Department of Kinesiology
Athletic Training Education Program Information
East Central University (ECU) has a long-standing athletic training history, being one of the first regional universities in Oklahoma to employ a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), as well as the creation of a student internship program. At that time, ECU was innovative in the pursuit of preparing future ATC's. Now as the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) has authorized and supports national athletic training education reform, ECU is once again displaying the innovation to continue to be a leader among institutions of higher education in the preparation of future ATC's.
The East Central University Athletic Training Education Program (ECU-ATEP) is administered through the Kinesiology, which is housed in the College of Education & Psychology on campus. Completion of the ECU-ATEP will result in the attainment of a Bachelor of Science degree. The program is a competitive admissions program, with selection based upon meeting the requirements set forth by the program. The admission standards and requirements may be viewed on this web site, or may be provided by ECU-ATEP upon request. Students must declare a major in Athletic Training and take prerequisite course work during the freshman year. Students make formal application during the spring semester of the freshman year. Students accepted into the program begin course work and clinical education the fall of sophomore year. The curriculum is a prepared three-year plan of study, with students required to stay in course sequence in order to progress through the program in a timely manner.
Students selected into the program will be completing didactic course work while also engaged in challenging clinical experiences. Athletic training remains a unique profession that promotes student application of skills during their educational experiences. The clinical experiences designed by ECU-ATEP enhance student's abilities to develop clinical skills that will better prepare them as professionals. Working with intercollegiate athletics on campus, industrial athletes on campus, and various off campus sites, such as physical therapy and orthopedic clinics, will contribute to their practical skill development.
Upon graduation, students will be eligible to sit for national certification through the National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification (BOC). Students will also be required to meet licensure requirements in the state in which they desire to practice and are advised to seek out state practice acts for requirements, which may be beyond those of the ECU-ATEP and BOC.