Sacred Heart University

What you'll study

The curriculum combines undergraduate coursework with two years of graduate-level athletic training study. Two delivery tracks are available: an accelerated 3+2 option (three years undergraduate, two years graduate) for Exercise Science or Health Science majors, and a 4+2 option (four years undergraduate, two years graduate) open to most undergraduate majors (except nursing and interdisciplinary studies). Students gain practical clinical education at SHU’s Center for Healthcare Education and in other professional settings, preparing them to assess, prevent, treat and rehabilitate emergent and nonemergent injuries and medical conditions.

Entry requirements

Students enter the dual-degree pathway as undergraduates. Admission to the MS is guaranteed for dual-degree participants provided they remain enrolled as undergraduates and meet the program-specific criteria required to progress into the graduate portion of the program.

Career prospects

Graduates are prepared for athletic training roles across colleges and universities, physicians’ offices, corporations and professional sports teams. Employment in the field is projected to grow faster than average; regional salary estimates and national employment projections cited on the program page indicate solid demand for athletic trainers.

Scholarships & funding angle

Participating in the dual-degree pathway can reduce overall tuition costs compared with separately completing an undergraduate and a graduate program. Undergraduate students have academic advisers and faculty resources to help maintain progress toward the graduate degree, and the program page notes study abroad opportunities and industry-specific student involvement to enhance experience.