Accelerated MSAT

Earn your bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and become a certified athletic trainer in just five years.

Apply Today
Request Info
Christopher Nightingale, Associate Professor of Physical Education and Athletic Training 207.581.2463 christopher.nightingale@maine.edu
  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Kinesiology & Physical Education (Exercise Science Pre-Athletic Training)
  • Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT)
  • 5 years
  • Full-Time
  • 120 undergraduate credits
  • 54-57 graduate credits
  • On-campus with some distance-learning opportunities during the MSAT.

Program overview

The University of Maine offers an accelerated, five-year Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Physical Education (Exercise Science – Pre-Athletic Training concentration) and a Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program. Athletic trainers are certified medical professionals who specialize in the prevention, examination, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of emergent, acute or chronic injuries and medical conditions. Our program offers a science-based curriculum that provides the foundation for a career in athletic training. Classroom and laboratory experiences are designed to provide the student with an applied understanding of the scientific basis of athletic training in different populations. As Maine’s only NCAA Division I school, UMaine offers a wealth of hands on and real-world experiences right at students’ fingertips. Our Athletic Training programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Click here to view our CAATE Program Information and Outcomes page.

For the first three years, students complete undergraduate coursework toward a B.S. in Kinesiology and Physical Education (Exercise Science concentration). Early in the second semester of year two, students signal their intention to carry on in the hybrid program and prepare to begin the graduate program. In order to do so, students submit transcripts to the Athletic Training program director for review to ensure completion of and minimum grades in prerequisite coursework. Upon acceptance, students can begin taking graduate-level courses in their fourth year.

Students may opt for either a non-thesis or thesis track for completing the MSAT degree program.

  • MSAT (non-thesis): This track requires completion of 54 credit hours.
  • MSAT (thesis): The thesis option requires carrying out an original piece of research resulting in a written thesis and a minimum of 57 credit hours.

For the first year and a half of the graduate program, students take in-person courses at the University of Maine in Orono. During their final semester, coursework can be completed online through video conferencing either asynchronously or synchronously. This allows students the opportunity to complete their final, immersive clinical education experience anywhere in the United States, while still taking their final courses.

All graduates of the MSAT program are eligible to sit for the BOC Exam for athletic trainers, pending CAATE approval.

The MSAT program prepares graduates to become certified athletic trainers by sitting for the initial Board of Certification (BOC) exam, and once completed to achieve state licensure wherever they choose to practice. Traditionally, athletic trainers are employed in sports medicine settings, where they provide care for individuals participating in all levels of athletics. In addition, the number of athletic trainers is growing in fields such as health care, the military, public safety, performing arts, occupational health and safety, and more, according to national, regional and state employment data.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of their MSAT program of study, students will have the skills and knowledge necessary to uphold the BOC’s practice standards for certified athletic trainers:

Practice Standards

Standard 1: Direction
Athletic Trainers render service or treatment under the direction of, or in collaboration with a physician, in accordance with their training and the state’s statutes, rules and regulations.
Standard 2: Prevention
Athletic Trainers implement measures to prevent and/or mitigate injury, illness and long-term disability.
Standard 3: Immediate Care
Athletic Trainers provide care procedures used in acute and/or emergency situations, independent of setting.
Standard 4: Examination, Assessment and Diagnosis
Athletic Trainers utilize patient history and appropriate physical examination procedures to determine the patient’s impairments, diagnosis, level of function and disposition.
Standard 5: Therapeutic Intervention
Athletic Trainers determine appropriate treatment, rehabilitation and/or reconditioning strategies. Intervention program objectives include long- and short-term goals and an appraisal of those which the patient can realistically be expected to achieve from the program. Appropriate patient-centered outcome assessments are utilized to document efficacy of interventions.
Standard 6: Program Discontinuation
Athletic Trainers may recommend discontinuation of the intervention program at such time the patient has received optimal benefit of the program. A final assessment of the patients’ status is included in the discharge note.
Standard 7: Organization and Administration
Athletic Trainers document all procedures and services in accordance with local, state and federal laws, rules and guidelines.

Outstanding facilities and diverse, hands-on learning opportunities are hallmarks of UMaine’s Athletic Training programs. Our students work with athletic trainers who have decades of experience in the field. Because UMaine is an NCAA Division I school, athletic training students can work with elite athletes on a daily basis. They also have the chance to work with high school sports teams, NCAA Division III athletes and patients in local hospitals and doctor’s offices. To hone their skills, students can work with several types of health care providers, including nurse practitioners, physicians assistants, medical doctors and osteopathic doctors.

The heart of the program is the Wes Jordan Athletic Training Complex, a spacious, recently renovated facility that features classrooms, an emergency simulation lab, a rehabilitation lab, and a lab designed to replicate an athletic training room. Each of these labs has supplies and equipment that a certified athletic trainer would use in the field, providing real-world experience in a state-of-the-art on-campus setting.

For current information about tuition and fees, please visit the Bursar’s office.

First-year undergraduate students, visit go.umaine.edu for a link to the online application, as well as information about academics and life at UMaine.

For all other questions, contact Athletic Training Program Coordinator Christopher Nightingale, christopher.nightingale@maine.edu.