Academics and Admissions

Athletes and active individuals alike benefit from the expertise of the athletic trainer in preventing and treating injuries to ensure optimal performance in sport, work, and life.

Ball State’s Athletic Training Education Program prepares you for a rewarding and ever-changing career in health care. Through rigorous course work and diverse hands-on experiences, you will gain extensive knowledge of injury prevention, examination and diagnosis, pharmacology, rehabilitation, pathology, nutrition, and many other skills related to the athletic training profession.

Our bachelor’s degree program is packed with broad knowledge of the human body and principles of athletic training. Your freshman year will focus on injury prevention, anatomy, and emergency and first aid procedures, and will include clinical observation experiences. Once admitted into the program, your sophomore and junior years will blend classes in injury evaluation, therapeutic modalities, therapeutic rehabilitation, and health care administration with extensive clinical education experiences in which you can apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom. Your senior year will include capstone classes and experiences designed to prepare you for entry into the profession upon graduation.

Another alternative is to blend an athletic training background with a major other than athletic training, by choosing the minor in sports medicine. The 24-credit program includes a full background in orthopedic evaluation, first aid, injury prevention, kinesiology, anatomy, and therapeutic exercise and training techniques. The minor is not for those who are majoring in athletic training, but rather is a great bridge into graduate studies in athletic training, which in turn can help you achieve certification as an athletic trainer. 

We look forward to answering your questions about our program, particularly clinical education options, as well as what the future might hold in your life after Ball State. If you’re ready to become part of the action, check out our application resources for important materials and schedule information. Don’t forget to explore the possibilities of financial aid.