Athletic Trainer Educators: Meet Your CE Requirements Through Academic Pursuits

When an Athletic Trainer (AT) renews their national certification, it shows they value professional development, evidence-based practices and the BOC mission of serving in public protection. Categories B and C are two great options for educators/preceptors and ATs to maintain their certification through academic pursuits.

Category B: Professional and Scholarly Activities

Category B provides educators, preceptors, researchers and speakers with a variety of approved continuing education (CE) activities, such as:

• Authoring an article for a refereed journal or home-study program
• Serving as a contributing author of a published textbook
• Serving as a speaker or panelist at a conference or seminar
• Becoming a preceptor for a Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)-accredited athletic training program

Activities sometimes reported in Category B which DO NOT qualify for CEUs are:

• Teaching a college or university course
• Speaking to administrators, booster clubs, coaches, parents or students*

*ATs can earn CEUs for speaking if the audience is comprised of credentialed health care and/or wellness professionals (e.g. MD, PA, RN, PT, AT)

Category C: Post-Certification College/University Coursework

It’s important to remember—once certified—that ATs who are continuing their health care education may be able to utilize higher-education coursework for CEUs.

Category C CEUs can be reported as long as the College/University coursework and practicum courses (including clinical and internship experiences) are:

• Listed with credit hours on an official transcript
• Fall within the domains of athletic training as defined in “Practice Analysis, 7th Edition”
• Completed after the ATs certification date and within the current reporting period
• Completed at a college/university that is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education, or the coursework has been deemed equivalent to US coursework by a third party (e.g. World Education Services)

It’s important to remember ATs receive 10 CEUs per credit hour of college/university coursework.  Official transcripts are only required if the AT is audited. Teaching a college course is not acceptable for Category C credit.