Nurse Anesthesia Admissions

The Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education through the fall of 2031. The program received the maximum 10-year accreditation length in the fall of 2021. 

Contact information for the Council on Accreditation:
Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
10275 W. Higgins Rd
Suite 906
Rosemont, IL 60018-5603
Phone: (224) 275-9130
http://coacrna.org

View the department performance data sheet (PDF)

application process

• All applicants are required to apply online through Nursing Centralized Application Service (NursingCAS).
• All verified applications received on or before the application deadline will receive full admission consideration.
• All verified applications undergo preliminary review for minimum admissions requirements and documentation.
• Qualified applicants will move on to full admission review with the faculty admissions committee.
• Highly qualified applicants will be invited to interview. Interviews are done by invitation only.
• UNE communicates all status updates, notifications, and admission decisions via email.

For specific academic dates, please view the UNE academic calendar.

Application Requirements

Items to submit to NursingCAS:

• Application with application fee
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
• Three (3) letters of recommendation
• Resume
• Proof of current unencumbered RN license
• Copies of required certifications/score reports: ACLS & PALS
• Proof of satisfactory completion of Statistics prerequisite course.
• Proof of satisfactory completion of Biochemistry Prerequisite*

*If you are unsure whether or not a specific biochemistry course will count towards our prerequisite requirement, please submit the UNE Biochemistry Prerequisite Equivalency Form. Your submission will be reviewed and a reply will be sent to you via email within five (5) to seven (7) business days.

Degree Requirement

Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree (or higher) in Nursing or completion of an Associate’s Degree in Nursing and a Bachelor of Science degree in a science-related field of study.

All degrees must have been completed at a U.S. regionally accredited college/university or international equivalent, and all nursing degrees must have been completed at an accredited nursing program, before starting the Nurse Anesthesia program.

Licensure and Certifications

• Proof of current unencumbered RN licensure in your home state at the time of application; licensure in the state where clinical experience occurs is obtained after enrollment
• Upload copies of all licenses and certifications in NursingCAS
• Certifications Required:
  • Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) 
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
• Certifications highly recommended:
  • CCRN and/or other specialty certification (i.e., CEN)
    • Upload copy of certification in NursingCAS
    • Upload score report in NursingCAS

GPA Requirement

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required, with additional emphasis on science courses.
• Coursework in biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology specifically is recommended and will be reviewed closely.
• Due to the program’s competitive nature, meeting minimum admission requirements does not guarantee an interview or acceptance.

Experience Hours/Clinical Experience

All applicants are encouraged to shadow a nurse anesthetist for at least one (1) day in the operating room prior to application to more fully understand the commitment involved in studying to become a nurse anesthetist.

• Minimum of eighteen (18) months experience as a critical care nurse. Two (2) or more years is recommended.
• All experience hours must be completed prior to application submission.
• All experience hours must be completed within the United States.

Acceptable areas: ICU, CCU, CVICU, SICU, MICU, NICU, PICU and Neuro ICU*

*Important Note: Emergency Room, Critical Care Transport, Cath Lab, PACU, and OR experiences do not fulfill the critical care experience required to apply.

Prerequisite Coursework Requirements

Biochemistry (3-4 semester credits)

• Must be an upper-division course (300-level or above).
• Community College courses are not acceptable.
• Biochemistry must be completed with a grade of “B” or better (“B minus” grade is not acceptable).
• Biochemistry course must have been completed no more than five (5) years prior to the application deadline for the UNE Nurse Anesthesia program.

Statistics (3 semester credits)

• Must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better ("C minus" grade is not acceptable).

All planned or in-progress coursework should be listed on the NursingCAS application at the time of application submission. Not doing so may result in the applicant not meeting all admissions requirements and therefore may not be eligible for admission review.

All prerequisite coursework must be successfully completed, with an official transcript submitted to NursingCAS no later than the final application deadline.

Online courses offered through UNE’s Online Science Prerequisites as well as online courses from other regionally accredited U.S. colleges or universities are acceptable.

Letters of Evaluation

Three (3) letters of evaluation are required, submitted via NursingCAS:

• One letter must be from the immediate acute care nursing supervisor or manager attesting to the total length of time, in years and months that an applicant has worked in the acute care setting as a registered nurse.
• It is recommended that the remaining two (2) letters come from those who can attest to the clinical and professional skills of the applicant.
• Letters from friends or family members are not acceptable.

Interviews

Interviews are a required part of the application process:

• Qualified applicants will be contacted and invited to interview during the winter/spring months, prior to the fall start of the Nurse Anesthesia program.
• Interviews are done by invitation only.
• Alternate interview modalities may be instituted at the discretion of the Nurse Anesthesia program, as deemed necessary. Applicants will be notified immediately if changes to the format or timing of interviews occur at any point during the application cycle. 

International Applicants

International applicants and those with foreign degrees and coursework are required to satisfy the following additional requirements:

• Official credential evaluation by World Education Service (WES), confirming degree and grade equivalency to that of a U.S. Bachelor's Degree. Please refer to the International Admissions section of the UNE website for more information on the type of credential evaluation required for admission review.
• Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate written and spoken fluency through the successful completion of an English language proficiency test.
• Applicants should refer to the English Language Proficiency webpage on the UNE website for specific information and minimum score requirements.
• Minimum eighteen (18) months of Critical Care experience must be completed in the United States.

Other Requirements

Prior to matriculation, accepted and deposited students will be required to complete the following additional compliance requirements:

• Completion of physical examination with proof of up-to-date immunization status. Please refer to UNE’s Student Health Center for detailed information.
• Satisfactory completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen prior to matriculation, as well as periodically throughout the program (as required by clinical affiliations).
• All students must have the ability to meet the Academic and Technical Standards of the Nurse Anesthesia profession.

All materials submitted as part of the application become the property of UNE and will not be returned or released to anyone, including the applicant. This policy includes letters of reference, primary and secondary applications, personal statements, transcripts, and other supporting materials.

Policy Exceptions

• Policies are established to ensure fair and consistent admissions practice for all applicants to the university and its programs.
• All criteria presented in this summary are subject to change per professional accreditation requirements, changes in curriculum and/or other institutional standards, and clinical affiliation requirements.
• Exceptions to existing admission policies are rare and made only when it is deemed necessary and appropriate to maintain fair and consistent practice for all candidates, not individual candidates.