SECTION 110.21. License Requirements

(a) Applicants qualifying under the Act, §451.153(a)(1), shall have:

(1) a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree, which includes at least 24 hours of combined academic credit from each of the following course areas:

(A) human anatomy and human physiology;

(B) health, disease, nutrition, fitness, wellness, emergency care, first aid, or drug and alcohol education;

(C) kinesiology or biomechanics;

(D) physiology of exercise;

(E) athletic training, sports medicine, or care and prevention of injuries;

(F) advanced athletic training, advanced sports medicine, or assessment of injury; and

(G) therapeutic exercise, therapeutic rehabilitation, or therapeutic modalities; and

(2) an apprenticeship in athletic training meeting the following requirements:

(A) the program shall be under the direct supervision of and on the same campus as a Texas licensed athletic trainer, or if out-of-state, the college or university's certified or state licensed athletic trainer;

(B) the apprenticeship must be a minimum of 1,800 hours. It must be based on the academic calendar and must be completed during at least five fall and/or spring semesters. Hours in the classroom do not count toward apprenticeship hours;

(C) the hours must be completed in college or university intercollegiate sports programs. A maximum of 600 hours of the 1,800 hours may be accepted from an affiliated setting which the college or university's athletic trainer has approved. An affiliated setting may be any setting where athletic training takes place. No more than 300 hours may be earned at one affiliated setting. These hours must be under the direct supervision of a licensed physician, licensed or certified athletic trainer, or licensed physical therapist;

(D) 1,500 hours of the apprenticeship shall be fulfilled while enrolled as a student at a college or university; and

(E) the apprenticeship must offer work experience in a variety of sports. It shall include instruction by a certified or state-licensed athletic trainer in prevention of injuries, emergency care, rehabilitation, modality usage, administrative management, and assessment of injuries.

(b) In place of the requirements in subsection (a), applicants qualifying under the Act, §451.153(a)(1) shall hold a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree and one of the following:

(1) current licensure, registration, or certification as an athletic trainer issued by another state, jurisdiction, or territory of the United States; or

(2) current national certification as an athletic trainer issued by the Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC).

(c) Applicants qualifying under the Act, §451.153(a)(2) or (a)(3), shall have a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree or a state-issued certificate in physical therapy or a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree in corrective therapy with at least a minor in physical education or health. Applicants who hold such degrees must complete three semester hours of a basic athletic training course from an accredited college or university. An applicant shall also complete an apprenticeship in athletic training meeting the following requirements.

(1) The program shall be a minimum of 720 hours. It must be based on the academic calendar and must be completed during at least three fall and/or spring semesters. The hours must be under the direct supervision of a college or university's Texas licensed athletic trainer or if out-of-state, the college or university's certified or state-licensed athletic trainer. The apprenticeship includes a minimum of 360 hours per year. Hours in the classroom do not count toward apprenticeship hours.

(2) Actual working hours shall include a minimum of 20 hours per week during each fall semester. A fall semester includes pre-season practice sessions. The apprenticeship must offer work experience in a variety of sports.

(3) The apprenticeship must be completed in a college or university's intercollegiate sports program. A maximum of 240 hours of the 720 hours may be earned at an affiliated setting which the college or university's athletic trainer has approved. An affiliated setting may be any setting where athletic training takes place. No more than 120 hours may be earned at one affiliated setting.

(d) In place of the requirements in subsections (a) and (b), an applicant qualifying under the Act, §451.153(a)(1), shall have a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree in athletic training from a college or university, which held accreditation, during the applicant's matriculation at the college or university and at the time the degree was conferred, from a nationally recognized accrediting organization that is approved by the department.

(e) Certification required. An applicant must have:

(1) current certification in the techniques of professional rescuer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator; or

(2) current certification for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with the Department of State Health Services or its successor agency.

(f) Each applicant must have a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree from a college or university, which held accreditation, at the time the degree was conferred, from a regional educational accrediting association that is approved by the department.

(g) The relevance to the licensing requirements of academic courses, the titles of which are not self-explanatory, must be substantiated through course descriptions in official school catalogs or bulletins or by other means acceptable to the department.

(h) The department shall not accept courses, which an applicant's transcript indicates, were not completed with a passing grade for credit.

Source Note: The provisions of this §110.21 adopted to be effective October 1, 2016, 41 TexReg 4435; amended to be effective July 1, 2018, 43 TexReg 3881; amended to be effective August 1, 2020, 45 TexReg 5171