à£à£Ö±²¥Ðãing to Athletic Training School
Athletic Training programs require various prerequisites for admission and consider a variety of clinical and non-clinical experiences. This typically includes:
- A bachelor's degree
- Specific prerequisite coursework
- Observation hours with a certified athletic trainer
Become an AT
- Learn more about the profession:
- Find a Program:
Common pathways @ ODU
What major should you choose? You can major in anything and apply to AT programs. Admissions requirements vary from school to school, so you should do your research to make sure you have a plan to meet all of the requirements needed for your schools of interest. The Health Pathways page provides information about health-related programs at ODU. This is a good place to start exploring options to make sure you've chosen your best fit major.
How to Build a Competitive Application
Most programs have a minimum GPA, typically at least 3.0 but many programs have an average GPA of 3.5 or higher for admitted students. You'll apply through a Centralized Application Service, or CAS. The link below explains how GPAs are calculated:
| Athletic Training |
Most AT programs do not require a standardized test.
Shadow or Volunteer:
Most AT programs require at least 15+ hours of observation experience with a certified athletic trainer. To get connected, volunteer for university or local sports programs, and seek job shadowing opportunities at high schools, clinics, or sports medicine facilities, or connect with ODU Athletics.
Research
Research experience can be a great way to hone your analytical and critical thinking skills, demonstrate an understanding of evidence-based practice, and can help to strengthen your athletic training application.
As an R1 research institution, there are many opportunities on campus to gain research experience as an undergraduate. Look up faculty in the College of Sciences, Ellmer College of Health Sciences, and Joint School of Public Health and reach out to professor(s) whose research matches your interests.
Leadership
Join a club or organization and volunteer for a leadership position
Unique Life Experiences
- Multilingual
- Study Abroad or travel outside of the US
- Peace Corps
- Military Experience
- Work full time[
Guaranteed Entry Program
ODU offers outstanding and qualified ODU undergraduate students the opportunity to gain guaranteed entry into the Athletic Training program before beginning their final year of college.
Common Prerequisites
| Common Prerequisite Courses | Course Numbers | |
| General Biology w/ lab | BIOL 121N/122N | |
| General/Inorganic Chemistry w/ lab | CHEM 121N/122N | |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II w/Lab | BIOL 250 | BIOL 251 |
| General (Algebra Based) Physics w/lab | PHYS 111N |