Identifying the current program development trends for accredited undergraduate athletic training educational programs

Athletic training is an allied healthcare profession which at the present time offers two routes for certification. Students can sit for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Certification (NATABOC) through successfully completing either an accredited curriculum program or an internship program and pass the NATABOC examination in order to practice as a certified athletic trainer. In January 2004, the internship option towards certification will be eliminated. If institutions want to continue to qualify students to take the NATABOC examination, they must develop curriculum programs that meet the Standards and Guidelines set by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) before this date. To develop an athletic training education program, Program Directors must implement the new standards into their programs in accordance with CAAHEP and institutional policies. The purpose of this study was to survey current Athletic Training Education Program Directors and identify how they developed their programs, with their available resources, to meet CAAHEP accreditation standards. The population selected to identify and describe the current trends of progra