Admissions

Step 1

ATCAS

Create an account in ATCAS and follow the directions to complete the application.

ATCAS - Students Apply Now!

Official Transcripts

Submit transcript verification of completion of a bachelor’s degree and completion of the prerequisite courses to ATCAS using the Transcript Request Form. If you have not completed your bachelor’s degree or all prerequisite courses at the time you apply, you will be able to submit final verification later. Transcripts should be mailed to:

ATCAS
P.O. Box 9132
Watertown, MA 02471

Recommendation Letters

Three letters of recommendation are required. You can request the letters via the ATCAS system.

Personal Statement

Complete the personal statement describing prior experiences, accomplishments, and career goals using the prompt on the ATCAS application.

Observation sheet available on ATCAS

Step 2

Submit a UNCW Graduate online application.

Application Cycle:

Visit the UNCW Graduate School for application deadlines.

Note: The UNCW Master of Science in Athletic Training can be found on the Graduate Application within Summer II.

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Upon receipt of completed applications through ATCAS, the Athletic Training faculty will conduct initial review of the applications. Applicants will be evaluated based on:

• Undergraduate GPA
  • Overall
  • Prerequisite courses
• Personal statement
• Letters of recommendation
  • Observation evaluations

Qualified applicants will be asked for an on-campus or video conference interview with the Athletic Training faculty and staff.

Once feedback from all faculty, clinical mentors, and current students has been collected, the program administrative team selects the top candidates and offers program admission.

Athletic Training education requires that the accumulation of scientific knowledge be accompanied by the simultaneous acquisition of skills, professional attitudes, and behaviors. Standards presented here are prerequisite for admission and graduation from the University of North Carolina Wilmington Athletic Training Program (the “Program”). All courses in the Program curriculum are required in order to develop the essential skills necessary to become a competent practitioner.

All candidates must have aptitude, abilities, and skills in each of the five skill areas specified below. Technological compensation can be made for some handicaps in these skill areas, but a candidate should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner. The use of a trained intermediary would mean that a candidate's judgment must be mediated by someone else's power of selection and observation. Therefore, third parties cannot be used to assist students in accomplishing curricular requirements in the five skill areas specified below. Reasonable accommodation can be made, as appropriate, as long as the integrity of the Program is upheld.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is committed to the principles of equitable and accessible education and to providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. The Program endeavors to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities who apply for admission and are enrolled as athletic training students.

Should, despite reasonable accommodation (whether the candidate chooses to use the accommodation or not), a candidate’s existing or acquired disability(ies) interfere with patient or peer safety, or otherwise impede their ability to complete the Program’s educational program and advance to graduation or certification, the candidate may be denied admission or may be separated or dismissed from the program.

The Program will consider for admission any applicant who demonstrates the ability to perform or to learn to perform the skills listed in the Technical Standard Requirements accordion above. Students will be judged not only on their scholastic accomplishments, but also on their physical and emotional capacities to meet the full requirements of the Program curriculum, and to graduate as skilled and effective practitioners.

Candidates are asked to address the following questions in consideration of these technical standard requirements:

1. Is the candidate able to reasonably observe demonstrations and participate in skill laboratories?
2. Is the candidate able to reasonably analyze, synthesize, extrapolate, solve problems and reach diagnostic and therapeutic judgments?
3. Does the candidate have reasonably sufficient use of the senses of vision and hearing and the somatic sensation necessary to perform an assessment examination?
4. Can the candidate reasonably be expected to relate to patients and establish sensitive, professional relationships with patients?
5. Can the candidate reasonably be expected to communicate the results of the examination to the patient and to his or her colleagues with accuracy, clarity and efficiency?
6. Can the candidate reasonably be expected to learn and perform assessment tests and procedures?
7. Can the candidate reasonably be expected to perform with precise, quick and appropriate actions in emergency situations?
8. Can the candidate reasonably be expected to display good judgment in the assessment and treatment of patients?
9. Can the candidate reasonably be expected to possess the perseverance, diligence, and consistency to complete the Athletic Training Program curriculum and enter the practice of Athletic Training?
10. Can the candidate reasonably be expected to accept criticism and respond by appropriate modification of behavior?

UNCW is committed to the principles of equitable and accessible education and to providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. Students with disabilities apply under the same guidelines as other students. If a student feels a disability has had an impact on grades, course choice or standardized admission test scores, the student may request consideration of this in the admissions process. Documentation of the disability and its relationship to the failure to satisfy a specific UNCW requirement should be submitted with the application for admission.

The UNCW Disability Resource Center coordinates learning assistance to eligible students with disabilities. Course related assistance and accommodations such as reader services, interpreters, alternative exam administration, note takers and adaptive equipment are available through this office.

Initial selection into the program is provisional, based on passing a criminal background check, drug test, and completion of all necessary immunizations. These will be submitted and approved through CastleBranch, Inc. Admitted students will receive a packet with all the necessary information at that time.

CastleBranch requirements:

• Physical examination
• Criminal background check
• Drug test (9-panel + Oxy + MDMA)
• Immunization or titer for the following:
  • Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
  • Varicella (chicken pox)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Tetanus, Diphtheria and Acellular Pertussis (TDap)
  • Polio
  • Tuberculin Skin Test (TST/PPD)
  • Influenza
• Bloodborne pathogens training

The Master of Science in Athletic Training at UNCW is a rigorous academic and clinical program that runs for 23 consecutive months. Aside from the open summer in the second year that is reserved for clinical opportunities outside of Wilmington, the students should plan on remaining in the Wilmington region for the duration of the program. Due to the compressed nature of the program, there are limited scheduled breaks for holidays, etc.

Courses begin in the last week of June in the initial summer of enrollment. The course schedule in the summer session is very time intensive. Courses run from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday through Friday for the entire month of July.

Start dates for courses and clinical experiences may vary by academic year

Questions?

Contact Dr. Steve Zinder, program coordinator.

Association for Athletic Training Education