Graduate Post -Professional Athletic Training Education Program in Charlotte United States | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The Department of Exercise and Sport Science collaborates with the Division of Sports Medicine and the Department of Athletics to provide a graduate-level athletic training specialization, first accredited as a Graduate Post-Professional Athletic Training Education Program in 1975. This advanced program equips students to serve as practitioners, researchers, and instructors in exercise and sport science. The department strengthens its mission through interdisciplinary partnerships and faculty-led external funding initiatives, including competitive grants and contracts, fostering academic and professional growth in the field.

Founded in 1972, UNC's Division of Sports Medicine addresses the healthcare requirements of student-athletes, offering emergency care, athletic training services, and follow-up treatment for injuries sustained during organized and recreational sports. With growing demand, the division expanded to include physical therapy services for all students. Since 1980, the Sports Medicine Section has operated a physician-referred physical therapy clinic within the Campus Health Service, accessible to the entire student body.

Administratively part of the Campus Health Service, the Division of Sports Medicine was tasked with creating educational and clinical training opportunities for healthcare trainees, including medical students, orthopedic residents, and allied health professionals. In partnership with the Department of Physical Education and Division of Physical Therapy, it helped launch a NATA-accredited graduate athletic training program in 1975, now overseen by the Department of Exercise and Sport Science. This specialization maintains strong connections with campus entities like Athletics, Orthopedics, and recreational sports programs—a distinctive structure among comparable institutions.

The athletic training graduate specialization builds upon foundational knowledge by offering advanced coursework and hands-on clinical training for aspiring professionals. Students engage in injury prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation studies while gaining practical experience in Campus Health Service facilities. The program includes supervised clinical rotations with athletic teams, guided by experienced practitioners.