletic Training II. The incomplete grade will not be changed until the student has been assessed as “ready for autonomous practice” for all items found within the Summary of Student Experiences document. This will affect the student's ability to graduate on-time.

Successful Completion of all ATP's coursework.

All coursework must be completed with a C or better.

Successful Completion of the MSAT Comprehensive Examination.

Students must receive a 75% or higher on this exam to be able to be endorsed to sit for the BOC exam. The Comprehensive Exam consists of a 150-question written examination on all Athletic Training courses and clinical experiences taken within the ATP. Students will have two opportunities to pass this exam. Failure to pass this exam on the second attempt will disqualify students from passing Capstone in Clinical Reasoning I. Coursework to be included on the exam are:

• Cadaver Anatomy
• Management of Medical Emergencies
• Clinical Assessment I
• Injury Risk Management to Enhance Human Performance
• Principles in Evidence Based Medicine  
• Clinical Assessment II
• Therapeutic Interventions I
• Therapeutic Interventions II
• Clinical Assessment III
• Healthcare Management & Quality Improvement
• Pharmacology
• Behavioral Health
• Seminar in Healthcare Interprofessional Education and Practice
• Residency in Athletic Training I & II
• Fellowship in Athletic Training I & II

Pre-Athletic Training Curriculum (Pre-AT)

Students may transfer into the Pre-AT curriculum. Students must complete all pre-requisite course work, including Introduction to Healthcare in Sports Medicine, Foundations in Sports Medicine I-III at Rowan University prior to being eligible to apply to the athletic training program. Please see Athletic Training Program Admission Requirements, listed above. The amount of time spent in the pre-AT curriculum is dependent on number of transfer credits and completion of ALL admission requirements.

Guildelines for Participation in Rowan University NCAA Sanctioned Athletics

The Commission on Accreditation for Athletic Training Education mandates that an Athletic Training Program (ATP) cannot complete formal clinical education in less than 2 academic years. The Rowan University ATP allows students to participate in athletics; however there are specific policies regarding this situation. The following policies are for any student wishing to participate in sports and complete the ATP.

Athletic participation during the first three years (native Rowan University Students) will not interfere with any athletic training clinical experience responsibilities. Participation in athletics after a student's third year (junior) is not allowed, however a student wishing to participate in athletics after their third (junior) year can discuss with the athletic training program administrators the potential options including, but not limited to, delaying acceptance into the athletic training program. The student’s graduation timeframe will be affected by athletic participation beyond a student's third year. The athletic training program does reserve the right to not allow athletic participation beyond a student's third year if the student is not willing to postpone their acceptance into the athletic training program.

External students applying to the Professional Athletic Training Program will not be allowed to partipate in Rowan University NCAA sanctioned athletics.  Students transferring into the pre-athletic training program must meet with the Program Director to discuss the possibility of participating in Rowan University athletics. 

No student fully accepted into the Professional Athletic Training Program will be allowed to particpate in Rowan University NCAA Sanctioned Athletics.