Master’s in Athletic Training

Athletic trainers are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians. The services provided by athletic trainers comprise prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic trainers work under the direction of physicians as prescribed by state licensure statutes.

Iowa State University’s athletic training program has transitioned to a professional master’s degree program. The program will offer two routes for admission:

  • Students completing their third year of Iowa State’s 3+2 athletic training program.
  • Students who have completed a B.A. or B.S. degree from an accredited institution.

A comprehensive, hands-on experience

State of the art laboratories in sports medicine enhance the learning environment for athletic training students. Program faculty and clinical preceptors are experienced clinicians and engaging teachers. Students will get frequent interaction with team physicians, chiropractors, orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, and other health care providers with an interprofessional focus in the coursework and clinical experiences. Students will also get the opportunity to participate in surgical and emergency room observation, clinical experiences with varied client and patient populations including pediatric, adult, elderly, and special populations, as well as competitive collegiate and high school athletes and those who are physically active in non-sport activities. Athletic training students will have opportunities to engage with patients in real-time or with simulation methods in the areas of prevention and wellness, urgent and emergent care, primary care, orthopedics, rehabilitation, behavioral health, pediatrics, and performance enhancement.

Curriculum

Our Athletic Trainers…

  • Volunteer yearly at the Iowa Special Olympics, Drake Relays, and the Iowa High School state wrestling tournament.
  • Have opportunities to obtain numerous professional sports internships.
  • Work in high schools, colleges, and universities, the military, performing arts, physical therapy clinics, and industry settings.

CAATE Accreditation Status


Iowa State University is currently accredited by the Commission
on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), 2001 K Street NW, 3rd Floor North Washington, DC 20006.

Iowa State University is proud of its long tradition of providing excellent athletic training services, academic coursework, and clinical experiences to its students. The athletic training program obtained initial accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in April of 2001. The program received continuing CAATE accreditation in 2006, 2012, and recently underwent a comprehensive review in 2021 and was granted continuing CAATE reaccreditation until our next comprehensive review in 2031-2032.

Ready to get moving?

Need More Information?

Mary Meier

223 Forker
534 Wallace Rd
Ames, IA 50011-4008

515-294-3587

mary@iastate.edu