DNAP Nurse Anesthesia Practice at University of South Dakota

Programme overview

The Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice, offered in Sioux Falls, prepares registered nurses to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. It received initial five-year COA accreditation on October 12, 2022, with the next review in May 2028.

Faculty: School of Health Sciences | Department: Department of Nursing | Duration: 36 months (84 credit hours) | Intake: January cohort start; degrees conferred the following January | Study mode: full-time | Location: Vermillion, SD, United States

What you will study

84 credits comprising 54 CRNA, 27 NURS and 3 BADM credits, with clinical rotations at sites in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Career pathways

Nurse anesthetists administer anesthesia and care before, during and after surgical, therapeutic, diagnostic and obstetrical procedures, plus pain management and some emergency services. Reported outcomes are 100% employment within six months, an 89% first-time NCE pass rate and 0% attrition.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Bachelor's or master's in nursing; current unencumbered U.S. RN license (SD or compact-state license required before matriculation); at least one year, preferably two, of current full-time critical care experience; current ACLS, BLS and CCRN; CRNA shadowing (preferably a full shift); statistics and organic chemistry or biochemistry each with a B or better. Applications use NursingCAS; international applicants have additional requirements.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms for international applicants: Spring 2027 classes start January 11, 2027 (new student arrival deadline January 10); Fall 2027 classes start August 23 (new student arrival deadline August 20).

Graduate applications go through the USD Graduate Application or GradCAS; Audiology, Speech Language Pathology, Law, Medical, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies and Social Work use specialty CAS applications. Application deadlines are set per programme in the Graduate Catalog and are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The graduate application fee cannot be waived or deferred and is non-refundable.

Law (JD): applications open September 1 for the next year's admission; applicants apply through LSAC CAS and must submit the LSAT, GRE or JD Next. June LSAT scores are accepted for the same year if the application is submitted by July 1. Out-of-state applicants scoring 150+ on the LSAT receive in-state tuition.

Apply through the official page: https://www.usd.edu/Admissions-and-Aid/Apply

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