UTC ATEP
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions that are answered on this page include:
- What is an Athletic Trainer?
- What specifically do the athletic training students at UTC do as part of their athletic training education?
- Do I have to have a Bachelor's Degree in a certain area or major in order to be accepted into the UTC Graduate Athletic Training Program?
- Do you offer a Post-Certification/Post-Professional/Advanced Master's degree program?
- Is the program accredited?
- What degree will I receive?
- What are the educational requirements for the program?
- Where can I find more information about the program?
- Are there any pre-requisite courses for your program?
- When do you begin accepting applications for the program?
- How many students are accepted into the program each year?
- What are my chances of being accepted into the program?
- What is involved in the On-campus Recruiting Weekends?
- When does the program start?
- Do most of the applicants for the program come from the state of TN or from out of state?
- Are there any extra commitments we must fulfill in addition to our class requirements?
- What expenses will I be responsible for?
- Where can I find out more information about the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga?
- Are scholarships offered to Entry Level students?
- Can I teach undergraduate courses as an adjunct instructor?
- How can I get in touch with current students in the GATP to ask them questions?
- What is the weather in Chattanooga like?
- Where is Chattanooga located?
- What time zone is Chattanooga located in?
- What apartments are available in Chattanooga?
What is an Athletic Trainer?
Allied health care professional who specializes in the prevention, assessment, treatment and
rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses. The National Athletic Trainers' Association has a very nice web page that summarizes and explains what athletic training is all about. Click here for the specific page.
What specifically do the athletic training students at UTC do as part of their athletic training education?
The UTC athletic training students engage in a variety of tasks related to the specific domains of athletic training. Click on the specific domains to see our students in action participating in the specific domain.
Prevention of Athletic Injuries/Illness
Clinical Evaluation and Diagnosis
Immediate Care
Therapeutic Rehabilitation and Reconditioning
Therapeutic Modalities
Organization and Administration
Education & Counseling
Professional Responsibility
In addition to educating our students, they also enjoy being friends and being part of something special here at UTC. See examples of these areas below.
Educating students
Friends and Family
Do I have to have a Bachelor's Degree in a certain area or major in order to be accepted into the UTC Graduate Athletic Training Program?
No. In fact, our students have come to our program from a variety of majors. These include athletic training related fields such as health, physical education, exercise science, exercise physiology, movement sciences, pre-physical therapy, pre-med, biology, chemistry and biochemistry. We have also had a number of individuals come to our with other "non-related" majors such finance, marketing, English, math, social sciences and history. The important part is that you have a Bachelor's Degree and that you full-fill the pre-requisites. (See below for specifics on pre-requisites.)
Do you offer a Post-Certification/Post-Professional/Advanced Master's degree program?
UTC only offers an Entry Level Mater's Degree program.
For a listing of Post-Certification/Post Professional/Advanced Athletic Training Education Programs,
please visit the NATA Education Council's website.
Is the program accredited?
Yes, the UTC ATEP is accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). We had a successful site visit in October and anticipate continual accreditation by CAATE.
What degree will I receive?
The Athletic Training Education Program has submitted a proposal to become a stand alone degree, designated as a Master of Science in Athletic Training. This proposal has successfully passed all local levels of approval as well as approval from the University of Tennessee, Board of Trustees. We anticipate a successful review by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission in January, 2009, and full implementation the Fall of 2009.
What are the educational requirements for the program?
An overview of what is required of an athletic training educational program is provide at this link. Click here to read the overview of athletic training education.
Where can I find more information about the program?
The program website, www.utc.edu/gatp is where you will find all of the information about the program. It contains the most current program information as well as important announcements during the admission period. We have also put together a 2 page information handout that you can download (Adobe pdf file).
Are there any pre-requisite courses for your program?
Yes. They are listed on this page. Click the name of the course and you can see the specific content information that it will be evaluated on.
When do you begin accepting applications for the program?
We begin accepting applications during the fall semester. Campus visits/interview weekends will be held in the mid to late fall and again in the winter and early spring. Announcements will be posted on the webpage about campus visits.
How many students are accepted into the program each year?
Approximately 12-18 depending on the number of students in the previous class. Our goal is to strive for 30 students to be in the Program.
What are my chances of being accepted into the program?
Admission into the program is VERY competitive. Routinely there are anywhere between 120-160 applicants. Of these applicants, 60-80 applicants will be invited to campus for an On-campus Recruiting Weekend, or roughly 1 out of every 2 applicants that apply to the program are invited to campus for a Recruiting Weekend. Of those 20-80 applicants, recommendations for admission will be made to roughly 20 applicants where 12-18 students will accept the offers. In other words, 1 out of every 6 or 1 out of every 8 all applicants will be recommended for admission into the Graduate Athletic Training Program.
What is involved in the On-campus Recruiting Weekends?
Each visit will start on a Friday afternoon at 2:00 PM in McKenzie Arena room 217. We will spend some time touring the facilities and campus, and then you will rotate around and meet with each faculty member as well as the athletic training staff in a series of short interviews. We usually end around 5:30 PM with pizza and snacks and some time to meet other students in the program. The evening is yours to enjoy Chattanooga and all this wonderful city has to offer.
We reconvene on Saturday morning at 10:00 AM in the McKenzie Arena for a continental breakfast. Some of our students may also be available to share their experiences in the program. Finally, we will come together where specific application information is reviewed, an overview of the Graduate Athletic Training Program at UTC is presented, and we finish with an open forum discussion including topics such as housing information, job opportunities, research requirements, financial concerns, financial aid, etc. We usually finish about 1:00 PM on Saturday.
When does the program start?
First year students are asked to report a couple of days before the start of the Summer AM III semester. This is traditionally the first week of July, immediatly after the July 4 holiday.
Do most of the applicants for the program come from the state of TN or from out of state?
Since 1999 there have been 139 graduates from the UTC Athletic Training Education Program. Of those grads only 20 (14.4%) of our grads have come from Tennesseee. We proudly boast having grads from 34 other states from all regions. We believe that this diversity of backgrounds has made for a very strong and vibrant program. For greater details on where our alumni come from go here and see a breakdown.
Are there any extra commitments we must fulfill in addition to our class requirements?
Yes, students must attend meetings once a week alternating between orthopedic grand rounds, UTC in-services, and GATP meetings.
What expenses will I be responsible for?
Students are responsible for the following expenditure: Tuition, fees, on-campus parking, textbooks, ID fee, clinical and liability health requirements (criminal background check, needed immunization updates, student liability insurance). You are encourage to contact the Financial Aid office to determine what all of the costs of attending UTC might be for you and in your situation. Completing all of the necassary paperwork is vital to determining the financial aid you might qualify for.
Where can I find out more information about the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga?
The university's department of Planning Evaluation & Institutional Research has put together a very thorough collection of statistics as the university's factbook.
Are scholarships offered to Entry Level students?
Yes, scholarships are offered to students based on academic and clinical performance. You can apply for scholarships after the first full semester in the program. A limited number of partial graduate assistant positions are available to second year students as well.
Can I teach undergraduate courses as an adjunct instructor?
Due to the time demands placed on students in the ATEP, these requests are handled on an individual basis, with grades and clinical performance strongly considered.
How can I get in touch with current students in the GATP to ask them questions?
Go to the Current Students section of the webpage and click on their name to email them.
What is the weather in Chattanooga like?
January, the coldest month has average high of 49° and low of 30° (USA Today)
July, the warmest month has average high of 90° and low of 69° (USA Today)
Chattanooga Weather History from CityRating.com
Where is Chattanooga located?
Chattanooga is located in Southeastern Tennessee on the Northwest Georgia border. Driving distances to surrounding cities are: Atlanta, GA 100 miles, Birmingham, AL 140 miles, Knoxville, TN 100 miles, Nashville, TN 130 miles.
What time zone is Chattanooga located in?
Chattanooga is in the Eastern Time Zone.
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What apartments are available in Chattanooga?
Once you are accepted we will provide a listing of apartments and other information that are the most convenient. You can also check www.chattanoogaapartmentguide.com for a detailed listing.
