What You’ll Learn 

You’ll study the fundamentals of strength training, conditioning, exercise testing, and performance, and the physiological responses and adaptations to exercise and training. You’ll investigate the structure and function of the human body in health and disease. You’ll also improve your communication skills, learn to assess client ability and needs, and have ample opportunity for direct, hands-on learning.  

You’ll gain an understanding of general sports medicine along with specialized knowledge in a wide variety of topics essential for careers in Athletic Training. These include injury prevention, orthopedic assessment, therapeutic exercise to treat injuries, strategies to facilitate optimal performance, and the physiology of body constitution, among many others. You’ll be prepared for graduate study en route to a career as a Certified Athletic Trainer if you choose. 

Outside the Classroom, In the Community 

You’ll have significant opportunities locally and regionally to learn through internships. Recent sites include the following:  

Special Facilities 

Vermont State’s research-quality exercise physiology laboratories provide a location for laboratory activities, faculty research, and student research, and contain specialized equipment including metabolic carts, a military-grade treadmill with harness, electrocardiograms, a Veletron cycle ergometer, and a BodPod. Our on-campus fitness facilities provide a location for students to train, practice, and apply techniques and programming learned in the classroom. 

Certifications 

Students in the Pre-Athletic Training Concentration also prepare for national certification examinations, including the National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). The CSCS national certification is focused on working with the athletic population and is a unique opportunity to set yourself apart from other Athletic Training graduate school or job applicants.