Program History
Since 1990, the American Medical Association has recognized the rapidly evolving field of athletic training as an official allied health profession, and Ithaca College's program has long been at the head of the class when it comes to excellence. The undergraduate curriculum Athletic Training program at Ithaca College was initiated by Professor and Director of Athletic Training Dr. Kent Scriber, and approved by the NATA's Professional Education Committee in 1975. It has since been one of the country's most established & respected athletic training education programs, producing quality athletic trainers & sports medicine professionals for 3 decades. Our CAATE (Commission for Accreditation in Athletic Training Education) accredited degree program in Athletic Training addresses the growing national need for enhanced care of the injuries & illnesses that impact & disrupt the daily lives of athletes & the physically active.
The major in Athletic Training in the Department of Exercise & Sport Science provides interested students with theoretical and professional preparation in allied health care for athletes and physically active persons. The athletic training curriculum is designed to prepare students for the BOC certification examination, for competent clinical practice, and for entry into various and related professional and postgraduate programs of study in related healthcare fields. Specific educational guidelines, set forth by CAATE and the NATA Education Council impose restrictions on the number of students we can enroll in the program. This allied health preparation is designed to facilitate an academic foundation that will allow graduating students to seek professional certification, professional career opportunities in both the public and private sector, or to continue their education beyond IC; objectives met through a combination of educational experiences incorporating related academic course work with supervised clinical training. Graduates of our degree program in Athletic Training have long been respected leaders in the athletic health care industry in New York, the northeastern United States, and beyond (click here to see an extensive database of what our alumni are doing now!).
Thus, the program is selective and interested students must maintain rigorous academic standards in order to secure & maintain their position in the program, and so, at the end of the sophomore year AT majors must apply to be formally reviewed for retention in the major. Retention is a competitive process based on an applicant's level of achievement according to set criteria. Following is a descriptive overview of Ithaca College's athletic training education program by academic year.
Program Overview
The curriculum at Ithaca College places a heavy emphasis on the basic and applied biosciences as the foundation for the program, while emphasizing clinical proficiency, higher level thinking, clinical reasoning and differential diagnosis as advanced skills required to matriculate through the program.
While at Ithaca College, an athletic training student learns how to prevent, care for, evaluate, manage, and rehabilitate injury and illness in athletic and physically active populations. Upon completion of the curriculum, the successful student is eligible to take the nation Board of Certification Exam (BOC); certifying the athletic trainer (ATC) to practice in myriad and expanding professional settings. Since the program's inception, Ithaca College's athletic training graduates have consistently exceeded the national averages for all three portions of the certification exam, and have enjoyed outstanding placement in the nation's top graduate & professional programs, and various exciting and rewarding places of employment.
Currently, there are over 350 Ithaca College AT graduates employed in various high school, college, and professional sports settings across the country; while numerous others are working in sports medicine clinics, hospitals, fitness centers, and even industrial settings treating the "industrial athlete". Approximately 2/3rds of our graduates have pursued graduate studies, and many have received graduate assistantships & scholarships in athletic training at more than 40 different colleges and universities across the country.
Today, many of our graduates are using their demanding, medically based and hands on experience opportunities to combine their athletic training preparation with advanced study in physical therapy, physician assistant studies, and even medical school.
Better yet, to see what college can be like at IC as an Athletic Training major, click here to see a short movie!
