by Bryson Durst, Student Public Relations Writer
Cedarville University is now accepting applications for its Master of Athletic Training program through the Athletic Training Central Application System (ATCAS). This program, which will begin instruction in June 2022, is approved by the Higher Learning Commission and the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
The master’s program will replace Cedarville’s long-standing Bachelor of Arts in athletic training degree, which will finish this school year. The bachelor’s program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), and Cedarville University has recently applied to CAATE for a change in level of degree. This application is pending approval.
This move comes as a result of a CAATE decision in 2015 to require that accredited athletic training programs teach at the master’s level. Schools have until 2025 to make the transition.
“The graduate level is going to be a higher level of education. It’s going to be a lot more focused and intense,” said Dr. Evan Hellwig, the dean of Cedarville’s School of Allied Health and professor of athletic training.
Hellwig was Cedarville’s first athletic trainer, and he helped start the athletic training program in 1994.
“It’s very, very personally rewarding, having been the first athletic trainer ever to be here, to see the level of support and appreciation for what athletic trainers do,” Hellwig said. “It means a lot to me for us to be able to move to the next level.”
Accreditation for the master’s program is the next major step. Students need to have a degree from an accredited athletic training program to sit for the National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification Exam and they need to pass that exam to be eligible for a career in athletic training.
“Since its initial accreditation in 2005, Cedarville’s program has been successfully accredited every time it’s needed renewed,” Hellwig noted.
Cedarville’s Master of athletic training program will be open to students who have a bachelor’s degree, have taken prerequisite courses and meet the university’s admission requirements. Undergraduate students at Cedarville will be able to enroll in an accelerated five-year Bachelor of Science in sport medicine + Master of Athletic Training program.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,550 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including the Master of Athletic Training and Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine + Master of Athletic Training programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.edu.