Rusty Hoffman
Associate Director of Admissions, Athletic Training Enrollment Counselor
800-233-4220
rhoffman@messiah.edu
Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT)
Messiah University’s Master of Science in athletic training (MSAT) is a full-time, residential program designed to prepare you to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) exam and to practice in settings like youth, high school, collegiate and professional sports as well as physician practice settings. There are also growing opportunities in emerging practice areas, such as performing arts, and industrial and tactical professions.
Master of Science in Athletic Training overview
Messiah University’s MSAT provides students who have a bachelor’s degree the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree, which is necessary to prepare for and pursue licensure in the athletic training profession. The full-time program is located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
- 60-credit program delivered over two years, including a 2-month summer break
- Cohort-learning model
- Newly designed 1,750 square-foot athletic training lab
- The academic distinction of a nationally ranked, accredited private Christian university
- Faculty who are experienced Christian educators, AT professionals and accomplished scholars
- Networking and partnership opportunities with the local AT community
- Hawk Grips Instrument-Assisted Soft-Tissue Mobilization certification completed as part of the curriculum
- 3-week intensive human cadaver anatomy course
- Small group student research projects included in year one of the curriculum
- Courses in Gait Analysis, Human Performance Training, Nutrition for Recovery and Performance, and Public Health and Kinesiology
- No-fee tuition
- BS-MSAT 5-year accelerated program
At Messiah University, your tuition goes further. MSAT students benefit from a robust package of value-added professional resources—at no additional cost—designed to reduce financial barriers, enrich learning and strengthen certification readiness.
These include:
These include:
- First-attempt Board of Certification (BOC) exam fee
- Competitive funding opportunity for first-attempt at National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam
- National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) student membership for the full 2-year program
- Hawk Grips University course and certification
- Mental Health First Aid training
- Three BOC practice exams across the curriculum
- A suite of 4-5 essential (hard-copy) textbooks in addition to free access to our suite of digital textbooks from partner publishers
ATs have the opportunity to work with a diverse clientele in a variety of settings, including:
- Youth, middle and high school athletic settings
- Collegiate sports setting
- Physician practice setting
- Wellness/ergonomics/workman’s compensation specialist in the industrial health care setting
- Professional sports
- Performing arts
- Military/tactical/public safety setting
- Human performance training
- Research
- AT education
Messiah University has entered into enrollment agreements with several outstanding undergraduate colleges and universities to allow students who complete a bachelor’s degree to move into Messiah’s MSAT program. Students will be pre-screened as early as spring of their junior year to ensure they meet admission requirements. Students may pursue any undergraduate degree as long as they successfully complete Messiah University MSAT prerequisites.
For more information about these agreements, please contact Graduate Enrollment at gradprograms@messiah.edu.
- Cairn University
- Elizabethtown College
- Grove City College
- Houghton University
- La Roche University
- Palm Beach Atlantic University
- Shippensburg University
- The College of New Jersey
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- Wilson College
- York College of Pennsylvania
The Messiah University Athletic Training program is currently accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), 2001 K Street NW, 3rd Floor North, Washington, DC 20006.
Completion of the MSAT at Messiah University will allow students to meet eligibility requirements to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) exam for athletic training. BOC certification allows certified athletic trainers to apply for state licensure/certification/registration which will allow them to legally practice as an athletic trainer in their state of residence.
Visit our academic catalog to read more about courses for this program:
Master of Science in Athletic Training tuition cost
No-fee tuition
Our MSAT program has a no-fee tuition structure. The cost per credit is what you pay – there are no additional fees for labs, courses, services or technology. We put the true cost of your program upfront so that you can accurately plan for your graduate education.
Deferred billing is available for students with employer reimbursement. For more information contact Student Financial Services at gradfinancialserv@messiah.edu.
Messiah University offers a variety of financial aid and discount opportunities to graduate students. Types of aid available include student loans, student employment, grants, private scholarships, veterans’ benefits, graduate programs discounts and employer assistance.
2025-2026
No-fee tuition per graduate credit hour: $800
Tuition cost for the entire 60 credit-hour program at the 2025-2026 rate: $48,000.
Graduate students are eligible to apply for federal financial aid.
Next steps for admissions
Applying for admission to a graduate program at Messiah University is the first step to making your personal and professional goals a reality.
View admissions information
2024
July 28
2025
July 27
- New Applicants
Please apply using the ATCAS application.
- 5-Year Accelerated MSAT
Current Messiah undergraduates can apply for the 5-year accelerated MSAT program using Messiah's Graduate Admissions Application.
- Messiah Re-Enrollment Applicants
Students who have enrolled in graduate & professional degree courses at Messiah within the last two years apply using Messiah's Graduate Re-Enrollment Application.
Engaging, hands-on clinical experiences
Students in Messiah University’s MSAT program will gain significant hands-on patient-care experience through clinical rotations in both traditional and non-traditional athletic training settings selected to include occupational, cultural, religious and socioeconomic diversity. On-campus clinical experiences include work with Messiah’s intercollegiate athletics program and students studying the performing arts and the opportunity for observation and hands-on training at Phoenix PT, OT and AT at Messiah University Winding Hill, a clinic that serves patients in the surrounding community.
Professional networking
Messiah students will have the opportunity to develop a professional network within the local athletic training community and our growing alumni network of athletic trainers. Students also participate in peer-networking across all five years of the program, with upperclassmen serving as peer mentors to younger students.
State-of-the-art facilities
The new cadaver anatomy lab at the School of Graduate Studies’ Winding Hill campus and recently completed 1,750 square-foot athletic training lab on the Grantham campus will allow students to work closely with faculty and peers as they explore all areas of the curriculum.
Interprofessional education
Messiah University has multiple undergraduate and graduate health professions programs that offer the opportunity for athletic training students to collaborate with nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, nutrition and dietetics and biomedical engineering faculty and students.
Academic strength
Students benefit from exam review material that is strategically built into the curriculum to maximize student success.
Dedicated faculty
Messiah University’s MSAT program has dedicated faculty and staff who are committed to Christian scholarship and service and to making a positive impact on the lives of each student. We believe that athletic training provides a platform for individuals to apply their skills to real-world health care needs within the physically active population and to serve others by providing quality, patient-centered, evidence-informed care.