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students are eligible to take NATA’s Board of Certification exam. Passing that examallowsnewathletic trainers towork inmost states, but some states call for further licensing or exams. About 70 percent of athletic trainers get a master’s degree before starting their careers. Those programs

Nearly every career in sports medicine calls for extensive schooling, including at least college and sometimes post- graduate studies.

generally require two more years of study. Some athletic trainers, like Leigh Weiss of the Giants, get their four-year degree in athletic training and then pursue a master’s in another area. Weiss has a master’s in kinesiology, along with a doctorate in physical therapy. Students can take other paths to get the college education they need to qualify for certification. Someone with a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as exercise science, can get a second bachelor’s in athletic training. Or people with a bachelor’s can enter a master’s program designed for students who have not already studied athletic training.

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