Certified athletic Trainers are highly educated and skilled professionals specializing in athletic health care. The athletic trainer functions as an important and vital member of the athletic health-care team in

• secondary schools
• colleges and universities
• sports medicine clinics
• professional sports programs
• other health-care settings

Students who want to become certified athletic trainers must earn a degree from an accredited athletic training curriculum or meet other requirements set by the Board of Certification. Becoming an ATC requires at least a Bachelor’s Degree, usually in Athletic Training. However, the majority of athletic trainers hold advanced degrees of some sort. Some students go on to pursue advanced degrees in exercise physiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or recreational therapy. Becoming a Certified Athletic Trainer takes most students between around two years to complete.