12 Athletic Training Programs In Texas

If you are passionate about exercising and helping others keep fit, a career in athletic training may be good for you. As you continue reading, you will learn what athletic training is, the duties of an athletic trainer, and how to become an athletic trainer. And for the best part, you get to see the list of athletic training programs in Texas to help you make an option on where to study.

According to NATA, the National Athletic Trainer’s Association, athletic training encompasses the prevention, examination, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of emergent, acute, or chronic injuries and medical conditions. As an athletic trainer, your duties will be to administer treatments, prevent injuries, and prescribe exercises and training routines to your patients who will mostly be athletes.

Athletic training is a field you should consider going into if you are passionate about staying healthy through exercises and helping others do the same. It is also a profession you should consider going into if you want to become a sports medicine doctor later in your career or if you want to enter a healthcare field that is not as demanding as nursing or medical doctor.

Athletic trainers have flexible working schedules and the work environment is not as demanding as typical medical professions. It would also be worth noting that a medical degree is not required to become an athletic trainer. There are athletic training degree programs at undergraduate and graduate levels that are focused on training and physical therapy to equip you with the necessary skills you need.

When you complete an athletic training degree program in the US, you will need to take a licensure examination known as the Board of Certification Exam (BOC). You must pass this exam to earn your licensure and certification and begin practicing.

As a certified athletic trainer, you can decide to go into private practice or work in educational settings, fitness centers, sports medicine clinics, sports teams, rehab facilities, and hospitals. A bachelor’s or master’s degree in exercise science, physical therapy, kinesiology, or athletic training are programs that will prepare you for a career as an athletic trainer.

There are colleges for sports medicine as well as physical therapy schools in the US that offer reputable and affordable degree programs in athletic training.

This blog post specifically targets the athletic training programs in Texas for interested students to find a suitable program and begin the application. You may find this article useful if you want to become an athletic trainer in Texas or you’re an aspiring international student looking for where to study athletic training, you can consider the ones in Texas. Let this blog post guide you.

athletic training programs in Texas

Athletic Training Programs in Texas

The athletic training programs in Texas are:

  • Athletic Training Program – The University of Texas at Austin
  • Master of Athletic Training – Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC)
  • M.S. in Athletic Training – Texas A&M University
  •  Professional Master’s Degree Program in Athletic Training – Texas State University
  • Kinesiology BS Degree – Athletic Training Option – The University of Texas at Tyler
  • Master of Athletic Training – The University of Houston
  • Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training (BSAT) – MSU Texas
  • Athletic Training Master’s Degree Program – Texas Lutheran University (LTU)
  • Master of Science in Athletic Training – Stephen F. Austin State University
  • Online Master of Athletic Training – Hardin-Simmons University
  • Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training – The University of Texas Permian Basin
  • Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) – Tarleton State University

1.     Athletic Training Program – The University of Texas at Austin

The College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin is offering an accredited athletic training program that combines both classroom and lab instructions with hands-on clinical training to train and prepare students to work with all kinds of patients and other healthcare professionals.

The program leads to a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training which takes 4 years to complete but the first 12 months are spent in what is known as Directed Observation Program (DOP), whereby students interested in the program spend one year observing and learning from athletic trainers. Upon completion of DOP, students will then enter apply for the athletic training program and complete it in 3 years.

Link to Program

2.     Master of Athletic Training – Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC)

Texas Tech University is a reputable higher institution known for offering one of the best MFT programs in Texas and its Health Sciences Center offers one of the most affordable medical programs in Texas. The Master of Athletic Training at TTUHSC is a program that will offer you the outstanding, interprofessional, and evidence-based education necessary to build a successful career in athletic training.

Students in the program engage in coursework, lab practicals, and immersive clinical experience. It is also a reputable program as well, as it has a 91% rate of graduates, 92% of graduates passed the BOC exam, and 100% of graduates got employed within six months of graduation.

Link to Program

3.     M.S. in Athletic Training – Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University’s Master of Science in Athletic Training is another option for aspiring athletic trainers to consider. There are two options in the program; a 2-year master’s program for students who have completed their bachelor’s degree; and a 5-year dual degree in BS-Kinesiology/MS-Athletic Training program for incoming college freshmen.

The MSAT program is CAATE accredited and completing it makes you eligible for the BOC examination to become a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC). The minimum GPA to enter the program is 3.0, GRE is not required and a minimum of 50 observation hours are required.

Link to Program

4.     Professional Master’s Degree Program in Athletic Training – Texas State University

If you have earned a bachelor’s degree in biology or a science-related discipline and developed an interest in athletic training, you do not have to for a bachelor’s degree again but a master’s and here is an opportunity.

Texas State University is offering you the chance to become a professional athletic trainer through its Professional Master’s degree program in Athletic Training which takes only 24 months to complete. The program consists of 55 credit hours and offers you training and preparation to pass the BOC and become an ATC.

Link to Program

5.     Kinesiology BS Degree – Athletic Training Option – The University of Texas at Tyler

Here is an opportunity for freshmen to gain the skills and knowledge of an athletic trainer through the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree offered at UT Tyler. The program focused on athletic training preparing graduates for medical care of athletes to prevent and treat injuries and manage chronic conditions.

Students in the program will complete an 1,800-hour apprenticeship to gain hands-on training. If you want to become a sports medicine doctor, earning this degree first will quickly get you into med school to train as a sports medicine doctor.

Link to Program

6.     Master of Athletic Training – The University of Houston

The Master of Athletic Training degree program offered by the University of Houston meets the Texas state licensure requirement for a certified athletic trainer. The program is also accredited by the CAATE and when you graduate, you will be eligible to take the BOC to acquire your certification.

To be accepted into the program, applicants must meet the mandatory immunizations, drug screening, background checks, and medical insurance requirements.

Link to Program

7.     Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training (BSAT) – MSU Texas

This is another opportunity for you to become an athletic trainer in just 4 years instead of 6 with a master’s degree. Although the BSAT will get you into entry-level roles you will gradually work your way up. The program is offered by Midwestern State University and combines coursework, clinical experience, and lab work to prepare students as athletic trainers.

Three letters of recommendation and a minimum of 2.5 GPA are among the requirements to enter this program.

Link to Program

8.     Athletic Training Master’s Degree Program – Texas Lutheran University (LTU)

Just like every athletic training program on this list, this program is also CAATE-accredited and upon completion makes graduates eligible for the BOC examination to obtain their certification as athletic trainers. The program offers two paths; a 5-year option that combines BSc in Kinesiology with a MAT degree upon graduation and a traditional 2-year master’s program.

Link to Program

9.     Master of Science in Athletic Training – Stephen F. Austin State University

This master’s program is a 2-year allied healthcare professional residency program designed to make you a certified athletic trainer in no time. You must have completed an undergraduate degree in a science program to be eligible for the MAT. Only 18 students are accepted per cohort, this shows it is a competitive program and you have to have a competitive application to be considered for acceptance.

Link to Program

10.  Online Master of Athletic Training – Hardin-Simmons University

If you want to pursue a master of the athletic training program in the non-traditional format this online one is an option to consider. The Online Master of Athletic Training offered by Hardin-Simmons University is a 24-month program that combines online coursework with 6 on-campus sessions so that students can gain practical skills as an athletic trainers.

This mode of study is best for aspiring athletic trainers who are working but want to advance their careers. The flexibility of the online model gives students the chance to continue with their existing responsibilities like work while studying for their master’s program.

Link to Program

11.  Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training – The University of Texas Permian Basin

You can become an athletic trainer with just a bachelor’s degree, thanks to this BS in Athletic Training offered by The University of Texas Permian Basin. Students in the program will achieve a comprehensive understanding of sports-related injuries, from diagnosis to rehabilitation and prevention.

Link to Program

12.  Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) – Tarleton State University

Last but not least is the MSAT degree program offered by TCU, a competitive and highly selective degree program that accepts only 15 students per cohort. You must have completed a bachelor’s degree to be eligible for the MSAT or if you are a freshman then consider enrolling for the 5-year dual track and graduate with a joint BS/MSAT degree.

The estimated cost for the program is $6,239 per year for residents and $10,230 per year for non-residents.

Link to Program

In conclusion, all of these programs are CAATE-accredited and meet the licensure requirement for the BOC licensure examination in the state of Texas. Graduating from any of these degree programs will prepare you for roles in varieties of healthcare, medical, and fitness facilities.

Conclusion