Earn Your M.S.A.T. at Maine's Leading Health University
The UNE master's of Athletic Training combines the study of health-related sciences with the art of preventing, managing, and rehabilitating athletic and orthopedic injuries.
Imagine yourself working with elite athletes, providing care under the supervision of world-class health professionals, or treating patients in an athletic injury clinic — all while you’re still a student.
Expert athletic training faculty will guide you through a two-year journey of classes and hands-on learning in our state-of-the-art facilities.
The UNE AT program will help you become a leader in every aspect of improving individual and team wellness.
Fill out the form below to download an info sheet on UNE’s M.S.A.T. Program
In addition to the traditional 24-month Athletic Training master's degree, UNE also offers a 3+2 B.S./M.S.A.T., for students seeking to complete their undergraduate and graduate work within an integrated five-year track.
Why UNE for your M.S.A.T.
Gain vital experience collaborating by studying at a leading health professions university, right on the coast of Maine.
- Learn alongside students from UNE’s medical school, studying in gross anatomy lab and providing side-by-side patient care in our on-campus Injury Care Clinic.
- By studying with other aspiring health professionals including students of nursing, PT, OT and other programs, you'll learn to collaborate in today’s team-based health care.
- Experience wide-ranging clinical opportunities in areas such as pro sports, college athletics, orthopedic clinics, primary care medicine, and graduate research.
- Learning happens in state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories. The AT program sits in the center of UNE’s 105,000 square-foot athletics complex, providing access to facilities and teams.
- UNE’s world-class instructors lead you through a rigorous, forward-thinking curriculum.
- Make a difference in the lives of athletes and patients through collaborations with world-class clinicians and researchers in programs like the Maine Concussion Management Initiative.
student-to-instructor ratio in all clinical coursework
of students passed the BOC exam on the first attempt
Facilities
As an Applied Exercise Science or Athletic Training major, you enjoy extensive modern facilities for the study of exercise and sport performance. In addition to the discipline-specific equipment and training spaces in the Harold Alfond Forum, Campus Center, and Harold Alfond Center for Health Sciences, you also benefit from the cutting-edge computer resources, modern labs, and classrooms UNE has to offer.
The Alfond Forum
The Harold Alfond Forum includes a 105,000-square-foot athletics complex featuring an ice hockey rink, a basketball court, classroom space, a fitness center, and multi-purpose indoor practice courts that can also be used for performances and other events.
The Campus Center
The Campus Center houses a sports complex that includes a 25-yard/six-lane handicapped-accessible swimming pool, a hot tub, and a fully-equipped fitness center with two racquetball courts and a free weight area. It also contains a 12,100-square-foot gym with a 1/12-mile balcony track, showers, a sauna, and locker rooms. The Campus Center is also home to BodyWISE, a UNE and community-at-large resource designed especially for people who have specific physical performance objectives, ranging from rehabilitating physical limitations to enhancing peak athletic performance. BodyWISE also serves as a clinical training program for exercise and sport performance students as well as students in other allied health professions programs.
The Harold Alfond Center for the Health Sciences
The Harold Alfond Center for Health Sciences is a state-of-the-art laboratory and educational facility. Located at the center of our scenic shoreside campus in Biddeford, this three-story building houses labs and lecture halls. It places UNE at the national forefront of health and life sciences education. The Center's gross anatomy lab is used by medical, health professions, and Exercise and Sport Performance students.
Motion Analysis Lab
The Motion Analysis Lab allows you to observe and measure human motion that cannot be observed with the naked eye, and to quantify the forces in the joints and neuromuscular and muscle systems.
The research you do in this technologically-advanced learning space allows you to apply the theoretical knowledge you’ve gained in the classroom to projects investigating such crucial matters to your field.
Interprofessional Simulation and Innovation Center
As Athletic Training student, you utilize our Interprofessional Simulation and Innovation Center to apply the knowledge you gain in the classroom to realistic clinical situations. Simulations allow you to test your skills in evaluating a patient in an emergency situation or to individualize patient care for a variety of medical conditions. Rather than just hearing about and reading about difficult or unusual cases, you experience them by treating our high fidelity patient simulators and patient actors in scenarios that mimic real life.
Take a Tour of Our Facilities
Team-Based Learning
When students from different health professions disciplines learn with, from, and about each other to better understand different professional roles and expertise, great things can happen. In UNE’s M.S.A.T. program, you will be studying alongside students from other programs, including the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Doctor of Dental Medicine program, gaining the skills to collaborate and lead in today’s team-based care. UNE is proud to be the only institution in New England that is part of the National Center for Interprofessional Education and Practice’s prestigious Innovation Network.
You also have the opportunity to apply this collaborative participation toward your Interprofessional Honors Distinction.
Hear what our alumni have to say about the Interprofessional education at UNE
The Academic Experience
Our curriculum combines the study of anatomy and other health-related sciences with the art of preventing, managing, and rehabilitating athletic and orthopedic injuries.
Tracks and Degrees
UNE offers a two-year M.S.A.T. degree for those with a B.S. who meet all prerequisites, as well as a 3+2 Athletic Training track for high school graduates seeking to earn their B.S. and M.S. degrees in five years.
Curriculum
First Year
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| ATC 500 – Fundamentals of Athletic Training | 3 |
| ATC 508 – Examination of Athletic & Orthopaedic Injuries | 6 |
| ATC 515 – Physical Agents in Athletic Training | 3 |
| ATC 520 – Clinical Reasoning in Athletic Training | 3 |
| ATC 525 – Athletic Training Clinical Practicum I | 5 |
| ATC 530 – Rehabilitative Techniques in Athletic Training | 4 |
| ATC 535 – Athletic Performance & Conditioning | 3 |
| ATC 540 – General Medical Conditions in Athletic Training | 3 |
| ATC 545 – Pharmacology in Athletic Training | 3 |
| ATC 550 – Athletic Training Clinical Practicum II | 4 |
| Total | 37 |
Second Year
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| ATC 600 – Administration of Athletic Training Programs | 3 |
| ATC 605 – Manual Therapies in Athletic Training | 3 |
| ATC 610 – Graduate Seminar in Athletic Training | 2 |
| ATC 608 – Diagnostic Techniques in Athletic Training | 1 |
| ATC 625 – Psychosocial Interventions in Athletic Training | 3 |
| ATC 630 – Athletic Training Clinical Practicum III | 6 |
| ATC 650 – Athletic Training Clinical Practicum IV | 6 |
| Graduate Capstone | 1 |
| Total | 25 |
| Minimum required total credits | 62 |
|---|
Academic and Technical Standards
Academic Standards
The UNE Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) Program is a graduate program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).
- Students enrolled in the Professional (graduate) Phase of the MSAT Program must maintain a minimum cumulative semester GPA of 3.0.
- Students enrolled in the professional (graduate) phase of the program must maintain a minimum grade of "B" in each required course (or a "P" in each Pass/Fail course). Students may enroll in required courses in the Professional Phase a maximum of two times regardless of the final grade, including "W", "WP" or "WF." Please refer to the WCHP Graduate Program Progression Policies and Procedures (PDF) for a detailed description of academic standards.
Technical Standards
The Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) Program at The University of New England is a rigorous and intense program that places specific requirements and demands on the students enrolled in it. An objective of this program is to prepare graduates to enter a variety of employment settings and to render care to a wide spectrum of individuals engaged in physical activity. The technical standards set forth by the MSAT Program establish the essential qualities considered necessary for admitted students to achieve the knowledge, skills, and competencies of an entry-level athletic trainer; as well as meet the expectations of the program's accrediting agency CAATE. The following abilities and expectations must be met by all students in the Professional Program. In the event a student is unable to fulfill these technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, the student will be subject to dismissal. All MSAT students must be able to demonstrate competency for patient safety appropriate to the learner’s level of training. Demonstration of fluency of skills and knowledge appropriate to the level of training is a requirement for progression through the curriculum. Most assessments are designed to simulate activities in the clinical training and clinical practice settings and are tied to the learner’s demonstration of competency for patient safety. These assessments may be performed in a timed and structured environment and are designed to evaluate the learner’s ability to demonstrate appropriate fluency of skills and knowledge under specific conditions.
Compliance with the program's technical standards does not guarantee a student's eligibility for the BOC certification exam.
Candidates for selection to the MSAT Program must demonstrate:
- The mental capacity to assimilate, analyze, synthesize, integrate concepts and problem solve to formulate assessment and therapeutic judgments and to be able to distinguish deviations from the norm
- Sufficient postural and neuromuscular control, sensory function, and coordination to perform appropriate physical examinations using accepted techniques; and accurately, safely and efficiently use equipment and materials during the assessment and treatment of patients
- The ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and colleagues, including individuals from different cultural and social backgrounds; this includes, but is not limited to, the ability to establish rapport with patients and communicate judgments and treatment information effectively. Students must be able to understand and speak the English language at a level consistent with competent professional practice
- The ability to record the physical examination results and a treatment plan clearly and accurately
- The capacity to maintain composure and continue to function well during periods of high stress;
- The perseverance, diligence and commitment to complete the athletic training program as outlined and sequenced
- Flexibility and the ability to adjust to changing situations and uncertainty in clinical situations
- Affective skills and appropriate demeanor and rapport that relate to professional education and quality patient care
Candidates for selection to the professional (graduate) phase of the MSAT Program will be required to certify with the program director that they have read, understand and meet these technical standards or that they believe that, with certain accommodations, they can meet the standards. Please see the Student Access Center for more information.
For more information view the Academic Catalog or download the M.S.A.T. Student Handbook (PDF).
Clinical Education
One of the most important aspects of your education is clinical experience. We have successfully expanded our clinical affiliations to include those settings that are representative not only of the traditional setting for athletic trainers but also those that represent practice advancement and ever-changing employment opportunities. In the final year of the program, you will have the opportunity to complete an immersive clinical experience in the fall or spring semester.
High Schools
- Berwick Academy
- Biddeford High School
- Bonny Eagle High School
- Cape Elizabeth High School
- Cheverus High School
- Deering High School
- Falmouth High School
- Gorham High School
- Greely High School
- Kennebunk High School
- Marshwood High School
- Massabesic High School
- Noble High School
- Old Orchard Beach High School
- Portland High School
- Sanford High School
- Scarborough High School
- South Portland High School
- Thornton Academy
- Waynflete School
- Wells High School
- Westbrook High School
- Windham High School
- Yarmouth High School
- York High School
College/Universities
- Bowdoin College
- Colby College
- Southern Maine Community College
- St. Joseph's College
- University of New England Athletic Health Care
Professional Sports
- Maine Mariners - East Coast Hockey League (New York Rangers)
- Maine Red Claws - Gatorade League (Boston Celtics)
Physician Practices
- Maine Medical Partners Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
- OA Centers for Orthopedics
- Southern Maine Health Care Pediatrics
Clinical Outreach
- Intermed Physical Therapy-LL Bean Occupational Health
- Southern Maine Health Care Sports Performance Center
Berwick Academy
- Holly Bennett, M.Ed., LAT, ATC
Sanford High School
- Jessica Hobgood, LAT, ATC
- Arin Auger, LAT, ATC, EMT
Yarmouth High School
- Sarah Holmes, LAT, ATC
Portland High School
- Ryan Lucas, LAT, ATC
University of New England Athletic Health Care
- Brian Razak, M.S., LAT, ATC
- Jasmine Honey, M.S., LAT, ATC
- Erin Shellene, M.S., LAT, ATC
- Emily Zoltko, LAT, ATC
South Portland High School
- John Ryan, Ed.D., LAT, ATC
Deering High School
- Greg Tosi, M.S., LAT, ATC
Kennebunk High School
- Arlene Verre, LAT, ATC
- Arika DiRenzo, LAT, ATC
Maine Medical Partners Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
- Neil Carroll, LAT, ATC, OTC, PES, SNS, FNS
Bowdoin College
Dan Davies, M.Ed., LAT, ATC
Joseph Shaw, LAT, ATC
Waynflete School
- Nakita Baldic, LAT, ATC
Falmouth High School
- Rob Sullivan, LAT, ATC
Noble High School
- Alex Fusco, M.Ed., LAT, ATC
Maine Red Claws – Gatorade League (Boston Celtics)
- Alex Reamy, M.S., LAT, ATC
Scarborough High School
- Joe Davis, DAT, LAT, ATC
- Tom Spencer, LAT, ATC
Cape Elizabeth High School
- Lisa Mims, LAT, ATC
Thornton Academy
- Tony Giordano, LAT, ATC
Westbrook High School
- Brittany Creamer, LAT, ATC
St. Josephs College
- Tiffany Miller-Gagnon, LAT, ATC
Southern Maine Health Care Pediatrics
- Margaret Bordeau, D.O.
Greely High School
- Laura Chandler, LAT, ATC
Bonny Eagle High School
- Jenna McCurdy, M.A., LAT, ATC
Biddeford High School
- Stephanie Gabriner, M.S., LAT, ATC
Southern Maine Community College
- Sarah Daniels, M.S., LAT, ATC
Maine Mariners – East Coast Hockey League (New York Rangers)
- Cole Libby, LAT, ATC
Intermed Physical Therapy – LL Bean Occupational Health
- Todd Lamoreau, PT, LAT, ATC
Windham High School
- Casey Sinclair, LAT, ATC
Marshwood High School
- Ryan Durant, LAT, ATC
Cheverus High School
- Patrick Green, LAT, ATC
Research
Apply your knowledge outside the classroom and clinical experiences through research rooted in athletic training. As a student in our M.S.A.T. program, you will have the opportunity to participate in research through one of our many state-of-the-art research laboratories in the Harold Alfond Forum. Our students have had the opportunity to work with world-class researchers in areas such as the prevention, recognition, and management of sport-related concussion; upper- and lower-extremity isokinetic strength assessment; body composition and bone density analysis; metabolic function; and the biomechanical analysis of human movement.
Additionally, students have the ability to partner with clinicians and researchers through programs like the Maine Concussion Management Initiative where they help collect data and train other Maine healthcare providers in the assessment and management of concussions.
Accreditation
The University of New England Athletic Training program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).
Athletic Training Careers
Through your coursework, labs, clinical field experiences, and internships, you will be well on your way to an exciting career in athletic training. Athletic trainers are employed by physicians’ offices and sports teams and in military settings.
You may also work in related fields, including:
- Strength Coaching
- Injury Prevention
- Performing Arts/Dance Medicine
- Public Safety
- Occupational Health
Our AT graduates have landed jobs with major league franchises, such as:
- Boston Red Sox (MLB)
- Atlanta Hawks (NBA)
- Connecticut Sun (WNBA)
Athletic Training in Action at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Study Athletic Training on The Coast of Maine
As an M.S.A.T. student, you will study primarily on UNE's scenic Biddeford Campus, less than 100 miles from Boston and where the waters of the Saco River flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Downtown Biddeford is a 10-minute drive from campus, and UNE's Portland campus is 30 minutes away.
Recently named the youngest city in Maine, Biddeford and its twin city, Saco, boast up-and-coming energy and community. With the transformation of the old Biddeford/Saco mills into restaurants, breweries, housing, fitness facilities, salons, and retailers, there is something for everyone.
FAQ
Many students who are considering a degree in sports medicine, sports performance, kinesiology, or exercise science may actually be thinking of an athletic training degree. An athletic training degree program combines the study of exercise science with the practices of preventing, managing, and rehabilitating injuries.
Students graduate prepared for a career as an athletic trainer and then become a certified athletic trainer once they pass their Board of Certification exam. Certified athletic trainers work in high schools, universities, professional sports, the military, hospitals, industrial settings, the performing arts, and elsewhere.
Athletic trainers are not the same thing as personal trainers. An athletic trainer is a health care provider who cares for athletes and the physically active. Being an AT requires successful completion of undergraduate and often master’s-level studies as well as a passing score on the Athletic Trainer Certification Exam offered by the Board of Certification.
Personal trainers are not health care providers, they are fitness coaches. This career category has less regulation, fewer established requirements, and does not require a college degree. Personal trainers do occasionally work with athletes, but they perform a very different role than athletic trainers.
In 2015, the Athletic Training Strategic Alliance partners that govern the preparation of athletic trainers mandated that the entry-level professional degree be established at the master’s level in no less than seven years. This means that the last group of students who can be admitted to an undergraduate athletic training program must enter before the fall of 2022.
The master’s degree makes you a more competitive candidate for a job in the field of athletic training and will increase your earning potential. In fact, more than 76% of current practicing athletic trainers have a master’s degree, and they earn an average of 8% more when compared with those that have a bachelor’s degree according to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s most recent Salary Survey in 2018.
As the profession of athletic training moves to a more medical and interprofessional model, UNE is uniquely positioned to help prepare new graduates for the workforce. Our five-year (3+2) curriculum plan will include advanced coursework in manual therapies, biomechanics, public health, and interprofessional practice using state-of-the-art teaching and laboratory facilities. Students will also benefit from our close collaboration with the UNE Athletics Department and the rich medical community of the Greater Portland area. Lastly, our curriculum provides students with the opportunity to earn additional credentials as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B).
We currently have five full-time faculty members who also have the ATC® credential. Additionally, we have more than 30 preceptors that supervise our students during clinical rotations in and around southern Maine.
Average class size for coursework in the Pre-professional Phase of the program (first three years) is 30. This number typically reduces to 25 in the Professional Phase. Based on program policy, the student-to-instructor ratio in all clinical coursework will never exceed 15:1 (additional preceptors are brought in to assist).
All clinical education begins in the graduate portion of the program, which is year four for students who enter without a bachelor's degree. Those who enter directly into the graduate phase begin clinical education immediately.
The number of students who can be admitted into the Professional Phase of the program each year is based on the number of quality affiliated sites and preceptors that are available. On average, approximately 25 students are admitted each year.
Although students are required to complete at least 8 hours/week and 135 hours/semester as part of the field experience component of the program, most students participate in between 15-20 hours per week at their affiliated sites.
Absolutely. Matriculated students will be considered Master of Science in Athletic Training majors from day one.