The growing field of athletic training provides a unique experience of professionalism and interaction with athletes and athletic injuries. An athletic trainer encounters many scenarios during an average workday. Making decisions, devising treatment protocols, serving as a liaison to the physician, documenting daily notes, and providing emergency first aid care are just a few of the scenarios an athletic trainer encounters. Athletic trainers manage training rooms, order supplies, and provide athletic education on many health topics, like nutrition, exercise, injury prevention, rehabilitation and wellness.

Students will take part in care at local hospitals and independent clinics. Summer internships are being explored as well and may include stints with the professional teams.

Graduates will go on to work in a variety of settings, including high school, college and professional sports, clinics, hospitals, and industry. The Wheeling Jesuit athletic training program also is a perfect undergraduate degree for those wanting to continue on for a doctoral level physical therapy degree at Wheeling Jesuit.

Wheeling Jesuit University will welcome its first class in the newly established athletic training program in fall 2007.  WJU is responding to the need for professionally trained athletic experts.  

Unique features of the WJU program include:

• The most up-to-date campus facilities allowing students to experience modern technologies, theories and health care concepts and application.
• Sixteen men’s and women’s sports at the NCAA Division II level, with a rich tradition of success at the conference, regional and national levels.
• Faculty who have had over a decade of experience including clinical, high school, collegiate (NCAA Div. I and II), and professional (NFL-Pittsburgh Steelers, East Coast Hockey League-Wheeling Nailers and National Indoor Football League-Ohio Valley Greyhounds) settings.
• Easy access to high schools, corporate and private clinics, and professional teams, provide students with numerous, real-life settings in secondary education and professional clinical care.
• Problem-based learning, with a “guide by your side,” is unique across the country.
• A natural fit and a smooth transition for students who wish to move to the doctoral level in WJU’s  physical therapy program.