New department chair Shawn Felton will spearhead the program’s development
MIAMI – Athletic trainers are mainly recognized as the khaki-clad health professionals rushing out on the field or court to tend to an injured player. What is less recognizable are the sophisticated levels of active research and clinical practice needed to keep the dynamic profession at peak performance.
FIU’s Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences is moving the profession forward with the launch of the first Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT) program in the southeast U.S. and one of only six in the country responding to the discipline’s growing need for post-professional degrees.
The program will be led by new chair of the FIU Department of Athletic Training, Shawn Dale Felton.
“The DAT is the academic progression of our profession toward higher levels of clinical, evidence-based practice, research and leadership,” Professor Felton said. “Graduates of our DAT will be applying advanced clinical skills to improve patient outcomes and engage in research to proactively develop and implement injury and illness prevention strategies to become health care innovators.”
Athletic trainers study the importance of science in sports and exercise to collaborate with physicians and other health professionals in providing the proper exercises needed to prevent injuries, as well as assist in rehabilitation and therapeutic intervention.
Most athletic trainers have a master’s degree in their field. However, trainers with doctoral degrees are desired by most employers for their advanced aptitude to assess, diagnose, treat and use rehabilitation for all types of injuries.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of athletic trainers is projected to grow 23 percent by 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for athletic trainers is expected to increase as people become more aware of the effects of sports-related injuries, and as the middle-aged and older population remains active.
“We recognize that the athletic training profession is quickly evolving and that a doctoral education is crucial for our students to succeed in all academic and clinical settings and bolster their employment opportunities upon graduation,” added Professor Felton.
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The DAT is a 48-credit, stand-alone program with the majority of curriculum offered in an online format, with face-to-face instruction to supplement. The curriculum focuses on the four content areas of applied research, injury and illness prevention strategies, entrepreneurial leadership and individualized clinical residency experiences. The FIU Athletic Training department will continue to offer the Master of Science in Athletic Training along with the DAT. For more information on the DAT program, visit https://cnhs.fiu.edu/at/index.html.
About the FIU Nicole Wertheim College Nursing & Health Sciences:
Established in 1982, the School of Nursing at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida was elevated to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences when it joined with the School of Health Sciences in October 2006. It was renamed as the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences in September 2013. The College offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, baccalaureate completion and specialty programs in nursing education; bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Health Services Administration; Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy; entry-level master’s degree and Doctor of Athletic Training; and a Doctor of Physical Therapy. The College’s Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs are ranked No. 66 in the U.S. News and World Report 2019 Best Graduate Schools listing.
About FIU:
Florida International University is classified by Carnegie as a “R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity” and recognized as a Carnegie Community Engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as business, engineering, computer science, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida’s anchor institutions, FIU contributes almost $9 billion each year to the local economy. The university received honors in all categories of The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “2017 Great Colleges to work for.” FIU graduates are consistently among the highest paid college graduates in Florida and are among the leaders of public and private organizations throughout South Florida. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission with multiple state-of-the-art research facilities including the Wall of Wind Research and Testing Facility, FIU’s Medina Aquarius Program and the Advanced Materials Engineering Research Institute. FIU has awarded more than 220,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two campuses and centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, the Miami Beach Urban Studios, and Tianjin, China. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and more than 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/