Athletic Therapy & Training

Mature applicants are those aged 23 years, or above, on 1 January in the year of entry. All candidates (presenting with EU/Non EU qualifications) applying on the grounds of mature years should apply ONLY through the CAO by 1 February.

For many DCU courses, mature application assessment is based on the CAO application and in some instances, an assessment and/or interview. ‘Other’ experience, apart from performance in examinations, may be taken into consideration - this may be work experience, further studies, or other such experience deemed to be relevant to the application. Interviews will take place in April either in person or remotely.

For more information, please contact the Mature Student Officer, orla.stafford@dcu.ie or dcu.ie/mature-students
For general and admission enquiries, please visit dcu.ie/registry/ug-admissions

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Entry 2024

Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm

Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm

Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm

Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm

Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 at 5pm

Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.

LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.

Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.

If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.

Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.

Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.

Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.

Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:

General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices

Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course

Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants

Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR

Why DCU?
− Specialises in management of musculoskeletal injury in sporting and non-sporting groups

− Emphasis on pitch-side skills including initial injury assessment, emergency care and end stage sport-specific rehabilitation

− Intensive training in the development of consultation, interpersonal and clinical skills

− Extensive practical experience through placement with sports teams, various musculoskeletal clinics and rehabilitation clinics, plus an international placement option in Year 4

− Option to select the integrated masters pathway in Year 3 and graduate with a Masters degree in Athletic Therapy and Strength and Conditioning

− Course accredited by Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy Ireland (ARTI), the Irish governing body for Certified Athletic Therapists

About You
Are you passionate about looking after the health of athletes and the general public, specifically in the area of musculoskeletal health? Do you have a keen interest in sport and/or physical activity? It is not necessary to be physically active yourself, but an interest in sport or physical activity is recommended.

Understanding: Athletic Therapy and Training (ATT)
We all know that physical activity is a necessary and important part of daily life. Unfortunately, injuries – musculoskeletal injuries in particular – are incurred by people during physical activity in sport, leisure and work. An Athletic Therapist and Trainer (ATT) is an important part of the healthcare system, who specialises in the prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries. Such injuries can occur at all ages and standards of sporting ability and among all population types (including, for example, people with disabilities).

We want you to qualify with excellent medical knowledge, clinical skills, communication skills, confidence, problem-solving skills and extensive practical experience. Importantly, you should also develop a profound respect for patients and a highly professional approach when dealing with them.

How does an ATT differ from a physiotherapist?
Physiotherapy is a broad-based healthcare profession that not only addresses musculoskeletal care of the physically active but also deals with a number of diverse medical fields, including oncology, obstetrics, gynaecology, paediatrics, rheumatology, respiratory and neurological illnesses and burn injuries.

In contrast, Athletic Therapy and Training specialises in musculoskeletal injuries related to physical activity. Such specialisation allows students of Athletic Therapy and Training to examine this area in much greater detail than a student of physiotherapy.

Course Structure
This is a 4 year BSc in Athletic Therapy and Training degree (with the option to undertake an integrated Masters degree in Athletic Therapy and Strength and Conditioning from Year 3 subject to achieving a H2.2. or higher in Years 1 and 2).

Year 1 begins with understanding the anatomy of the body and the basic sciences, giving you an understanding of the pathophysiology of injury. You will also study the theory and practice that underpin physical conditioning to prevent and rehabilitate injury, and enhance health and performance.

In Year 2, you will start to learn how to assess, treat and rehabilitate injuries and further develop the theory and practice of training. You will also undertake First Aid and Emergency Care to enable you to provide pitch-side assistance in various sports. In addition, you will start the clinical modules that will continue each semester for the remainder of the course. These modules will provide you with clinical field experience as well as allow you to assist in the student-led injury clinic based within the School.

Year 3 will see you expand your knowledge, as well as learn in-depth principles of rehabilitation, therapeutic modalities and soft tissue therapies.

In the first half of Year 4, you will gain 3 to 5 month’s experience working full-time in a clinical setting in Ireland or abroad (including athletic therapy and training facilities in American universities). You also have the opportunity to gain Cardiac and Emergency First Response certification with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council of Ireland (PHECC). The latter half of Year 4 includes a major research project. At all times, how you communicate and work professionally with patients will be emphasised.

In Year 5, students on the Masters pathway will develop advanced athletic therapy management and clinical reasoning skills combined with strength and conditioning knowledge and practical expertise for optimising health and performance. This will also lead to the opportunity to gain external certification in strength and conditioning.

Internship: Yes.

What Will I Study?
Year 1
Anatomy | Strength and conditioning 1: Introduction to Exercise Science | Physics for Health Science | Motor Control and Learning | Introduction to Athletic Therapy and Training | Sport and Exercise Physiology | Strength and Conditioning 2: Theoretical Approaches

Year 2
Injuries | Introduction to Clinical Practice | Sport and Exercise Biomechanics | Integrated Sport and Exercise Physiology | Emergency Care | Injury Prevention | Ethics, Medicolegal and Consultation Skills | Psychology of Injury

Year 3
Injuries | Nutrition | Soft Tissue Therapies | Injury, Exercise and Sport Biomechanics | Rehabilitation and Chronic Illness Rehabilitation | Clinical Reasoning in Practice | Applied Modalities and Clinical Practice | New Enterprise Development | Research Methods

Year 4
Clinical Experience | Independent Clinical Practice | Medicine in Sport | Research Project | Strength and Conditioning 3 | Developing the Clinician and the Strength and Conditioning Professional

Year 5 (MSc)
Conditioning Exercise as Medicine | Strength and Conditioning 4 | Clinical Exercise Physiology for Strength and Conditioning | Research Project 2 | Advanced Clinical and Rehabilitation Experience | Planning Skills for Sport Professionals

Additional Information
This course provides students with the opportunity to pursue a dual award and attain both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science.

Contact Details
E: aoife.burke@dcu.ie
E: studenthelp@dcu.ie
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