Modern athletic training at Northern Illinois University (NIU) began in 1970 when the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) awarded NIU graduates the Certified Athletic Training (ATC) credential after sequentially completing: 1) appropriate coursework and clinical hours and 2) passing the Board of Certification (BOC) examination. This route to the ATC credential was referred to as the NATA 'internship' route.
After the American Medical Association (AMA) recognized athletic training as a bona fide health care profession in 1990, the NATA mandated one route to BOC certification. The mandate required that all institutions holding a route to NATA certification must become accredited by the Commission on the Association of Allied Health Educational Program (CAAHEP) by 2004.
NIU gained initial CAAHEP accreditation in 1999, followed by continuing accreditation in 2005. Today the accrediting body is the Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). CAATE will review the NIU ATEP in 2012. CAATE standards require that athletic training as a named degree must be met by 2014-1015.