Westfield State University athletic training program awarded continuing accreditation

WESTFIELD --- The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) has voted to grant 10 years of Continuing Accreditation to the Professional Athletic Training Program at Westfield State University. 

Part of the Sports Medicine and Human Performance Department in the School of Health, Natural Sciences, and Human Services, the Professional Athletic Training Program prepares students for trainers’ work settings that can include high schools, colleges, universities, professional sports teams, hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, physicians’ offices, corporate and industrial settings, military and law enforcement, and the performing arts.   

Paul Higgins, the Athletic Trainer Program Director at Westfield State said, “I am proud to be able to contribute to Westfield State University's rich history in athletic training education. In 1987 the internship program began, followed by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Athletic Training in 1996, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs in 1999 to the programs first visit from the CAATE.  Westfield State has since earned the CAATE 10-year reaccreditation in 2010-11 and once again in 2022.”  

The CAATE is a non-profit organization serving the public and profession by establishing and ensuring compliance with accreditation standards that facilitate quality outcomes, continuous improvement, innovation, and diversity to enhance athletic training education. 

The CAATE provides educators and clinicians resources and information to stay informed – and compliant – with accreditation standards.  

Higgins continued, “It is a very exciting time for the Westfield State University Athletic Training Program.  We have accepted our last undergraduate Athletic Training first-year class with encouragement from administration to move a step closer to the Master of Science in Athletic Training.”

The next required comprehensive accreditation review for this program will be conducted during the 2031-2032 academic year.