Athletic Training is an allied health profession that falls under a vast scope of sports medicine professions recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA). Certified athletic trainers (ATCs) are highly educated and skilled professionals specializing in the prevention, recognition, management and rehabilitation of athletics-related injuries. They work in cooperation with physicians and other allied health personnel to ensure the health of physically active individuals in secondary schools, colleges, universities, sports medicine clinics, professional sports programs, industries and other health care environments. To obtain an ATC credential one must complete a four-year degree in a CAATE accredited Athletic Training Education Program and successfully complete the Board of Certification (BOC) examination.

The Athletic Training Education Program at Southern was converted from an Internship Program to a National Athletic Trainers' Association Approved Program in 1988, at a time when the NATA had a two-year implementation period before the actual approval took affect. In the spring of 1990, our Athletic Training Education Program was approved for a five-year period. When the American Medical Association (AMA) recognized athletic trainers as allied health professionals, the NATA no longer approved programs, and the Commission on Accreditation for Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) assumed the role. In 1995, our program had its first CAAHEP accreditation site visit and earned accreditation for another 5-year period. In the spring of 2000, we had our second CAAHEP accreditation site visit, and the program was accredited until the year 2007. In the past twelve years, Southern's Athletic Training Education Program has achieved many great things. Click here to see Program Notables.

In adhering to the tenets of Southern Connecticut State University, the School of Education and the Exercise Science Department, the Athletic Training Education Program believes inherently in the SAILS concept: Scholarship, Attitudes and Dispositions, Integrity, Leadership, and Service. We are committed to establishing the Athletic Training Education Program as a regional and national leader in the preparation of Entry-level Athletic Training professionals to serve in a wide range of professional settings, in addition to producing high quality students and citizens. We encourage our students to:

S: Become competent, independent, and critical thinkers by developing into allied health professionals that are proficient in the care of the physically active, as evidenced by attaining BOC Inc. certification and demonstrating quality injury prevention, identification, care and rehabilitation.

A: Accept the role of the athletic training professional and demonstrate a positive attitude regarding the athletic training profession as shown through professional attendance at conferences, in communication with other individuals and exhibition of solid work habits.

I: Adhere to the Athletic Training Code of Ethics published by the National Athletic Trainers' Association, and maintain high moral standards when performing professional duties.

L: Continue to develop knowledge and skills beyond Southern Connecticut State University, and enhance the athletic training profession by sharing that knowledge and expertise with local, state and national professional organizations in the role of members of organizational committees via professional and public service.

S: Become involved with society outside of their professional requirements as demonstrated by assisting those in need and working to make their own piece of the world a better place.