The JMU AT Program admits one cohort of 22 students each year. The cohort begins classes in the summer semester. Students are selected through a competitive process that includes two separate applications - one to the AT Program through ATCAS and the second to the JMU Graduate School. Applicants MUST complete the ATCAS application to be considered for admission. However, to receive an offer of admission the applicant must submit an application to the JMU Graduate School.
Pre-application advising may be obtained as follows:
- For general information about the program and the application process, first review the website.
- If you are currently a JMU student or live close to the university, attend an information session.
- After familiarizing yourself with the general information, please direct questions to athletictraining@jmu.edu.
Financial Assistance with Application Fees
The JMU Graduate School charges a $60 application fee. If you cannot afford this fee, you may apply for a graduate application fee waiver.
If you cannot afford the ATCAS application fees, please read consider their fee assistance and/or fee waiver policies.
Important Dates
The JMU MSAT program application process opens on June 30. Our rolling admissions process is ongoing until May 2.
Licensure/Certification
This program meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Please refer to the JMU Professional Licensure Program Status by Jurisdiction Index to determine if this JMU program meets the educational requirements specified by the associated licensing or certification agency in the state or territory in which you are located while enrolled. You can also determine if the program meets the educational requirements specified by the licensing boards in other states and territories. Requirements vary by state and are subject to change. The information provided is current as of the review date indicated in the table.
Important Notice
In May 2026, the U.S. Department of Education released rules that created a difference in the amount of Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans that students in graduate and professional programs can borrow annually. Prior to this, there was no distinction between the limits for these programs, as students in both were eligible to borrow up to $20,500 per year. These final rules set the annual limit to $50,000 for programs that meet the professional program definition outlined in the regulations. At that time, JMU did not have any programs that met this definition.
On June 24, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia imposed a preliminary stay on the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of a professional degree program for purposes of eligibility for the $50,000 annual loan limit. This order added the following JMU programs as qualifying professional programs.
- Audiology (AuD)
- Speech Language Pathology (SLP)
- Physician Assistant (PA)
- Athletic Training (MAT)
- Occupational Therapy (OT)
- Registered Nurse (MSN)
Under the authority granted to institutions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (a.k.a. Working Families Tax Cut Act), JMU is setting the loan limit for the following programs at $20,500, rather than the $50,000 limit possible under the court-ordered preliminary stay. This means all JMU graduate, professional, and doctoral programs have a $20,500 maximum annual limit for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. The primary reason for this decision is that the court order is preliminary and temporary, meaning it could be reversed, which would reduce loan limits for these programs back down to the $20,500 limit. Our concern is the potential harm to students if we award them $50,000 and then the stay is overturned; if that happens, it could put students in a challenging financial situation.
JMU will continue to monitor the situation. Should the order become permanent, we will re-evaluate the loan limits associated with these programs in relation to the $50,000 limit.
MSC 4315
235 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
