Getting an early start . . . If you are interested in entering the undergraduate Athletic Training Education Program at the University of Pittsburgh, you should be aware that you are not initially accepted directly into the program at the beginning of your freshman year. Instead, you apply to the School of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and spend your first two years there. During that time, required humanities, natural and social sciences courses should be taken. Your Academic Advisor in A&S will help you register for the right classes. Application for admission to the Athletic Training Education Program is done in the spring semester of your sophomore year. So until that time, it may be wise to take advantage of any volunteering opportunities you come across in health-related or athletic-related fields, for example in the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Sports Medicine. Once you are admitted into the program, you will transfer to the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences for the fall semester of your junior year. A world of opportunities . . . The University of Pittsburgh undergraduate Athletic Training Education Program is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). There are many roads that can be taken after completion of the athletic training program. If you do not wish to pursue graduate study, the completion of the four-year baccalaureate degree qualifies you to take the Board of Certification Examination. This exam and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Athletic Training Certification are pathways to a variety of employment possibilities. If you successfully complete these criteria, opportunities in athletic training services for high schools, colleges and universities, private, corporate, and community-based health institutions, and professional athletic teams await you. If you choose to pursue graduate level athletic training education, you are enhancing your marketability with more professional preparation. This is desirable for working at higher learning institutions, which often require instruction in athletic training education. You must be aware, though, that graduate programs in athletic training are extremely competitive and have a limited number of spaces available to fill. Admission requirements . . . As stated before, your first two years are spent in the School of Arts and Sciences where you will apply for admission to the Athletic Training Education Program in the spring of your sophomore year. The athletic training curriculum in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences is a challenging combination of academic and clinical instruction. The academic coursework includes such courses as physiology, anatomy, nutrition, injury evaluation and treatment, therapeutic modalities, and strength and conditioning. The clinical requirements include assisting certified athletic trainers and team physicians in providing athletic training services at three on-campus athletic training facilities and several off-site affiliated settings. For more information regarding admission requirements and selection criteria for the program, please visit the Athletic Training website.