Apply to the Master of Athletic Training Program
Ready to take the next step toward becoming a athletic trainer? Here you’ll find everything you need to apply—from admission requirements to deadlines and instructions. Start your journey today and join a strong community dedicated to your success.
Graduate Program Procedure for Admissions
Anyone with a bachelor’s degree who meets the prerequisites listed below is eligible to apply for admission to the professional athletic training degree program (MAT).
Students in their final year of their bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply prior to graduation with formal admittance to the program dependent on the successful completion of the bachelor’s degree and all prerequisite requirements.
Note: 鶹Ƶ does not require the GRE for application to the MAT
Applications will be accepted on the
Baccalaureate degree
Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university prior to beginning the program. Students will be required to send an official transcript upon graduation to confirm degree completion
GPA of 2.5
Cumulative GPA of a minimum of 2.5 from the undergraduate degree
Two Personal Statements
ATCAS personal statement:
- Describe why you are choosing to pursue a career in athletic training. Specifically address your motivations for pursuing athletic training as a career, your overall preparedness to enter the profession, and how you intend to make a positive impact on the profession and your future patients.
鶹Ƶ specific personal statement:
- Describe your ability to contribute a unique perspective or background to the 鶹Ƶ MAT community and patient populations. Specifically address why you are choosing to apply to 鶹Ƶ’s MAT program, what unique aspects of your preparation, background, and/or experiences will allow you to best serve a wide variety of patient populations you may work with during the MAT and in your career and/or your fellow classmates or faculty and preceptors
Academic Writing Sample
A submission of the applicant’s strongest example of academic writing that shows readiness to make the step to graduate-level writing
Resume or Curriculum Vitae
An updated resume or curriculum vitae must be included.
Letters of Reference
Two to Four letters of reference, with at least one from a certified athletic trainer, addressing the applicant’s readiness for graduate school education and the applicant’s potential for success in the athletic training healthcare profession. Contact information must be provided on letter or on the resume or curriculum vitae of the applicant.
Technical Standards
Meet the program’s Technical Standards with or without accommodations. If accommodations are required, please contact the program director to set up an appointment to discuss the nature of the accommodations and to be linked up to resources at 鶹Ƶ. Applicants must complete the
Work, Volunteer, or Observation
A minimum of 30 hours of work, volunteer, or observation under the supervision of a certified athletic trainer within the last year. Documentation of these hours must be verifiable at the time of application on the .
Note: the healthcare professional can carry dual credentials as long as they hold the ATC credential as well (i.e. PT/ATC, PA/ATC, OT/ATC, etc.).
Applicants are responsible for setting up these experiences. The program does keep a that applicants can feel free to contact.
Current Emergency Cardiac Care certification and First Aid certification
Applicants will need to have current First Aid and Emergency Cardiac Care certification. Appropriate Emergency Cardiac Care certification is determined by the Board of Certification for Athletic Training as found .
MAT Prerequisite Courses
The following courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better in order to attain admission to the MAT.
*If the class was taken for pass/fail on the official transcript, the student must get documentation of the final percentage/letter grade that would have been attained from the instructor or the college.
An official transcript must be submitted from each institution where prerequisite coursework was completed.
Applications will be considered, and contingent admission decisions rendered, for students who have no more than three courses in progress or still needing to be completed at the time of application. Admission decisions will be contingent upon the successful completion of those outstanding courses. The MAT may request syllabi to review in order to determine the appropriateness of a course in meeting the prerequisite standards.
Courses - at least one semester unless otherwise noted
- Biology*
- Must not be botany
- Chemistry*
- Must discuss properties of solids, liquids, gasses, chemical bonding, etc.
- Physics*
- Must discuss properties of light, sound, electricity, thermodynamics, and kinetics/kinematics/motion
- Most schools split these topics across two semesters and thus would require two semesters
*At least one laboratory course correlated with one of the three classes above
- Human Anatomy and Physiology with lab - 2 semesters (can be a combined A&P sequence or an individual Anatomy and individual Physiology course)
- General Psychology - at least one semester
- Choice of one other psychology course - at least one semester
- Recommended options: Abnormal Psychology, Sport Psychology, Exercise Psychology
- Human Nutrition - at least one semester
- Exercise Physiology - at least one semester
- Statistics and Research Methods - at least one semester if a combined course or 2 semesters if separated
- Biomechanics - at least one semester
Note: Due to the variation in course titles and content, please contact the mwestby [at] gustavus.edu (MAT Program Director) with questions about prerequisite equivalencies.
Note: meeting minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee admission
Students must complete a Notification of Intent form to complete the Accelerated 3+2 BA in Exercise Physiology/MAT degree at their time of application to the BA in Exercise Physiology (during the fall of sophomore year). Please see the Exercise Physiology website for details on the admissions process to the BA in Exercise Physiology.
All students who complete a will be advised on proceeding through the accelerated course sequence.
鶹Ƶ does not require the GRE for application to the MAT. Applications will be accepted on the
Demonstration of successful work towards a Baccalaureate degree
Students must document through transcript submission that they are on track to successfully complete the graduation requirements for 鶹Ƶ and the Exercise Physiology degree, including minimum grade and GPA requirements. All General Education courses must be completed by the end of the applicant’s junior year (prior to commencing the MAT). Applicants can have up to 23 course credits left towards the 128 course credit graduation requirement prior to commencing the MAT. Students will be able to use the first 23 course credits of their MAT program towards the baccalaureate graduation requirement. In addition, students will be able to use HES 500 and HES 511 to fulfill their senior courses for the BA in Exercise Physiology (HES 398 and HES 219). Thus, retention in the MAT will be contingent until all graduation and Exercise Physiology requirements are complete (the end of Fall Term I of the MAT).
GPA of 2.5
Cumulative GPA of a minimum of 2.5 from the undergraduate degree
Two Personal Statements
ATCAS personal statement:
- Describe why you are choosing to pursue a career in athletic training. Specifically address your motivations for pursuing athletic training as a career, your overall preparedness to enter the profession, and how you intend to make a positive impact on the profession and your future patients.
鶹Ƶ specific personal statement:
- Describe your ability to contribute a unique perspective or background to the 鶹Ƶ MAT community and patient populations. Specifically address why you are choosing to apply to 鶹Ƶ’s MAT program, what unique aspects of your preparation, background, and/or experiences will allow you to best serve a wide variety of patient populations you may work with during the MAT and in your career and/or your fellow classmates or faculty and preceptors
Academic Writing Sample
A submission of the applicant’s strongest example of academic writing that shows readiness to make the step to graduate-level writing
Resume or Curriculum Vitae
An updated resume or curriculum vitae must be included.
Letters of Reference
Two to Four letters of reference, with at least one from a certified athletic trainer, addressing the applicant’s readiness for graduate school education and the applicant’s potential for success in the athletic training healthcare profession. Contact information must be provided on letter or on the resume or curriculum vitae of the applicant.
Technical Standards
Meet the program’s Technical Standards with or without accommodations. If accommodations are required, please contact the program director to set up an appointment to discuss the nature of the accommodations and to be linked up to resources at 鶹Ƶ. Applicants must complete the
Work, Volunteer, or Observation
A minimum of 30 hours of work, volunteer, or observation under the supervision of a certified athletic trainer within the last year. Documentation of these hours must be verifiable at the time of application on the .
Note: the healthcare professional can carry dual credentials as long as they hold the ATC credential as well (i.e. PT/ATC, PA/ATC, OT/ATC, etc.).
Applicants are responsible for setting up these experiences. The program does keep a that applicants can feel free to contact.
Current Emergency Cardiac Care certification and First Aid certification
Applicants will need to have current First Aid and Emergency Cardiac Care certification. Appropriate Emergency Cardiac Care certification is determined by the Board of Certification for Athletic Training as found .
MAT Prerequisite Courses
The following courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better in order to attain admission to the MAT.
*If the class was taken for pass/fail on the official transcript, the student must get documentation of the final percentage/letter grade that would have been attained from the instructor or the college.
An official transcript must be submitted from each institution where prerequisite coursework was completed.
Applications will be considered, and contingent admission decisions rendered, for students who have no more than three courses in progress or still needing to be completed at the time of application. Admission decisions will be contingent upon the successful completion of those outstanding courses. The MAT may request syllabi to review in order to determine the appropriateness of a course in meeting the prerequisite standards.
Courses - at least one semester unless otherwise noted
- Biology*
- Must not be botany
- Chemistry*
- Must discuss properties of solids, liquids, gasses, chemical bonding, etc.
- Physics*
- Must discuss properties of light, sound, electricity, thermodynamics, and kinetics/kinematics/motion
- Most schools split these topics across two semesters and thus would require two semesters
*At least one laboratory course correlated with one of the three classes above
- Human Anatomy and Physiology with lab - 2 semesters (can be a combined A&P sequence or an individual Anatomy and individual Physiology course)
- General Psychology - at least one semester
- Choice of one other psychology course - at least one semester
- Recommended options: Abnormal Psychology, Sport Psychology, Exercise Psychology
- Human Nutrition - at least one semester
- Exercise Physiology - at least one semester
- Statistics and Research Methods - at least one semester if a combined course or 2 semesters if separated
- Biomechanics - at least one semester
Successful Completion of the BA in Exercise Physiology courses
See the for more details
Applications will be considered, and contingent admission decisions rendered, for students who have no more than three courses in progress or still needing to be completed at the time of application. Admission decisions will be contingent upon the successful completion of those outstanding courses.
All courses must be completed with a C- or better
- HES 220 Research and Statistics in Health and Exercise Science
- HES 222 Applied Human Nutrition
- HES 230 and 231 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
- HES 240 and 241 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
- HES 250 Research Methods
- HES 300 Research Presentation in Health and Exercise Science
- HES 308 Physiology of Exercise
- HES 309 Biomechanics and Functional Anatomy
- HES 310 Physiological Assessment
- HES 313 Exercise, Diet, and Chronic Disease
Note: Due to the variation in course titles and content, please contact the mwestby [at] gustavus.edu (MAT Program Director) with questions about prerequisite equivalencies.
Note: meeting minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee admission
The MAT participates in the Athletic Training Centralized Application Service, known as ATCAS. All students must complete the .
ATCAS charges an application fee.For all applicants, the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education offers a .For current 鶹Ƶ students, please contact mwestby [at] gustavus.edu (Mary Westby) for information about an internal candidate discount.
Applications open September 1st and close April 1st. The admission decisions will be made on a rolling basis until the cohort is full or April 1st. All students will be notified of admission to the MAT no later than April 30th. Students will have until May 15th to deposit to 鶹Ƶ and June 1st to officially enroll.
It is recommended that all prospective students complete a FAFSA for eligiblity for federal grants and loans.Completing the FAFSA by April 1st is recommended, but the earlier in your application process, the better.For more information please visit the Financial Aid Office.
Below are some specific deadlines of which applicants should be aware that may modify the above timeline
For 3+2 鶹Ƶ Applicants
For those interested in opting out of housing for their 4th year at 鶹Ƶ (first year in the MAT), applications must be received by December15th with a rolling admission decision prior to January 15th. Students must deposit prior to February 1st and complete the off campus application by the deadline put forth by Residential Life.Failure to be deposited or complete the form by the deadline will result in a student no longer being eligible for the 3+2 housing exception.For more information on on-campus housing options please contact reslife [at] gustavus.edu (Residential Life)
For Post-Baccalaureate Applicants
For those interested in on-campus housing, completed applications must be received by January 15th with rolling admission decisions prior to February 15th and applicants must deposit prior to March 1st to be part of the housing assignment process.Applicants who apply and/or deposit after these deadlines can still contact Residential Life for options, but there is no guarantee of availability. For more information on on-campus housing options please contact reslife [at] gustavus.edu (Residential Life)
For all Current 鶹Ƶ Students and 鶹Ƶ Alumni (3+2 or Post-Baccalaureate)
The Master of Athletic Training program is committed to serving the undergraduate students and alumni of 鶹Ƶ. To honor that commitment, up to 50% of seats (up to 10) per cohort are prioritized for current 鶹Ƶ students or alumni of the college who successfully meet the admission criteria. If there are not 10 successful applicants from the college, those seats will be opened up to the general public. To potentially access these prioritized placements, current 鶹Ƶ students and/or alumni need to apply by December 15th with rolling admission decisions prior to January 15th. Students must deposit prior to February 1st.After this time, all unclaimed seats will be opened up for the general population of applicants, which can include 鶹Ƶ students, alumni, and outside candidates.
The initial review of requirements is done by a member of the 鶹Ƶ Admissions team. A review team consisting of the MAT Program Director, Clinical Education Coordinator and Research Coordinator, then review the application for appropriateness for admission to the 鶹Ƶ MAT. This review is a blinded process and done on a rolling basis. Additional faculty and/or clinical preceptors may be part of the review team as needed.
Admission decisions are communicated to applicants via the 鶹Ƶ admission portal. Admission decisions can include acceptance, contingent acceptance, waitlist, or denial. Contingent acceptance will be accompanied by specific program requirements that must be attained prior to full acceptance by May 1. Waitlist decision will be made by June 1. All accepted applicants must deposit by May 31st. Waitlisted students not informed until June 1 may have until June 15 to deposit.
Transfer students
This graduate program master's degree in athletic training is a two-year, full-time, cohort model program. The program is required to meet specific standards, including curricular standards, that are taught in assigned courses within the degree.
Due to both the sequential nature of the curriculum and the difficulty in determining if all curricular standards have been met in transferred courses, students will not be allowed to transfer credits into the MAT.
If a student wants to transfer into the Accelerated 3+2 BA in Exercise Physiology/MAT plan at the undergraduate level, they will be subject to the transfer policies and processes of 鶹Ƶ. Transfers into the Accelerated 3+2 plan will only be accepted prior to the fall of sophomore year at 鶹Ƶ. In addition, the feasibility of successful completion of the accelerated plan should be reviewed with the MAT program director in conjunction with the Exercise Physiology advisor prior to admission to the Exercise Physiology major. Transfer students for which the Accelerated 3+2 BA in Exercise Physiology/MAT degree is not feasible are encouraged to apply to the MAT for Post-Baccalaureate entrance.
Additional Requirements
Upon enrollment and before beginning the clinical education component of the MAT program, students are required to complete a satisfactory background check and provide verification of immunizations. Immunizations must include Hepatitis B, an annual flu vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine series, and any current or future recommended boosters. Additionally, students must complete a Tuberculosis Screening Test.
The following courses are not required for admission but are recommended as they compliment the MAT content.
- Public Health courses
- Psychology courses
- Economics courses
- Ethics courses
- Sociology courses
- Motor learning or develop courses
- Medical terminology courses
- Prevention and care of injury courses
In order to remain in good standing with the MAT, students must complete the following:
- Receive a C or higher in all required courses and maintain a 2.5 GPA
- Pass all competencies and proficiencies at an “Acceptable” and/or “Proficient” level
- Commit no MAT student policy and procedure manual violations
- Stay in good standing with the College and its policies
- Maintain Emergency Cardiac Care Certification
Failure to maintain good standing with the program can result in probation status, temporary removal, or permanent removal from the MAT. Decisions will be made through the disciplinary process detailed in the MAT student policy and procedure manual.