By Dr. Debbie Bradney and Dr. Tim Laurent
Debbie Bradney, DPE, ATC, is the Coordinator of Clinical Education, and Tim Laurent, EdD, ATC, CSCS, is the Athletic Training Program Director at Lynchburg College in Virginia.
Training & Conditioning, 14.5, July/August 2004, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/tc/tc1405/masterstep.htm
If you are planning on attending graduate school any time in the near future, you need to start thinking about your decision now. No two programs are exactly alike, and while any accredited university can provide a master’s degree, finding the one that best fits your expectations and priorities will ensure that you get the most out of your grad school years. To choose wisely, you need to discover those schools that offers the best opportunities to cultivate and develop your personal interests.
To begin the process of selecting a graduate program, we suggest looking within yourself to gain a sure sense of what you want. Developing clear goals will help you make the selection that’s best for you. What are your career aspirations? What is the best work setting for you? Do you want to combine your athletic training expertise with another area, such as nutrition, exercise physiology, or pharmacology? Do you want secondary credentials such as CSCS, PT, or PA?
Your academic interests should match your professional goals so that your graduate degree can provide you with the knowledge and skills to pursue your ideal career. Some people pursue academic areas outside athletic training to give them additional career options, while others acquire dual credentials to reinforce their athletic training education. Still others simply desire advanced athletic training knowledge and skill to help prepare them for professional life. Knowing what you want will help you navigate a plethora of graduate school options.
Once you have surveyed your own interests, begin surveying graduate schools. Determine which schools and academic programs are acceptable to you, considering the location, size, and reputation of each school and program. Also consider the prerequisites and entrance requirements for each school.
An additional factor students need to consider when looking at athletic training master’s programs is whether they want their athletic training master’s degree to be entry-level or advanced. Entry-level master’s degrees are designed around the same educational competencies and proficiencies as undergraduate accredited programs. So if you have completed a CAAHEP-accredited undergraduate program, you probably want to enter an advanced master’s program. Repeating an entry-level program will provide you with a master’s degree, but it may not challenge you or advance your athletic training knowledge and skills.
Most graduate programs also offer assistantships to provide students with a stipend, full or partial tuition remission, and hands-on experience. Athletic training students have numerous choices. Many schools advertise their graduate assistantships through the NATA Career Center or send announcements to undergraduate athletic training program directors. (The NATA Career Center is available to NATA members at www.nata.org.) By looking at announcements you can learn about stipends, benefits, and responsibilities. Being informed about the types of graduate assistantship positions a school offers will help you to choose a school that fits your needs.
If you are thinking about taking on an assistantship, you need to consider the responsibility that comes with it. Graduate assistants are considered to be staff members, and are treated as such. In your undergraduate athletic training experience you were a student who was learning about athletic training. As a graduate assistant you will be a university employee who also goes to school. This is a large shift, and you need to be cognizant of the differences. You will, of course, gain valuable experience, but you are also there to benefit your employer.
When comparing graduate assistantships, there are a few questions that need to be asked. What is your job description? Are you expected to work over holiday and semester breaks? When can you make autonomous decisions, and when do you have to consult with another staff athletic trainer?
As you look at graduate assistantship announcements you will notice that there are three types of assistantships: Teaching Assistantship (TA), Research Assistantship (RA), and Graduate Assistantship (GA). Being a TA often involves teaching labs or freshman-level courses. These positions are excellent for people who plan on teaching during their professional career. They allow you the opportunity to practice organizing and presenting information in a logical way that aids students’ learning.
An RA position is excellent for the person who is most interested in publications, presentations, and research, and they are typically available at large research institutions. With this position you will be assisting a professor in conducting his or her research. Before accepting an RA, make sure your professor’s area of interest is compatible with your own by talking to him or her and reading his or her research publications.
A GA position in athletic training involves providing athletic training health care service. Some of these assistantships are structured so that you serve as a collegiate assistant athletic trainer. Others assign you to serve as the head athletic trainer for one or more sports. Still others provide experience at local high schools or clinics. This type of assistantship is beneficial for any future athletic training employment, and it can also help you build your resume and establish professional contacts. If you have a particular interest in a sport, a GA can be an opportunity to get some intense experience with that sport. If you are interested in working at a high school, an assistantship with high school responsibility is ideal. Athletic training students need to realize that although the tasks of a GA are similar to those of an undergraduate athletic training aid, the responsibility is typically much greater, and so is the stress level.
Assistantship application and graduate admission application are often two separate processes. It is possible to be accepted into a graduate school without receiving an assistantship. Be sure that the school you choose offers the entire package you want—one that will advance your knowledge and skill in your area of greatest interest.
Begin early. Your junior year should be devoted to surveying your interests and comparing them to graduate school offerings. Your senior year should be devoted to narrowing your choices and applying to programs. Give yourself enough time to thoroughly surf the Web, visit schools, talk to current students and alumni, and meet with the professors who will be your mentors.
Graduate school is a tremendous beginning to your professional career. Do what you can to make the best choice.
To help you sort through schools, degrees and programs available, these two Web sites may be of assistance:
www.petersons.com
www.gradschools.com