Visit the Master’s in Athletic Training Handbook for admissions prerequisites and information.

ATCAS is a service of the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) and is administered by Liaison International, an education information technology company. Students are required to apply through ATCAS first, then once accepted, students will apply to Michigan State University’s Graduate School. The ATCAS application includes sections on biographical information, education history and record, observation experiences, personal statement and letters of recommendation.

Once accepted through ATCAS, the second step is to apply to MSU and complete the university’s Graduate School Application (with payment). For applicants seeking admissions to the Athletic Training Master’s Program at MSU, you must apply online through the Graduate School. The application fee (payable in U.S. dollars) is $65 for domestic and $75 international applicants. Applicants must pay the application fee or request a fee waiver, by the application deadline, in order to be considered for admission. The MSU Office of Admissions website also includes considerable information.

After you have completed the University Application and paid your Application fee, you will be sent an e-mail inviting you to complete the program’s supplemental application through the Graduate Education Application Portal. The e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address you listed on your University graduate school application. To log-in you will need your Applicant ID number and the password you created during the application process. The Portal will serve as an electronic depository for your student- and recommender-generated application materials.

Logging into your unique portal will allow you to monitor your application materials. Follow the instructions below for content, formatting, and submission protocol for supplemental application documents.

By clicking on the “Letters of Recommendation” tab in the Graduate Education Application Portal, you can add your recommenders’ information. You will be asked to waive or not waive access to the letters of recommendation you solicit. If you do not waive your access, it is likely that your letter of recommendation will have little impact on your evaluation for the program.

Applicants should solicit three recommenders, who will each submit a recommendation letter and answer some program specific questions attesting to the applicant’s academic ability or their professional qualifications — e.g., professors with whom courses were taken, undergraduate degree advisor, or a professional supervisor. When an applicant adds the required information about each recommender, the system will automatically send a link through e-mail (from the admis@msu.edu e-mail address) where the recommender can evaluate the candidate and submit a letter of recommendation. As a result, it is most helpful to solicit recommendations from individuals who best know the applicant’s academic and professional skills. Letters from instructors who taught the candidate at the undergraduate level are particularly effective for this purpose, while letters from workplace supervisors may be less so.

The purpose of these letters is to show the review committee the qualities the applicant could bring to the program that are likely to make him or her successful in advanced graduate study. In addition to the letter of recommendation, the recommender will be asked to assess the probability of your success in meeting the programs standards in a variety of areas, including for example, oral and written expression, likelihood of scholarly and professional achievement, etc. through supplemental questions asked when the recommender follows the link they are sent.

• Applicants need to be prepared to enter the following information into the Portal for each of their three recommendation writers:
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • E-mail address

Please be certain that you have a mutual agreement and understanding with your Recommenders prior to submitting their information into the system. You are responsible for ensuring that the proper number of recommendation letters are submitted on your behalf. The Graduate Education Application Portal will keep you apprised of the status of your requests for letters of recommendation. You may need to follow up with your recommenders regarding missing letters to complete your application. If they do not recall receiving an e-mail, have them search for a message from admis@msu.edu. We advise giving your Recommenders ample time before the deadline to submit their letters.

From an autobiographical perspective, applicants should discuss their reasons for pursuing a master’s degree in Athletic Training. This statement is a very important part of the file for the review committee. Personal goals statement up to 500 words should cover the following items: academic background, the development of your interest in athletic training, reasons for wanting to enter this program, qualities you possess which will enhance your athletic training skills and aid in achieving your career goals.

Ensure the Goals statement is in PDF format before entering the portal. Upload the PDF in the Graduate Education portal by selecting “Goal Statement” or “Personal Statement” from the drop-down list.

Evidence of a minimum of 75 hours of observation under the direct supervision of a BOC-certified athletic trainerDownload observation documentation form

Applicants must have their official transcripts sent directly from all universities attended, except MSU. Transcripts can arrive in two official ways: 1) as a sealed envelope directly from your institution or 2) as an e-mail from the institutions registrar’s office. If you request electronic transcripts, they need to be sent to kingrad@msu.edu. Hard copies need to be mailed to the Michigan State University, Athletic Training Program, Program Director, 308 W. Circle Drive Room 134, East Lansing, MI 48824. If obtaining an official copy will delay review of your application materials beyond January 15) an unofficial copy of your transcript(s) may be uploaded into the Portal to be used for consideration only. Official copies must also be received by the University, if you are recommended for admission.

If you are currently working on a degree at an institution other than MSU, and you are selected for admission to our program, once your degree has conferred, you must provide the Office of Admissions an official transcript showing that your degree was conferred. Please have your official transcript, showing your conferred degree, mailed directly to the address stated above.

NOTE: All applicants pursuing or who have earned degrees from universities in China must follow the procedure listed below for International applicants, when submitting transcripts.

International Applicants

The application process for international students is slightly different. International applicants must apply online and use the International application found on the MSU Graduate School website. Your application fee ($75) should be paid by credit card. If you must submit payment in the form of a check or money order please make it payable to Michigan State University and mail it to the Office of Admission, Michigan State University, Hannah Administration Building, 426 Auditorium Road, Room 250, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-2604, U.S.A. Be sure to reference your application ID number on the check or money order. Checks drawn outside the U.S. must be payable in U.S. funds through a U.S. bank. Checks drawn on foreign banks that do not have a correspondent U.S. bank may be returned. Do not send cash or international coupons. Paying by check may delay access to the Portal.

Statement of Financial Proof/Affidavit of Support and Bank Statements

As part of the International application process, you need to fill out a Statement of Financial Proof/Affidavit of Support form and upload a bank statement(s) showing adequate funds (refer to the Statement of Financial Proof for current requirements).

Visit http://grad.msu.edu/international-students/ and select the resource called Information about Affidavit of Support (Financial Proof) The statement must originate from your source of support and must be an original statement with stamp and original signature. You will need to upload both your bank statement(s) and Affidavit of Support into the Graduate Education Application Portal.

English Language Proficiency

• Applicants for whom English is not their primary language are required to show proof of their English language proficiency. Several tests are the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE A). The test must be taken within two years of the application. The university’s minimum on the Internet-based Test TOEFL is 80 with no subscore below 19 for reading, listening, and speaking and no writing subscore below 22. Our program expects applicant scores to be higher than the university’s minimum requirements. Our program will assess all section scores when reviewing applicants for admission. No international candidates will be considered for admission review until they have taken an English Language Proficiency test and achieved the necessary scores. Some international candidates ask to be admitted provisionally, with the idea that they will take courses in English after arriving on campus. The program will not accept students on this basis. We require that international candidates demonstrate adequate skill in English before being admitted to the program. Your results should be sent electronically to Michigan State University’s school code of 1465. To expedite application review, unofficial scores can be uploaded into the Graduate Education Application Portal discussed above.
• If the applicant has completed a degree program in an English speaking country, he or she can request a waiver of the English Language Proficiency requirement. Once the program admissions committee is convinced of the student’s English language skills based on past program completion and other evidence, it will ask the university to waive the requirement. This waiver is usually granted, but the university may require the student to take the English proficiency test upon arrival at MSU.

Transcripts from Chinese Institutions

• All applicants pursuing, but who have not yet earned, undergraduate or graduate degrees from universities in China may submit official transcripts (in sealed envelopes directly from the university) to be used for admission consideration. Please mail them to the address listed in the summary section below. If the program recommends that the applicant be admitted, the applicant will be required to send all official transcripts and certificates, showing degree conferral, to the China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC) to obtain verification of these documents, before formal admission the Michigan State University will be granted.
• Applicants who have already completed graduate and/or undergraduate degrees from Chinese institutions need to submit their transcripts and certificates directly to the CDGDC at the time of application. So that the application review process is not delayed, they may also submit official transcripts (in sealed envelopes directly from the institution) to the Graduate Program Director, to be used for admissions determination. Again, formal admission the Michigan State University will not be granted until documents and verification arrive from the CDGDC.

CDGDC operates underneath the Ministry of Education for the purpose of verifying the authenticity of transcripts and degrees granted at the post-secondary level. They do this not only for overseas universities, but for employers and organizations within China as well.

The process is straightforward:

• Students in China send copies of their official documents to the CDGDC along with payment (approximately $40 U.S.).
• CDGDC verifies grades and degrees (depending on what is requested) by accessing national and provincial databases and contacting universities directly.
• CDGDC then sends via courier service directly to the U.S. University stamped copies of the verified documents along with a statement noting in English what the degree is and whether the university and program is recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Education.

An acceptable CDGDC Packet will include the following (an example is linked):

• Institutional recognition and confirmation of program completion.
• Confirmation that the bachelor’s and/or master’s degree was conferred.
• Copy of transcript in Chinese/English or English.

Institutional recognition and confirmation of program completion

If you need more information about CDGDC please refer to the website: http://www.chinadegrees.cn/en/.

Special Information

Sources of Information for International Students

If you have questions about how to fill out the international application, you can reference the MSU Office of Admissions – Graduate Admission website, contact them through instant messaging, use the online “Ask Admissions a Question” section of the website, or by calling (517) 355-8332.

The Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) is able to assist with the following items:

• Visa types and requirements
• International student immigration matters
• Travel to the U.S.
• Finances for international students
• International student orientation
• Support services for international students

International students now go back up to the Required Application Materials section above and submit their remaining application materials in accordance with the instructions listed.

Once all your application materials are complete you will be contacted for a phone interview with the Athletic Training Admissions Board.

All students accepted into the Athletic Training Program must have the following completed prior to the start of the first day in the program.

1. Verification of Immunization Requirements: All athletic training students are required to provide evidence of vaccination, or immunity to: COVID-19, Rubeola (measles), Rubella, Mumps (MMR), Diptheria/Tetanus, Pertussis, Varicella (chickenpox), and Hepatitis B. Influenza immunization is due annually. Tuberculosis (TB) is only required if you do a rotation in the Hospital.
2. Verification of Criminal Background Check: All students are required to complete both an MSU youth background check and Livescan criminal background check.
3. Verification of Technical Standards: Athletic Training students must be able to meet minimum technical standards for successful completion of degree requirements.
4. Verification of Personal Liability Insurance: All students are required to purchase HPSO personal liability insurance.