The Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) degree is the highest practice degree in nurse anesthesia. MTSA offers the DNAP Practice Doctorate to registered nurses who have met each of the application requirements for admission. The DNAP Practice Doctorate is a full-time course of study for 36 consecutive months, on the campus of MTSA. In the third semester of the DNAP program, students will begin a rigorous clinical rotation process that offers students a vast array of clinical experiences in the peri-anesthesia setting. These clinical rotations will allow students to learn and sharpen their anesthetic skills throughout the remainder of the program.

The Practice Doctorate curriculum is designed to apply the scholarly process for translating evidence-based research into clinical practice. The scholarly project is a culmination of all coursework during the program exemplified in a professional electronic portfolio. Also, students produce a nurse anesthesia quality improvement project in the areas of practice, education, administration or business management.

Admissions Timeline

Please note: NursingCAS can take 4-6 weeks to verify transcripts, and delays may occur during peak periods or due to unforeseen transcript issues.

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Admission Requirements

• Cumulative GPA and cumulative Science GPA of 3.0 or higher
• All academic transcripts obtained after high school (This includes MTSA if you have taken the Advanced Physiologic Foundations course. Here are instructions on requesting a transcript from MTSA.) Please request your electronic transcripts to be sent directly to NursingCAS, not to MTSA. Hard copy transcripts cannot be accepted due to GPA calculation processes in NursingCAS.
• Certified Critical Registered Nurse (CCRN) Certification Score Report (Please include your CCRN score report that you received at the conclusion of the test.)
• Current Nursing License (Please include all states if you are licensed in more than one state.)
• 1 year of critical care experience (ICU or CCU) as a Registered Nurse is required. Experience with adult patients is preferred. This requirement must be fulfilled prior to the close of the application cycle on January 12, 2026.
• GRE: An official GRE Score Report must be submitted by ALL applicants directly to NursingCAS from ETS using code 1410. There are no available waivers for any applicants.
• References: MTSA requires two references and allows up to five to be submitted. The first must be a nursing supervisor (current ICU shift leader, team leader, nurse manager, or other nursing supervisor). The second must be from an individual who can attest to the applicant’s personal and professional attributes. This individual cannot be related or in a personal romantic relationship with the applicant.
• ACLS and BLS certifications through the American Heart Association are required at the time of application.
• Personal Statement: One to two pages including describing your experience, why you would like to be a CRNA, and how your goal to be a CRNA reflects MTSA’s mission statement. If you are a reapplicant, please also explain what you have done differently since your last application.
• CV/Resume: Please do not exceed two pages, if possible.
• Chemistry: If a chemistry course was not included in your nursing program, MTSA requires a three-semester hour Chemistry course prior to enrollment.
• Personal Interview (by invitation only): Candidates may be eligible for an early admissions offer, if the following criteria has been met: competitive cumulative Science GPA and a quantitative GRE score of over 150 (or combined 300 for quantitative and verbal). Candidates will be required to complete the DNAP-PD Survey (provided before interviews.)
• TOEFL: Only required if both conditions are met: 1) A language other than English is selected as your first language in your application. 2) You have not graduated from a university or college located in the United States.
• Headshot photograph: Submission required if invited to interview.
• Please note that a background check will be required upon acceptance into the program.
• In-person attendance at mandatory orientation that occurs in the fall before January matriculation.

All Admission Requirements are due by the application deadline (January 12, 2026).

More Information

The MTSA Student Handbook includes more information about the application and admissions process. Below are several helpful links:

Admissions Requirements»
Admissions Checklist»
Interview Process»
Re-Applicant Information»

Comparison of professional practice doctoral degrees and research doctoral degrees

It is important for nurse anesthetists who want to pursue doctoral education to choose the doctoral degree that best fits with their educational and professional goals before applying to a doctoral program. The following information provides some basic information about the two types of doctoral degrees available to nurse anesthetics, which will assist them in choosing the degree and program that fits their goals.

A professional practice degree, such as the DNAP, focuses on application of research findings to practice-related problems, which is similar to other professional practice degrees, such as the Doctor of Dentistry, Doctor of Pharmacy, and Doctor of Physical Therapy, among others.

A research-oriented degree, such as the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), focuses on primary data-based investigation for the discovery of new knowledge.

The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) accredits nurse anesthesia programs that offer master’s degrees, practice doctorate degrees, and research-oriented doctoral degrees which are focused in nurse anesthesia. COA has set specific standards for programs offering practice-oriented doctoral degrees and research-oriented degrees. The following table compares COA’s standards for these two types of doctoral degrees. As the table indicates, the two types of doctoral degrees parallel each other in quality and rigor, but the focus and outcomes of the two degrees differ. Doctoral programs in nurse anesthesia are designed using these criteria as a basis.

Click the link below to request more information about the DNAP Entry to Practice program.

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