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Home » Certificates & Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) » Athletic Therapy Certificate Program

Athletic Therapy Certificate Program

The Athletic Therapy Certificate Program is accredited by the Canadian Athletic Therapists' Association and prepares you to achieve the professional designation of a Certified Athletic Therapist in Canada, enabling you to work with professional athletes as well as the active population.

If you have any questions about the Athletic Therapy Certificate Program please email: atprogram@yorku.ca

This certificate is a 3-year program and can be earned in conjunction with the Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) options in Kinesiology & Health Science.

Click here to register for an information session about the Athletic Therapy Certificate Program.

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Certified Athletic Therapists

Certified Athletic Therapists are best known for their quick-thinking on-field emergency care of professional and elite athletes. The first to respond when someone gets hurt, they are experts at injury assessment and rehabilitation. It’s that same mix of on-site care and active rehabilitation skills that makes Athletic Therapists so effective in treating the musculoskeletal (muscles, bones, and joints) injuries of all Canadians, whether on the field or in the clinic.

Athletic therapists adhere to the Sports Medicine Model of care. They treat a wide range of patients, from kids with concussions to seniors recovering from hip replacement surgery, using various manual therapies, modalities, exercise prescription, and even bracing and taping. The treatment varies but the objective doesn’t: an Athletic Therapist's goal is to help clients return to their usual activities, whether that means playing competitive sports or walking to the mailbox and back.

Certified Athletic Therapists can be recognized by the credential CAT(C).

Highly trained and versatile, Certified Athletic Therapists can be found in environments such as:

  • Private sports medicine and therapy clinics
  • Professional sports, such as the NHL, CFL, NBA, MLB
  • Elite games, such as the Olympics, Pan Am, Canada Games
  • Teaching or research at universities and colleges
  • High school, amateur, and varsity athletics
  • Professional dance companies
  • Sales and marketing for performance and rehabilitation brands
  • Municipal government and industrial workplaces
  • Insurance industry

Canadian Athletic Therapists Association: CATA

CATA Logo

Course Details

Athletic Therapy Curriculum

Admissions and Application

Athletic Therapy Faculty & Staff

Student Therapists

Frequently Asked Questions

Students must complete the pre-requisite courses (KINE 2495, 2011, 2031), the core KINE courses and the Athletic Therapy curricular courses along with the remaining degree requirements for the BA or BSc in Kinesiology and Health Science.

Students can apply to the Athletic Therapy Certificate Program in the winter term of their second year in the KINE program. Note the pre-requisites for applying. Find more information on the webpage about Admissions and Application

After completing the certificate, students are eligible to take the National certification exam through the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA). For more information, visit CATA Website - Education and Certification. After passing the exam, a wide variety of job opportunities are available (Careers in Athletic Therapy). Check out our alumni video to see where some of our graduates work (Video on Athletic Therapy Alumni).

Students transferring from another academic institution can email the Kinesiology department (ugkhs@yorku.ca) for information on the process.

Applicants must have achieved a minimum cumulative grade point average of 5.00 (C+) and a minimum grade of C+ in the prerequisite courses: KINE 2011, KINE 2031 and KINE 2495.

The certificate is a 3-year program.

Yes. The certificate program is a 3-year program. If you enter after your second year, it will take a total of 5 years to complete your KINE degree and the certificate.

Yes, you will create a new application if you wish to apply again.

Yes, there is a comprehensive interview that has individual and group components. Full details are provided to students who are selected for an interview.

Students will have field placements with a York varsity sports team (York U Lions Varsity Website) and clinical placements at the York Sport Injury Clinic (York Sport Injury Clinic Webpage). Students have an opportunity in their 2nd or 3rd year of the program to have placements off-campus. These placements are connected to PKIN courses (HH/PKIN 0811 and 0812 – Practicum for Athletic Therapy I & II). Field placement house will depend on the sports team a student works with. Most varsity teams practice between the hours of 3 – 9 pm. Clinical placement shifts can be scheduled for your academic courses. The York Sports Injury Clinic is typically open from11am-7pm (subject to change based on availability and scheduling).

The Athletic Therapy Curriculum counts towards your KINE degree. These courses are used as your KINE elective courses.

There are prerequisite courses to apply to the program - Visit School of Kinesiology and Health Science - Admissions and Application and there are curricular courses for the certificate program - Visit Athletic Therapy Curriculum.

The reference will provide information about your attributes. We have them to rate you on the following: leadership ability, communication, initiative, professionalism, time management & dedication.

Before final acceptance letters are submitted, we will request and review the final grades for the winter term to ensure students meet the GPA requirements.

Yes.

No, if you meet the GPA requirements your application will be considered.