Earn an Accredited Athletic Training Bachelor’s Degree
The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Athletic Training at Grand Canyon University gives graduates hands-on experience at becoming athletic trainers. Students in this program participate in laboratory classes and clinical rotations at athletic and rehabilitation facilities. They combine theory and practice to go on to become well-rounded athletic trainers. In this athletic training program at GCU, students who successfully complete the coursework are prepared to take the Board of Certification (BOC) exam.
Athletic training degree program graduates study all the topics they need to prepare for future roles. Some ways of preparation include:
- Participating in the Athletic Training Student Club
- Working with professional healthcare organizations
- Completing a research-based capstone project
- Taking BOC prep courses
- Completing clinical rotations on and off campus
Study Kinesiology and Physiology
The GCU College of Nursing and Health Care Professions designed this program to enable all athletic training degree graduates to be well-prepared in their future careers. The coursework for the BS Athletic Training program is focused around domains that emphasize:
- Injury and Illness Prevention and Wellness Promotion
- Examination, Assessment and Diagnosis
- Immediate and Emergency Care
- Therapeutic Intervention
- Health Care Administration and Professional Responsibility
These domains ensure that athletic training grads have mastered advanced scientific and healthcare concepts. Students in the program study human anatomy and physiology, exercise prescription, prevention of injury, and taping and bracing. Additionally, students will learn how to formulate rehabilitation plans and conduct orthopedic evaluations.
Gain Knowledge to Become an Athletic Trainer by Earning Your Bachelor of Science
Graduates from the BS in Athletic Training degree program at GCU may go on to become certified athletic trainers. People in these roles work in a variety of settings, including:
- High schools
- Colleges
- Universities
- Professional sports
- Clinics
If you’d like to work with athletes in a training capacity, a degree in athletic training may be the right choice for you. Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training at Grand Canyon University and take the first step toward an athletic training career.
General Education Requirements
General Education coursework prepares Grand Canyon University graduates to think critically, communicate clearly, live responsibly in a diverse world, and thoughtfully integrate their faith and ethical convictions into all dimensions of life. These competencies, essential to an effective and satisfying life, are outlined in the General Education Learner Outcomes. General Education courses embody the breadth of human understanding and creativity contained in the liberal arts and sciences tradition. Students take an array of foundational knowledge courses that promote expanded knowledge, insight, and the outcomes identified in the University's General Education Competencies. The knowledge and skills students acquire through these courses serve as a foundation for successful careers and lifelong journeys of growing understanding and wisdom.
Requirements
Upon completion of the Grand Canyon University's University Foundation experience, students will be able to demonstrate competency in the areas of academic skills and self-leadership. They will be able to articulate the range of resources available to assist them, explore career options related to their area of study, and have knowledge of Grand Canyon's community. Students will be able to demonstrate foundational academic success skills, explore GCU resources (CLA, Library, Career Center, ADA office, etc), articulate strategies of self-leadership and management and recognize opportunities to engage in the GCU community.
Course Options
- UNV-112, Success in Science, Engineering and Technology & Lab: 4
- UNV-103, University Success: 4
- UNV-303, University Success: 4
- UNV-108, University Success in the College of Education: 4
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to construct rhetorically effective communications appropriate to diverse audiences, purposes, and occasions (English composition, communication, critical reading, foreign language, sign language, etc.). Students are required to take 3 credits of English grammar or composition.
Course Options
- UNV-104, 21st Century Skills: Communication and Information Literacy: 4
- ENG-105, English Composition I: 4
- ENG-106, English Composition II: 4
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to express aspects of Christian heritage and worldview. Students are required to take CWV-101/CWV-301.
Course Options
- CWV-101, Christian Worldview: 4
- CWV-301, Christian Worldview: 4
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to use various analytic and problem-solving skills to examine, evaluate, and/or challenge ideas and arguments (mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy, physical geography, ecology, economics, theology, logic, philosophy, technology, statistics, accounting, etc.). Students are required to take 3 credits of intermediate algebra or higher.
Course Options
- MAT-154, Applications of College Algebra: 4
- MAT-144, College Mathematics: 4
- PHI-105, 21st Century Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: 4
- BIO-220, Environmental Science: 4
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to demonstrate awareness and appreciation of and empathy for differences in arts and culture, values, experiences, historical perspectives, and other aspects of life (psychology, sociology, government, Christian studies, Bible, geography, anthropology, economics, political science, child and family studies, law, ethics, crosscultural studies, history, art, music, dance, theater, applied arts, literature, health, etc.). If the predefined course is a part of the major, students need to take an additional course.
Course Options
- HIS-144, U.S. History Themes: 4
- PSY-102, General Psychology: 4
- SOC-100, Everyday Sociology: 4
Required General Education Courses
Course Description
This course is the first of a two-course sequence examining the structure and function of the human body and mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis within it. This portion includes the study of cells; tissues; genetics; and the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems. Co-requisite: BIO-201L.
Course Description
This course is a systematic study of human gross anatomy and function. Topics include the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems. Co-Requisite: BIO-201.
Course Description
This course is the second of a two-course sequence examining the structure and function of the human body and mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis within it. This portion includes the study of immunity; metabolism; energetics; fluid, electrolyte and acid-base balance; and the endocrine, hematologic, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems. Prerequisites: BIO-201 and BIO-201L. Co-requisite: BIO-202L.
Course Description
This course is a systematic study of human gross anatomy and function. Topics include the endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, renal, and reproductive systems. Prerequisites: BIO-201 and BIO-201L. Co-Requisite: BIO-202.
Program Core Courses
Course Description
This course provides students with a basic knowledge and understanding of the principles of sports medicine, the care and treatment of athletic trauma, and the use of proper conditioning principles for the prevention of injury. Prerequisites: BIO-155 and BIO-155L or BIO-201 and BIO-201L. Co-Requisite: ATP-214L.
Course Description
This lab complements and supports the principles taught in the lecture course and provides students with a basic knowledge and understanding of the principles of sports medicine, the care and treatment of athletic trauma, safety and its importance in related settings, and the use of proper conditioning principles in the prevention of injury. Prerequisites: BIO-155 and BIO-155L or BIO-201 and BIO-201L. Co-Requisite: ATP-214.
Course Description
This course includes the study of the general principles of health maintenance and promotion. Students learn the role of exercise, including flexibility, strength training, and cardiovascular conditioning in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Topics include nutrition and dietary requirements for health and weight management. Students administer testing procedures to obtain baseline data regarding a patient's level of general health and use this data to design a program specific to the performance and health goals of the patient. In addition, this course reviews the basics of evidence-based practice in athletic training. Prerequisites: BIO-201 and BIO-201L.
Course Description
This course provides a clinical setting in which athletic training students clinically apply and demonstrate proficiency in athletic training skills. In this clinical course, students select, apply, evaluate, and modify appropriate standard protective equipment, taping, wrapping, bracing, padding, and other custom devices for the patient. Students administer testing procedures to obtain baseline data regarding a patient's level of general health (including nutritional habits, physical activity status, and body composition) and use these data to design, implement, evaluate, and modify a program specific to the performance and health goals of the patient. This includes instructing the patient in the proper performance of the activities, recognizing the warning signs and symptoms of potential injuries and illnesses that may occur, and explaining the role of exercise in maintaining overall health and the prevention of diseases. Students are assigned to a preceptor who provides supervision on a daily basis through constant visual and auditory interaction, providing feedback to students on their progression. The mode of delivery is student-to-student demonstration and a clinical exam testing students' proficiency at a clinical site (high school, college, or professional) on true patients. Practicum/field experience hours: 150. Prerequisites: ATP-214, ATP-214L, ATP-256, BIO-202, BIO-202L, and acceptance into the Athletic Training program.
Course Description
This course provides students with the specific knowledge and practical skills required to perform proper evaluation of the upper and lower body. Students learn to palpate body and soft tissue structures, and perform active, passive, and resistive range of motion testing, neurological testing, and special ligament tests for the major synovial joints in the body. Students are provided multiple opportunities to reinforce their knowledge with hands-on practice. Prerequisites: ATP-214, ATP-214L, BIO-202, BIO-202L, and acceptance into the Athletic Training program. Co-Requisite: ATP-301L.
Course Description
This lab complements and supports the principles taught in the lecture course and provides students with the specific knowledge and practical skills required to perform proper evaluation of the lower body. Students learn to palpate body and soft tissue structures, and perform active, passive, and resistive range of motion testing, neurological testing, and special ligament tests for the major synovial joints in the body. Students are provided multiple opportunities to reinforce their knowledge with hands-on practice. Prerequisites: ATP-214, ATP-214L, BIO-202, BIO-202L, and acceptance into the Athletic Training program. Co-Requisite: ATP-301.
Course Description
This course includes the study of the proper techniques in caring for patients by recognizing catastrophic and emergent conditions and treating appropriately. Students learn establishing and maintaining an airway, maintaining neutral spine alignment with an athlete wearing protective equipment, wound management, immobilization, transfer techniques including spine boarding, core body temperature, and caring for athletes with conditions such as asthma and diabetes. Students are prepared to complete Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC) certification upon completion of the course. Prerequisites: BIO-202, BIO-202L, and acceptance into the Athletic Training program. Co-Requisite: ATP-315L.
Course Description
This lab complements and supports the principles taught in the lecture course, including the study of the proper techniques in caring for a patient by recognizing catastrophic and emergent conditions and treating appropriately. Students demonstrate establishing and maintaining an airway, maintaining neutral spine alignment with an athlete wearing protective equipment, wound management, immobilization, transfer techniques including spine boarding, core body temperature, and caring for athletes with conditions such as asthma and diabetes. Prerequisites: BIO-202, BIO-202L, and acceptance into the Athletic Training program. Co-Requisite: ATP-315.
Course Description
This course provides a clinical setting in which athletic training students clinically apply and demonstrate proficiency in athletic training skills. In this clinical course, students perform a comprehensive clinical examination of a patient with a lower extremity condition. This exam incorporates clinical reasoning in the selection of assessment procedures and interpretation of findings in order to formulate a diagnosis or differential diagnosis, determine underlying impairments, and identify activity limitations and participation restrictions. Based on the assessment data and consideration of the patient's goals, students provide the appropriate initial care and establish overall treatment goals. In addition, students also clinically evaluate and manage a patient with an emergency injury or condition to include the assessment of vital signs and level of consciousness, activation of emergency action plan, secondary assessment, diagnosis, and provision of the appropriate emergency care (e.g., CPR, AED, supplemental oxygen, airway adjunct, splinting, spinal stabilization, control of bleeding). Students are assigned to a preceptor who provides supervision on a daily basis through constant visual and auditory interaction, providing feedback to students on their progression. The mode of delivery is student-to-student demonstration and a clinical exam testing students’ proficiency at a clinical site (high school, college, or professional) on true patients. Practicum/field experience hours: 150. Prerequisites: ATP-301, ATP-301L, ATP-310, ATP-315, and ATP-315L.
Course Description
Building on concepts from ATP-301, this course provides students the opportunity to further analyze and apply skills in the areas related to the components of injury evaluation of the upper extremity, including history taking, inspection, palpation, joint movement, manual muscle testing, joint stability tests, neurological testing, and formulation of both a clinical and a differential diagnoses. Prerequisites: ATP-301, ATP-301L, ATP-315, and ATP-315L. Co-Requisite: ATP-302L.
Course Description
This lab complements and supports the principles taught in the lecture course and provides students with specific knowledge and practical skills required to perform proper evaluation of the upper extremity. This course also allows students to demonstrate differences between on-field and clinical evaluations, including history taking, inspection, palpation, joint movement, manual muscle testing, joint stability tests, neurological testing, and formulation of both a clinical and a differential diagnosis. Students are provided multiple opportunities to reinforce their knowledge with hands-on practice. Prerequisites: ATP-301, ATP-301L, ATP-315, and ATP-315L. Co-Requisite: ATP-302.
Course Description
This course is a study of various therapeutic modalities that aid in the healing process of injuries. The course covers the theory behind and proper use of these modalities. Prerequisites: ATP-301 and ATP-301L. Co-Requisite: ATP-322L.
Course Description
This lab complements and supports the principles taught in the lecture course. Students develop practical applications of therapeutic modality techniques. Prerequisites: ATP-301 and ATP-301L. Co-Requisite: ATP-322.
Course Description
This course provides a clinical setting in which athletic training students clinically apply and demonstrate proficiency in athletic training skills. In this clinical course, students perform a comprehensive clinical examination of a patient with an upper extremity, head, neck, thorax, and spine injury or condition. This exam incorporates clinical reasoning in the selection of assessment procedures and interpretation of findings in order to formulate a diagnosis or differential diagnosis, determine underlying impairments, and identify activity limitations and participation restrictions. Based on the assessment data and consideration of the patient's goals, students provide the appropriate initial care, including appropriate therapeutic modalities, and establish overall treatment goals. Students are assigned to a preceptor who provides supervision on a daily basis through constant visual and auditory interaction, providing feedback to students on their progression. The mode of delivery is student-to-student demonstration and a clinical exam testing students’ proficiency at a clinical site (high school, college, or professional) on true patients. Practicum/field experience hours: 150. Prerequisites: ATP-302, ATP-302L, ATP-320, ATP-322, and ATP-322L.
Course Description
This course covers the specific and applied use of exercise in prevention of injury, improvement of performance, and recovery from disability and dysfunction, including specific exercise routines, kinesiological principles, history and scope of rehabilitating exercise, abnormal clinical kinesiology, examination procedures, and reconditioning of specific disorders. Prerequisites: ATP-302, ATP-302L, ATP-322, and ATP-322L. Co-Requisite: ATP-360L.
Course Description
This lab complements and supports the principles taught in the lecture course. Practical applications and experiments include exercise prescription and rehabilitation techniques. Prerequisites: ATP-302, ATP-302L, ATP-322, and ATP-322L. Co-Requisite: ATP-360.
Course Description
This writing intensive course is a study of the effects of exercise on the body. Topics include nutrition as the basis for physical activity; how energy is produced and utilized during physical activity; the energy delivery and vital functions of the respiratory, cardiovascular, muscular, and nervous systems during exercise; how these systems can be enhanced through training; the impact of ergogenic aids and environmental stress on performance; and the effect of exercise on body composition, weight control, aging, and disease prevention. The body’s responses and adaptations to exercise at the systemic, as well as the subcellular level, are also discussed. Prerequisites: BIO-155 and BIO-155L, or BIO-201 and BIO-201L, or BIO-210 and BIO-210L. Co-Requisite: EXS-340L.
Course Description
This is a course of field and laboratory experiences designed to reinforce the basic principles learned in the lecture course. Skills of measurement and evaluation, including computerized methods employed to facilitate testing, are applied to physiological and systemic principles of exercise. Prerequisites: BIO-155 and BIO-155L, or BIO-201 and BIO-201L, or BIO-210 and BIO-210L. Co-Requisite: EXS-340.
Course Description
This course provides a clinical setting in which athletic training students clinically apply and demonstrate proficiency in athletic training skills. In this clinical course, students perform a comprehensive clinical examination of a patient. Based on the assessment data and consideration of the patient's goals, the student creates and implements a therapeutic intervention that targets these treatment goals to include, as appropriate, therapeutic modalities, medications (with physician involvement as necessary), and rehabilitative techniques and procedures. Students integrate and interpret various forms of standardized documentation, including both patient-oriented and clinician-oriented outcome measures, to recommend activity level, make return-to-play decisions, maximize patient outcomes and progress in the treatment plan, and analyze injury data to formulate a prevention program. Students are assigned to a preceptor who provides supervision on a daily basis through constant visual and auditory interaction, providing feedback to students on their progression. The mode of delivery is student-to-student demonstration and a clinical exam testing students' proficiency at a clinical site (high school, college, or professional) on true patients. Practicum/field experience hours: 150. Prerequisites: ATP-330, ATP-360, and ATP-360L.
Course Description
This course provides a broad discussion of general medical conditions and associated pathologies of the physically active, as well as information applicable to athletes, coaches, and athletic trainers of all levels. This course covers evaluation techniques and equipment for all body systems, conditions, and special populations. Prerequisites: ATP-360 and ATP-360L. Co-Requisite: ATP-401L.
Course Description
This lab complements and supports principles taught in the lecture course and provides a broad discussion of general medical conditions and associated pathologies of the physically active, as well as information applicable to athletes, coaches, and athletic trainers of all levels. This course covers evaluation techniques and equipment for all body systems, conditions, and special populations. Prerequisites: ATP-360 and ATP-360L. Co-Requisite: ATP-401.
Course Description
This course is an analysis of human movement, integrating knowledge of the skeletal, muscular, and neurological systems with the effects that gravity, friction, internal and external forces, and the laws of motion have on their functions. Topics presented include biomechanics of human bone, joint, and skeletal muscle; structure and function of the upper extremity, lower extremity, and spine; concepts of linear and angular kinematics and kinetics as applied to human motion; equilibrium and stability on land; and motion through a fluid medium of air or water. Included is the application of these factors to various types of physical skills. Prerequisites: BIO-155 and BIO-155L, or BIO-201 and BIO-201L, or BIO-210 and BIO-210L. Co-Requisite: EXS-335L.
Course Description
This laboratory course is designed to apply the anatomical, kinesiological, and biomechanical principles learned in the lecture course to human body movement. Movement of all of the major joints of the body is analyzed by relative and absolute joint position and muscle action, and biomechanical terms - such as linear and angular kinematics, friction, work, power, energy, and torque - are applied to human motion. Prerequisites: BIO-155 and BIO-155L, or BIO-201 and BIO-201L, or BIO-210 and BIO-210L. Co-Requisite: EXS-335.
Course Description
This course establishes a framework for health care administration and management, tasks and techniques required in athletic training, health care programs, the health care industry, and interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics. Students assess their personal and professional readiness for management and leadership and acquire skills necessary for effective administration and leadership within the industry. Co-Requisite: ATP-450.
Course Description
This course examines current theories and practices of pharmacology and epidemiology of drug use as related to athletic training and sports medicine. The course also examines how to appropriately create a plan of care for a patient utilizing therapeutic modalities, rehabilitation, and pharmacologic interventions. Prerequisites: ATP-322, ATP-322L, ATP-360, ATP-360L, ATP-401, and ATP-401L.
Course Description
This course provides a clinical setting in which athletic training students clinically apply and demonstrate proficiency in athletic training skills. Students develop, implement, and monitor prevention strategies for at-risk individuals (e.g., persons with asthma or diabetes, a previous history of heat illness, or sickle cell trait) and large groups to allow safe physical activity in a variety of conditions. This includes obtaining and interpreting data related to potentially hazardous environmental conditions, monitoring body functions (e.g., blood glucose, peak expiratory flow, hydration status), and making the appropriate recommendations for individual safety and activity status. Students also demonstrate the ability to recognize and refer at-risk individuals and individuals with psychosocial disorders or mental health emergencies. Students also demonstrate appropriate documentation and policy/procedure strategies. Students are assigned to a preceptor who provides supervision on a daily basis through constant visual and auditory interaction, providing feedback to students on their progression. The mode of delivery is student-to-student demonstration and a clinical exam testing students’ proficiency at a clinical site (high school, college, or professional) on true patients. Practicum/field experience hours: 150. Prerequisites: ATP-401, ATP-401L, and ATP-440. Co-Requisite: ATP-420.
Course Description
This writing-intensive capstone course serves as a culmination of the learning experiences during the athletic training education program at Grand Canyon University. Students are challenged to demonstrate higher level thinking, review evidence-based literature, and display athletic training professional behaviors. Students have the opportunity to identify a clinical practice problem, search the literature, and propose an evidence-based solution that results in practice improvement. Prerequisites: ATP-402, ATP-420, and ATP-450.
Course Description
This course prepares students to sit for the Athletic Training Board of Certification (BOC) exam. Students examine professional regulations and certification requirements and use practice exam questions to prepare for the certification exam. Prerequisite: ATP-420.
Course Description
This course provides a clinical setting in which athletic training students apply and demonstrate proficiency in athletic training skills. Students demonstrate knowledge and skills assessed in previous clinical coursework while integrating evidence-based practice into clinical decision making. Students are assigned to a preceptor who provides supervision on a daily basis through constant visual and auditory interaction, providing feedback to students on their progression. The mode of delivery is student-to-student demonstration and a clinical exam testing students' proficiency at a clinical site (high school, college, or professional) on true patients. Practicum/field experience hours: 150. Prerequisite: ATP-450.
Course Description
This course expands the principles and techniques of strength training including sport- and activity-specific program design and implementation. Knowledge gained in this course will contribute to student preparation for professional certification in the field. Prerequisites: EXS-340 and EXS-340L. Co-Requisite: EXS-455L.
Course Description
This course applies the principles and techniques of strength training including sport- and activity-specific program design and implementation. Prerequisites: EXS-340 and EXS-340L. Co-Requisite: EXS-455.
Campus
Join Grand Canyon University’s vibrant and growing campus community, with daytime classes designed for traditional students. Immerse yourself in a full undergraduate experience, complete with curriculum designed within the context of our Christian worldview. New modern classrooms, suite-style residence halls, popular dining options, resort-style swimming pools and a focus on creating a dynamic student life make GCU a top choice for high school graduates and transfer students. Exciting events, well-known guest speakers and Division I athletics round out the traditional student experience. Our welcoming campus community is the perfect place to find your purpose.
* Please note that this list may contain programs that are not presently offered as program availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability of the program.
* The Department of Education defines how an institution must calculate a program's On-Time Completion rate for federal disclosure purposes. The On-Time Completion rate is based on a program's published required number of months to complete all degree requirements as provided in the institution's catalog. Completion statistics are updated every January and are based on the cohort of students who started the program in the same year and then graduated within the published program length.
On-campus program disclosures (48 months) Additional Disclosures* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.