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Pre-Athletic Training

100%
OF INCOMING FIRST-YEARS & TRANSFERS
Receive scholarships or grants
14:1
RATIO
Of students to faculty
96%
EMPLOYMENT RATE
of surveyed alumni within 9 months of graduation

Get in the game

Propel athletes to excel

Our pre-athletic training program blends classroom instruction, beyond-the-class experience, and expert professors to prepare you for the next step.

Pre-professional programs are undergraduate tracks that prepare you for a professional degree after your bachelor's. These aren't academic majors, they're a set of specialized courses that are typically required before you can be accepted into your next program.

Your advisor will help you decide the best major to pair with your pre-professional program and prepare you for your career goals. Students interested in the pre-athletic training pathway typically choose to major in exercise science, chemistry, or biology to meet the prerequisites.

Where can I go with the pre-athletic training pathway?

Our pre-athletic training pathway prepares you to pursue a career or graduate/professional degrees in:

  • Athletic training
  • Physical therapy
  • Sports medicine
  • Cardiac rehabilitation
  • Dietetics
  • Personal training
  • Health promotion
  • Strength & conditioning
  • Coaching
  • Sport & performance psychology

Recent partnerships provide pre-athletic training students with a clear path toward graduate school.

Mount Mercy exercise science students can go on to earn their Master of Athletic Training in as little as two years, thanks to a partnership with Drake University.

With four years to complete the exercise science program and the advantage of a fast-track application and acceptance into Drake University's Master of Athletic Training program, you can get a head start on your future.

Students now have the option of finishing their exercise science degree at Mount Mercy and then getting their master's at Drake for a 4 + 2 program, or completing all Drake prerequisites in 3 years for a 3 + 2 program.

Here's how it works:

  • Submit your fast-tracked application by February 1 of your senior year. Applications and acceptances are completed on a rolling basis, and a new application cycle opens each year in July. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required.

  • Complete the pre-requisite courses during the year of your application.

  • Get your master's in just two years!

Mount Mercy exercise science students can go on to earn their Master of Science in Athletic Training in as little as two years, thanks to a partnership with the University of Iowa.

With four years to complete the exercise science program and the advantage of a fast-track application and acceptance into the University of Iowa’s Master of Science in Athletic Training program, you can get a head start on your future.

Students now have the option of finishing their exercise science degree at Mount Mercy and then getting their master's at the University of Iowa for a 4 + 2 program. The University of Iowa will reserve placement for Mount Mercy University students each year.

Here's how it works:

  • Submit your fast-tracked application by February 1 of your senior year. Applications and acceptances are reviewed upon submission. A minimum 3.25 GPA is required for the fast-track application process. Apply as soon as the fall of your final year.
  • Complete the pre-requisite courses during the year of your application.
  • Get your master's in just two years!

What can I do in the pre-athletic training pathway?

Internships in pre-athletic training

Pursue an internship with Mercy Medical Center, UnityPoint Health—St. Luke's Hospital, Kepros Physical Therapy & Performance, The M.A.C., YMCA, and Mount Mercy University Athletic Training.

Explore classes for Mount Mercy’s pre-athletic training program

Learn from the experts and take your pre-athletic training coursework beyond the traditional classroom through hands-on experiences, including at our Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex and inside the Rinderknecht Athletic Center (RAC).

Get started in our pre-athletic training program

Mount Mercy offers competitive tuition and generous scholarships.

We also encourage all students to apply for federal, state, and other kinds of financial assistance.

Learn more about:

We make it easy by accepting applications year-round! No deadline, no fee, no pressure.

  1. Create your application
  2. Apply under standard admissions criteria or go "test optional"
  3. Request official transcripts from all institutions previously attended. Mail to:
* Mount Mercy University Admissions
  1330 Elmhurst Drive NE
  Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402
* If you are applying for an accelerated program, please mail to "Accelerated Programs"

For more detailed instructions on how to apply, see our Admissions page.

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