[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-289355-105":59,"doc-detail-289355-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":124,"head_meta":126,"extra_data":128,"updated_unix":130},105,"en","athletic-training-trends-atsu-perspective-phd-or-dat","Athletic Training Trends - ATSU Perspective: PhD or DAT?","","A qualitative review outlines emerging pathways and opportunities in athletic training education practice, education, and research, focusing on current and past trends in athletic training curricula and terminal degree options. It compares the Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT) with the PhD, clarifying differences in purpose and expected outcomes. The document provides decision prompts for doctorate selection and details the PhD framework, including research focus, scholarship goals, and ethical commitments.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/athletic-training-trends-atsu-perspective-phd-or-dat/289355/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/athletic-training-trends-atsu-perspective-phd-or-dat/289355.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"4398046744996","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-27","2026-09-17",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",15,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What is the document’s main purpose regarding athletic training doctoral degrees?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"It documents and communicates current and past trends in athletic training curricula and terminal degree options, specifically comparing DAT and PhD pathways.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"How does the PhD program differ from an advanced practice doctorate such as the DAT?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"The PhD prepares individuals to perform research to generate new knowledge, while the advanced practice doctorate addresses real-world problems and enhances workplace-applicable skills.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"What questions should prospective students consider when choosing between a PhD and a DAT?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"They should consider whether they want to advance clinical applications, do bench research, pursue teaching-focused terminal training, conduct field-based research, or become an expert clinician at the point of care.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},289355,1789635038,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":66,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":29,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":130,"read_time":105,"preview_page_count":4},4398046744996,"Athletic training  \ntrends  \nATSU perspective  \nPhD or DAT?  \nPublished by A. T. Still University, June 2018  \nA qualitative review of the emerging pathways and opportunities within athletic training education practice, education, and research. The purpose is documenting and communicating current and past trends within athletic training curriculum and terminal degree options within athletic training: a DAT or PhD.  \nWhen athletic trainers consider advancing their professional and education standing to the doctorate level, what comes to mind most often, historically, is a doctor of philosophy degree, a PhD. While there are similarities, there are distinct differences to note between a PhD and an advanced practice doctorate, such as the Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT) program at A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Health Sciences (ATSU-ASHS). Knowing the difference is an important part of the equation when it comes to finding the right path that matches academic and professional interests, goals, and objectives in the athletic training profession.  \nWhen contemplating a PhD or an advanced practice doctorate, such as the DAT, consider this:  \nPhD program: Prepares individuals to perform research to generate new knowledge.  \nAdvanced practice doctoral program (DAT): Addresses real-world problems and enhances skills that can be applied in the workplace (practice) .  \nBefore determining what type of doctoral degree is a best fit, it is important to ask:  \n• Do I want to advance clinical applications?  \n• Do I want to do bench research in a lab?  \n• Do I want an athletic training-specific terminal degree with an emphasis on teaching the next generation of those in the field?  \n• Do I want to do clinically based research in the field?  \n• Do I want to become the expert athletic trainer at the point of care?  \nDoctoral education in athletic training  \nThe PhD  \nThe following provides a detailed framework of the PhD. This type of doctorate is applicable for those who wish to focus on doing bench/lab research or  \nconducting research in the field. Below is an excerpt from PhD Education, The Nature and Purpose of a PhD Program, the link for which is available on the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Education Overview page (Doctoral Programs section) on [nata.org](nata.org:)[:](nata.org:)  \n• The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is the highest academic degree granted by North American universities. It is a research degree and is to be distinguished from other doctorates such as the MD, JD, EdD, or DAT degrees, which are designed for professional training or which focus on applied rather than basic research.  \n• The PhD program is designed to prepare a student to become a scholar, that is, to discover, integrate, and apply knowledge, as well as communicate and disseminate it. The program emphasizes the development of the student’s capacity to make significant original contributions to knowledge in a context of freedom of inquiry and expression. Such skills may lead to careersin social, governmental, business, and industrial organizations as well as in the university and college teaching, research, and administration.  \n• A well-prepared doctoral student will have developed the ability to understand and evaluate critically the literature of the field and to apply appropriate principles and procedures to the recognition, evaluation, interpretation, and understanding of issues and problems at the  \nAthletic training perspective  2   \nfrontiers of knowledge. The student will also have an appropriate awareness of and commitment to the ethical practices appropriate to the field.  \nIt is accomplished [through] apprenticeship to, and close association with, faculty members who are experienced in research and teaching.  \n• A central purpose of scholarship is the extension of knowledge, and students in a doctoral program become scholars by choosing an area in which to specialize and a professor with whom to work. Individualized","cbCaihZgkLVq2qXR","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihZgkLVq2qXR","pdf",435723,"English","# Athletic training trends\n## ATSU perspective: PhD or DAT?\n## Doctoral education in athletic training\n### The PhD\n## DAT or PhD?\n## Advanced practice doctorate: then and now","[{\"question\":\"What is the document’s main purpose regarding athletic training doctoral degrees?\",\"answer\":\"It documents and communicates current and past trends in athletic training curricula and terminal degree options, specifically comparing DAT and PhD pathways.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the PhD program differ from an advanced practice doctorate such as the DAT?\",\"answer\":\"The PhD prepares individuals to perform research to generate new knowledge, while the advanced practice doctorate addresses real-world problems and enhances workplace-applicable skills.\"},{\"question\":\"What questions should prospective students consider when choosing between a PhD and a DAT?\",\"answer\":\"They should consider whether they want to advance clinical applications, do bench research, pursue teaching-focused terminal training, conduct field-based research, or become an expert clinician at the point of care.\"}]","Athletic Training Trends - ATSU Perspective: PhD or DAT? | PDF"]