The Florida State University Athletic Training Education Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The American Academy of Family Physicians, The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) and CAATE cooperate to establish, maintain, and promote appropriate standard of quality for education programs in athletic training and to provide recognition for educational programs that meet or exceed the minimum standards.

A certified athletic trainer is a qualified health care professional educated and experienced in the management of health care problems associated with physical activity. In cooperation with physicians and other health care providers, the athletic trainer functions as an integral member of the health care team in secondary schools, colleges and universities, professional sports programs, sports medicine clinics, and other health care settings. The athletic trainer collaborates with medical personnel, athletic personnel, individuals involved in physical activity, and parents/guardians in the development and coordination of efficient and responsive athletic health care delivery systems. (NATA)

The athletic trainer’s professional preparation is directed toward the development of specified competencies in the following domains: risk management and injury prevention, pathology of injuries and illnesses, assessment and evaluation, acute care of injury and illnesses, pharmacology, therapeutic modalities, therapeutic exercise, general medical conditions and disabilities, nutritional aspects of injury and illness, psychosocial intervention and referral, health care administration, and professional development and responsibilities. Through a combination of formal classroom instruction and clinical experience, the athletic trainer is prepared to apply a wide variety of specific health care skills and knowledge within each of the domains.

The Florida State University’s accredited Athletic Training Education Program is recognized nationally for providing leading edge coursework and unique clinical experiences in order to individually prepare each student for their professional future. Graduates of the program possess the knowledge, skills, character and desire to excel as innovators and life-long learners in sports medicine.