Dec 05, 2024  
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Master of Athletic Training, MAT


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College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences  > Department of Health and Human Performance  > Master of Athletic Training, MAT


Athletic Trainers (ATs) are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians. The services provided by ATs comprise prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic training is recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) as a health care profession.

Students become eligible for BOC certification through an athletic training degree program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Students engage in rigorous classroom study and clinical education in a variety of practice settings such as high schools, colleges/universities, hospitals, emergency rooms, physician offices and healthcare clinics over the course of the degree program. Students enrolled in their final term are eligible to apply for the BOC exam.

The Master of Athletic Training (MAT) Program at the University of Houston is an entry-level professional Master’s degree accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The MAT degree is designed to meet the current curricular content for the profession and prepare the MAT Student to meet the requirements to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) for Athletic Training and enter the medical profession as an Athletic Trainer.

Through rigorous classroom study and clinical education assignments in a variety of settings with any one of the MAT Program’s clinical affiliated sites and community partnerships, the MAT Student will gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities to meet the demands of the profession.

Employment settings for Athletic Trainers include:

  • Professional and Collegiate Sports
  • Secondary and Intermediate Schools
  • Sports Medicine Clinics
  • Hospital Emergency Room and Rehabilitation Clinics
  • Occupational Settings
  • Fitness Centers
  • Physician Offices

The goals of the Master of Athletic Training Program include the following:

  • Offer a nationally competitive athletic training program that uses the most current National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Educational Competencies and the Board of Certification (BOC) Athletic Training Practice Domains as the infrastructure for the curriculum.
  • Give the Master of Athletic Training Students opportunities for learning, inquiry, discovery and personal and professional growth in a real world clinical setting with an interdisciplinary group of faculty and preceptors dedicated to program and student success.
  • Prepare Master of Athletic Training Students to pass the Board of Certification Exam for Athletic Training and enter the workforce as an Athletic Trainer and be successful contributors to the field.

For more information, please visit the Graduate Application Process page.

Admissions Requirements


The MAT Program admits one (1) cohort per year that starts in the Summer term. Applications open in early Fall and close in the early Spring. Typically, the successful applicant that applies to the MAT Program has a solid academic and theoretical background in the study of Kinesiology. Core classes include: anatomy, physiology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, motor learning, functional anatomy, nutrition, statistics, psychology, chemistry, and physics. The successful candidate needs no prior experience in the AT field to apply and be accepted other than the required 50 hours of observation that is included in the application packet.

Application requirements include:

  • Major GPA of at least a 3.0. A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.6 is required to be considered for graduate school at The University of Houston
  • Official GRE scores sent electronically to institution code 6870 - University of Houston, Main Campus. Competitive applicants typically score above the 30th percentile with at least a 3.5 on the analytical writing section
  • Three academic/professional letters of reference
  • Current resume
  • Statement of professional goals/ personal statement
  • Application Fee ($70 domestic applicants/$100 international applicants)
  • Observation hours form with 50 completed hours
  • MAT application agreement
  • Additional document & testing requirements for International applicants can be found on the International Graduate Student page.

Please visit the MAT Program website for Post-Acceptance Requirements, which include:

  • Mandatory Immunizations
  • Background Check
  • Health Screening
  • Drug Screening

In addition to the required application materials and post-acceptance requirements, applicants will also be required to complete a phone interview and a video biography submission. Guidelines can be found on the MAT Program website.

Degree Requirements


Credit hours required for this degree: 57.0

MAT students must complete a minimum of 57 prescribed credit hours. Requirements for the completion of the MAT degree include:

  1. Satisfactorily complete all courses in the degree with an overall and term GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  2. Successful completion of all clinical education assignments.
  3. Submission of a minimum of one (1) clinical education case study to a national journal or conference as outlined in the MAT Program Handbook: Clinical Case Study Guidelines.

Please visit the MAT Program Requirements For Completion page for more information.

MAT Program Curriculum:

Spring 2


Academic Policies


Retention Policy

After students have been formally accepted into the Master of Athletic Training program at the University of Houston, the MAT student must maintain an overall and term G.P.A. of 3.0 and/or receive no more than one grade of “C” in any of the required Master of Athletic Training program courses. When a student falls below the required G.P.A. and/or receives a grade of “C” in two or more classes, the MAT student will be removed from the Master of Athletic Training program.

Department Academic Policies

College Academic Policies  

University of Houston Academic Policies  

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