Admission & Progression Requirements – MAT

Disclaimers:  Clarke University is currently in the process of applying to transition from the professional entry-level Bachelor of Science (BS), which is being phased out, to the entry-level Master of Athletic Training Degree, which will be phased in.  All references and inferences to the Master of Athletic Training (MAT) are subject to change pending approval from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).  Clarke University’s BS is currently accredited by CAATE and in good standing.

 Clarke University is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Students graduating from Clarke University’s Master of Athletic Training Program (ATP) will receive a Master of Athletic Training (MAT) Degree. It is incumbent on the student to work closely with athletic training faculty members to plan a program of study that meets co-requisite and prerequisite requirements of the program.

The Clarke University ATP will accept students who have obtained a Bachelor’s Degree into the ATP in a 4+2 format. Clarke University Bachelor’s students have the opportunity to complete the ATP in the 3 (undergraduate years) +2 (1 year of undergraduate completion combined with graduate curriculum and 1 year of graduate only curriculum) format. Clarke University students with a double major may be required to take additional summer courses to complete the athletic training program in the 3 + 2 format.

Admission to the Athletic Training Program

Clarke students apply for admission to the ATP during the fall semester of their junior/third year of undergraduate studies. Non-Clarke students apply for admission to the ATP during the fall semester of their Bachelor’s final year. Qualified Clarke University students will be given priority for the (approximately 18) openings in the program per year. Some qualified applicants may not be accepted due to space limitations. A student may apply a maximum of two times.

Qualification Criteria for Application to the Program

1.  Cumulative GPA: a minimum of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale with no grade in the pre-requisite courses below a C.
2. Proof of current certification in first aid and BLS (Basic Life Support for healthcare providers).
3. Completion of a minimum of some hours of clinical exposure in athletic training facilities, of which at least the majority of hours must be in the Clarke University facility. Transfer students must have some hours of observation in an athletic training facility prior to acceptance, unless consent of Clarke’s ATP Program Director is obtained.
4. Completion of the application process, which includes an interview; an essay (based on criteria given annually); and three recommendations submitted online as directed. Each applicant will be evaluated using a rubric and a total score will be computed and used in the decision/acceptance process. The evaluation criteria and the rubric are available to applicants during the application process. A student who has previously been denied acceptance to Clarke’s ATP will additionally be evaluated on the progress made since denial. Students who have been dismissed/terminated from Clarke’s ATP may not reapply.
5. Acceptance of transfer students is dependent upon availability of openings and the applicant’s ability to meet the qualification criteria. Transfer students must meet all of the same course prerequisites, co-requisites, and requirements as the cohort they are joining, unless pre-approval is gained from the ATP’s Program Director.
6. Students must have a physical completed, documented and signed by a licensed MD, DO, PA, or ARNP indicating that participation in the ATP is “cleared”. The student also must be current on all appropriate immunizations, vaccinations, and disease screenings indicated by clinical guidelines outlined in Clarke’s ATP handbook and the governing bodies (e.g. NATA, BOC, CAATE, OSHA) documents.
7. Upon admission to the ATP, prior to beginning the program’s Master’s level coursework, students will review the Technical Standards and will indicate that they can meet those Technical Standards or request a waiver of the Technical Standards. All waiver requests are processed in consultation with the MARC. Clarke University may or may not be able to accommodate a request for waiver of the Technical Standards. (Note: Clarke 3+2 students officially enter the ATP after the spring of their junior year and after they have been accepted to the program.) Technical Standards must be reviewed and signed prior to starting the program.
8. All students admitted into the ATP will be required to have a criminal background check prior to beginning the program and their first clinical rotation. If the student is a transfer student, the criminal background check will be performed as quickly as possible after admission into the ATP and prior to being allowed to attend any off-campus clinical site. If a student’s criminal background report comes back positive for abuse, sexual offenses, and/or any other issue that would endanger the “safe work environment,” that student will be notified and may be dismissed from the ATP. This will occur after a review of the positive finding and in consultation with the ATP’s policies and guidelines. Each person with a positive criminal background report will have a chance to submit a written response to the Academic Affairs Office. The University will review each positive background report and associated documentation check with the Academic Dean prior to making a decision regarding the student’s acceptance/progression. A decision regarding acceptance/progression will be rendered in a timely manner.

Progression / Continuation in the Athletic Training Program

Once admitted in the ATP, a student minimally must:

1. maintain at least an overall 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale,
2. achieve at least a C in all required courses, prerequisite courses, and co-requisite courses (only 2 C’s are afforded to graduate students),
3. comply with the NATA’s Code of Ethics and the BOC’s Standards of Practice,
4. complete all academic and clinical work with academic integrity,
5. complete annual recertification in first aid and BLS (Basic Life Support for healthcare providers) and AED, bloodborne pathogens, HIPPA, and a one-time certification in Mandatory Reporter.

Any student who does not meet the above requirements may be dismissed from the ATP. This may occur without being granted probation if a just cause is determined by the ATP and the Academic Dean.

Students must complete their hands-on clinical experiences under the supervision of Licensed and Certified Athletic Trainers and/or Clinical Faculty/Preceptors who have affiliations with Clarke University’s ATP.

Students are responsible for securing their own transportation to and from clinical sites.

Students are required to meet all health requirements annually as designated by the ATP and the clinical sites. These include:  immunizations, a physical examination, and tuberculosis testing.

At the beginning of every academic year that a student is in the ATP, the University will bill each student for the required malpractice insurance. Also, students are required to review, know, agree to and sign off on policies and procedures annually.

Deficiencies and Consequences

GPA Deficiency

• 3.0 or above – no deficiency
• 2.79 -2.99 – deficient. Usually, a student who is deficient is placed on probation and must meet with the Department Chair and Program Director. A student cannot be placed on probation longer than one semester.
• Below 2.79 – deficient. Usually, a student who is deficient must meet with the Department Chair, Program Director, and Academic Dean and may be dismissed from the ATP.

Grade Deficiency

Ordinarily, a student will be placed on probation for a period of no longer than one semester if he/she fails to obtain a minimum grade of C in a required, prerequisite, or co-requisite athletic training course. The inadequate grade for an ATP course may mean the student stops taking or withdraws from ATHT coursework, may not be allowed to progress with the same cohort, and/or may be required to withdraw from the ATP and reapply at a later date to continue. (The Department Chair, Program Director, and the ATP core faculty in consultation with the Academic Dean make determinations of consequences based on the grade deficiency and the student’s other academic progress, as well as the situation as a whole.) The student must then retake the first offered section of that course. If he/she completes the retake and meets the minimum grade requirement (C or better), the student may be taken off of probation and allowed to continue taking ATP coursework, join a subsequent cohort or reapply to the ATP. If the student does not meet the minimum grade requirement after the retake, he/she will be required to stop taking all ATP coursework in the ATP. The ATP’s Program Director, in consultation with the ATP core faculty, the Department Chair and possibly the Academic Dean, will determine if the student will be dismissed from the ATP, if the student may join a different cohort, or if the student may reapply to the ATP.

Professional Behavior/Ethics Deficiency

A student who violates academic integrity policies and/or professional behaviors (Code of Ethics and/or   Standards of Practice) may subsequently fail an assignment or course, be placed on probation, and/or be dismissed from the ATP. Violations of academic integrity and/or professional behaviors that are not ordinarily addressed by the Clarke University catalog policies (i.e. clinical behaviors and conduct) will be reviewed by the Department Chair and ATP’s Program Director (and possibly the Academic Dean) to determine appropriate consequences and actions.

Consequences

Usually, probation can be incurred a maximum of one semester in a student’s academic career within the ATP. If deficiencies or violations extend past the one semester probation time limit, the usual result will be immediate dismissal from the ATP.

Students who are dismissed from the program may not reapply to Clarke University’s ATP.

A probationary student’s work, behaviors and progress will be reviewed by the ATP’s Program Director, the Department Chair and ATP’s faculty on an individual basis. The reviews will emphasize the following:

1. Continued improvement in deficient areas,
2. Athletic training coursework performance,
3. Work ethic in the athletic training facilities and in the classroom,
4. Professionalism in the athletic training facilities and in the classroom, and
5. Performance of athletic training student duties.

Students on probation will be required to attend and show proof of attendance for academic counseling/advising appointments. Additionally, the ATP’s faculty will conduct at least a monthly review of all emphasized areas (1-5) listed above. If the student is not performing adequately in the emphasized areas (listed 1-5 above) he/she will be dismissed from the ATP. A student who has been dismissed from the ATP will not be allowed to take ATP coursework. Dismissals can also occur before the individual has exhausted the maximal probation time.

Probation evaluations are based on the student’s ability to complete the following applicable criteria in a timely manner:

1. Retake the coursework in which the student received grades that do not meet the minimum requirement,
2. Continue to receive C’s or better in all coursework required for the ATP (only 2 C’s are afforded to graduate students),
3. Continue to maintain a cumulative GPA of a 3.00 or better,
4. Show continued/continuing improvement in work ethic,
5. Show continued/continuing improvement in professionalism,
6. Show continued/continuing improvement in performance of duties as an Athletic Training Student;
7. Attendance at academic counseling/advisement as deemed necessary by the Program Director at the MARC and,
8.  Schedule and attend meetings with the ATP Review Committee or designee. These meetings will include a review and discussion of items 1-7. At the conclusion of each meeting, a recommendation on the student’s continuation or dismissal will be made. The recommendation will be discussed immediately with the student. If a dismissal decision is made, the Academic Dean will be notified. The student can file a grievance in accordance with the appropriate guidelines in the Clarke University Catalog and/or Clarke University Student Handbook.

Failure to comply with any of the above criteria will result in the student’s dismissal from the ATP.

PREREQUISITE to acceptance in the ATP

The following courses must be taken prior to acceptance into the ATP. Students must earn a C or better in the following courses or the courses that contain the content:

Required Coursework for all applicants for the ATP

Course or content within a course addressing	Expected Clarke Course Equivalent
Introduction to athletic training – may be waived with approval of Program Director	ATHT 130 Care and Prevention of Injuries
Nutrition	ATHT 133 Dynamics of Health and Nutrition
Chemistry with lab	CHEM 110 General Chemistry I with lab and CHEM 111 General Chemistry II with lab
Developmental Psychology	HWBS 123 Lifespan Development
Biology with human cell structure	BIOL 115 Fundamental Cell Biology and Genetics with lab
Physics	PHYS 110 Elements of Physics I with lab and PHYS 111 Elements of Physics II with lab
Statistics	MATH 220 Statistics
Human Anatomy Human Physiology • A two semester combined course or a semester of each	BIOL 211 Human Anatomy & Physiology I with lab and BIOL 212 Human Anatomy & Physiology II with lab
Exercise Physiology	BIOL 420 Human Physiology BIOL 425 Exercise Physiology with lab

Recommended Coursework for all applicants for the ATP

Course or content within a course addressing	Recommended Clarke Course Equivalent
Ethics	PHIL 225 Applied Ethics: Biomedical (preferred) or PHIL 212 General Ethics
Etiology/Pathology or Pathophysiology	BIOL 422 Pathophysiology
Introductory psychology or abnormal psychology	PSYC 111 Introductory Psychology PSYC 221 Abnormal Psychology

Requirements 

In addition, the student must complete a total of 63 hours (55 hours of the following athletic training courses and 8 hours of biology courses) with a C or better.

ATHT 414 Functional Anatomy and Biomechanics with lab (3 hours)
ATHT 428 Therapeutic Modalities (3 hours)
BIOL 410 Human Gross Anatomy (4 hours)
BIOL 445 Neuroscience (4 hours)
ATHT 500 Acute and Emergency Care (3 hours)
ATHT 501 Introduction and Orientation to Athletic Training Clinical (2 hours)
ATHT 502 Distal Extremity Pathoetiology and Assessment of Injuries (3 hours)
ATHT 503 Distal Extremity Pathomechanics and Therapeutic Interventions (3 hours)
ATHT 504 Clinical Education in Athletic Training I (2 hours)
ATHT 505 Research I (2 hours)
ATHT 506 Proximal Extremity Pathoetiology and Assessment of Injuries (3 hours)
ATHT 507 Proximal Extremity Pathomechanics and Therapeutic Interventions (3 hours)
ATHT 508 Clinical Education in Athletic Training II (2 hours)
ATHT 510 Clinical Immersion I (3 hours)
ATHT 511 Clinical Immersion II (3 hours)
ATHT 600 General Medical Conditions and Pharmacology (3 hours)
ATHT 601 Athletic Training Management and Administration (3 hours)
ATHT 602 Spine and Trunk Pathoetiology and Assessment of Injuries (3 hours)
ATHT 603 Spine and Trunk Pathomechanics and Therapeutic Interventions (3 hours)
ATHT 604 Clinical Education in Athletic Training III (2 hours)
ATHT 605 Research II (2 hours)
ATHT 608 Clinical Education in Athletic Training IV (2 hours)
ATHT 610 BOC Preparations (2 hours)

Athletic Training Clinical Experiences associated with Clinical Education courses

Students must log a minimum of 1000 hours and a maximum of 2000 hours of clinical education time in order to graduate.  Ordinarily, no student is allowed to log more than 20 hours and no less than 2 hours in a calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) during full academic weeks. During summer, intersession and non-academic calendar weeks students may log up to 40 hours per week. A student must have a minimum of 1 day off in every 7 calendar days.  Students must submit any exceptions to the amount of time spent in clinical education in writing to the Athletic Training Program Director and Clinical Education Coordinator/Clinical Supervisor. Clinical experience hours follow the Clarke University, departmental, programmatic and accrediting body and/or affiliated site’s guidelines and policies as applicable for the credits assigned to the related Clinical Education courses rather than the federal and institutional guidelines for lecture courses or the institutional guidelines for internships. All students must track and report/submit their own hours in accordance with professional/ethical behaviors.

Clarke Credit Hour Policies at a Glance

Type of Course	Lecture Courses	Internship Courses	Practicum/Clinical/Field Work
Course Identifier	XXXX###	XXXX295 XXXX395 XXXX495	XXXX###
Who monitors	VPAA, Deans and Department Chairs	VPAA, Deans, Department Chairs, Career Services (ALL XXXX#95 courses need approval from Career Services and Academic Dean.)	Department Chair, Program Director and the Practicum/Clinical/Field Work Coordinator
Where the policy can be found	Page 59 and 306 in 2019-2020 catalog	Page 19-20 in 2019-2020 catalog. Career Services documentation and Career Services web page https://www.clarke.edu/academics/careers-internships/internship-for-credit-program/	Varies by program. Typically can be found in Department and/or Program handbooks, course descriptions and advising materials.
Policy	Academic credit is awarded based on student achievement resulting from instruction and out-of-class student work. For every credit received in a semester (fifteen weeks or the equivalent), the undergraduate student should expect to participate in at least one hour of direct instruction (face-to-face or online) and to complete a minimum of two additional hours of student work per week. The Federal government requires this minimum standard for instruction and corresponding student work be used in awarding Federal financial aid (34 CFR 600.2). Example: ·A three-credit hour undergraduate course would require a minimum of 9 hours of student work (instruction and homework) weekly. ·A three-credit hour graduate course would require a minimum of 12 hours of student work (instruction and homework) weekly Credit Hour Policy Academic credit is awarded based on student achievement resulting from instruction and out-of-class student work. For every credit received in a semester (fifteen weeks or the equivalent), the graduate student should expect to participate in at least one hour of direct instruction (face-to-face or online) and to complete a minimum of three additional hours of student work per week. The Federal government requires this minimum standard for instruction and corresponding student work be used in awarding Federal financial aid (34 CFR 600.2).Example: A three-credit hour course would require a minimum of 12 hours of student work (instruction and homework) weekly." This statement is also listed in every graduate syllabus. Credit Load Students may be full-time, half-time or less-than-half-time. Half-time graduate students carry five to eight semester hours each semester. Less-than-half-time graduate students carry from one to four semester hours each semester. Full-time status for graduate students is defined as nine credit hours per semester. Non-degree-seeking students (with the exception of students pursuing a certificate, badges, and/or endorsement/licensure) may take no more than six credit hours.	Credit for an Internship For Credit employment experience is based on the job description (what the student will learn) and the number of hours a student works. Therefore, total credit varies, but generally students earn one academic credit for 60 hours worked (4 hours worked per week for each academic credit). NOTE: Hours may NOT be logged until the completed Placement Contract and Learning Objectives have been submitted to Career Services. Any hours completed before paperwork is submitted will NOT be eligible for the Internship for Credit.	Varies by program. All Clarke practicums, clinicals and field experiences and courses appropriately follow the Clarke University departmental, programmatic and accrediting body, and/or affiliated site’s guidelines and policies as applicable. Departmental based on dept/program/accrediting body Clinical placement directors/dept chairs monitor

Athletic Training Clinical Experiences associated with Clinical Education courses

Students must log a minimum of 1000 hours and a maximum of 2000 hours of clinical education time in order to graduate. Ordinarily, no student is allowed to log more than 20 hours and no less than 2 hours in a calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) during full academic weeks. A student must have a minimum of 1 day off in every 7 calendar days. Students must submit any exceptions to the amount of time spent in clinical education in writing to the Athletic Training Program Director and Clinical Education Coordinator/Clinical Supervisor. Clinical experience hours follow Departmental, Programmatic and CAATE guidelines for the credits assigned to the related Clinical Education courses rather than the federal and institutional guidelines for lecture courses or the institutional guidelines for internships. All students must track and report/submit their own hours in accordance with professional/ethical behaviors.