Sports Medicine Degree

Wallace State’s programs boast a top-notch reputation with outstanding job placement rates, small class sizes and an award-winning faculty. Choose Wallace State’s Sport Medicine-General Studies degree for a career in a highly-rewarding, high-demand field at a fraction of the cost of attending a university.  You will be able transfer credits to continue your education at a four-year university, with employment potential and cost savings to boot.  

Discover your story in Sports Medicine at Wallace State!       

About the Program

Athletic trainers help prevent and treat injuries for people of all ages. Their clients include everyone from professional athletes to industrial workers.

These highly qualified professionals must be knowledgeable in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, hygiene, nutrition, bracing, taping, conditioning, injury prevention, recognition and evaluation, emergency procedures, and protective equipment.

Recognized by the American Medical Association as allied health professionals, athletic trainers specialize in the prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries. They provide education and advice on the prevention of injuries and work closely with injured patients to rehabilitate and recondition injuries, often through therapy. Athletic trainers are often one of the first heath care providers on the scene when injuries occur, and therefore must be able to recognize, evaluate, and assess injuries and provide immediate care when needed.

Athletic trainers work under the supervision of a licensed physician, and in cooperation with other health care providers. They may be employed in health clubs, sports medicine clinics, clinical and industrial health-care programs, corporate health programs, and athletic training curriculum programs. Graduates may also work with professional athletic teams, intercollegiate athletic programs, and secondary-school interscholastic athletic programs. Most athletic trainers work in full-time positions, and typically receive benefits.

Career Outlook

Employment of athletic trainers is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2024. About one-third of athletic trainers work in the health care industry. Others work for professional sports clubs or teams, schools, colleges, or universities. There is some stress involved with being a team’s athletic trainer, who can be affected by the pressure to win that is typical of competitive sports teams.

The salary of an athletic trainer depends on education, experience and job responsibilities, and varies by job setting, with the top 10 percent earning more than $69,140. Many employers also pay for some of the continuing education required of athletic trainers. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics)