Practice Doctorate/DNAP Program

Applicants should understand that even though it takes NursingCAS up to two weeks to verify transcripts, MTSA has access to each entire application including the transcripts once submitted. Each application will be processed even if NursingCAS has not verified the transcripts. MTSA will regularly check with NursingCAS to confirm that all applicants’ transcripts are verified.

Attention re-applicants:  All re-applicants must take a graduate level science class (since their last application process) and post a minimum grade of “B” prior to submitting their new application.

Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact the admissions office at admissions@mtsa.edu.

Application period: December 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024
Start date:  January 6, 2025

Applicants interested in the possibility of an early interview must apply via NursingCAS by March 15 to be considered.

Note:  CCRN required to apply; minimum of 1.5 years of experience preferred,
post orientation and prior to application deadline of May 31.

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Admission Requirements

  • Current licensure as a Professional Registered Nurse (RN).
  • Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing or related science (if not in Nursing, must have additional 15 semester hours of biophysical sciences above Nursing Degree).
  • CCRN certification and score required (New as of Fall 2023. Please send a copy of your score report from when you took the CCRN.)
  • NPI (National Provider Identifier) required, due at enrollment
  • A minimum of 1 year of experience required (beyond orientation and completed prior to application deadline) as a registered nurse in an adult critical care area such as SICU, Neuro ICU, CVICU, CCU, MICU or Trauma ICU.
  • ACLS/BLS Certified, prior to application. Certifications need to be through the American Heart Association.
  • PALS Certified, prior to enrollment. Certifications need to be through the American Heart Association.
  • GRE (no minimum score requirement, but average minimums to be competitive are V150, Q150, A3.5). Note:  The GRE is waived for applicants who have earned a master’s or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States.
  • Three semester hours of General Chemistry if your nursing degree did not require chemistry. Lab not required.
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 and cumulative science GPA of 3.0. Please note: For the cycle opening in December 2023 and forward, we will be utilizing NursingCAS’s GPA calculating function and will no longer be manually calculating GPAs.
  • TOEFL is required for those with English as a second language (Upload in NursingCAS as ‘other’)
  • Three references required: Current ICU shift leader, team leader, nurse manager, or other supervisor(s) – (2 references);  Academic — professor, teacher, nurse educator (1 reference).
  • Personal letter addressing experience and desire to become a nurse anesthetist.
  • Personal Interview (by invitation only):
  • Candidate will be required to submit a completed DNAP PD Applicant Survey prior to interview by emailing admissions@mtsa.edu or upload to NursingCAS applicant uploaded documents.

 

Early Interview

Candidates may be eligible for an early interview if all of the following criteria is met:

  • Earned CCRN certificate
  • 2 years ICU experience
  • 3.5 Cumulative Science GPA
  • and a Quantitative GRE score of 150 or higher

Admission Checklist

  • Complete your online application and upload required documents in NursingCAS beginning on December 1; Deadline is May 31. It may take NursingCAS two weeks to verify your transcripts. Your file is not considered complete until that time.
  • Personal Letter (1-2 pages), stating why you would like to attend MTSA and become a CRNA. Upload to NursingCAS.
  • 3 Reference Forms. Enter the names and email addresses, and the forms will be emailed directly to them through NursingCAS.
  • Request transcripts from all higher education institutions attended.  MTSA encourages early submission of transcripts to NursingCAS.
  • GRE is required. Use MTSA code #1410 to request your GRE score to NursingCAS.
  • NPI (National Provider Identifier) is required and due at enrollment if selected into the program.
  • Copy of your current Nursing License (with expiration date) on NursingCAS.
  • Copy of your current ACLS Certification on NursingCAS. BLS and PALS due at enrollment if selected into program.

NOTE:  Applications may be submitted through NursingCAS even though all supporting documents are not uploaded.  MTSA can not review any part of the application until it has been submitted through NursingCAS and your application fee has been paid.

Interview Process

MTSA holds one admissions interview session period annually. This annual meeting of the full DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Admissions Committee for the admissions interview session is projected to span two to three business day(s). The DNAP Program Admissions Committee meets annually in July to interview applicants for each new class that enrolls the following January.

An applicant’s file must be complete prior to the May 31 deadline to be considered by the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Screening Committee for an interview with the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Admissions Committee. After the May 31 application deadline, the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Screening Committee will review the files of all applicants whose files are complete. The DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Screening Committee will determine if an applicant is competitively qualified to meet with the Admissions Committee. The applicant will then be invited by MTSA to interview with the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Admissions Committee during the annual interview session.

Applicants who receive an invitation from the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Screening Committee to interview with the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Admissions Committee will receive notification from the Admissions Coordinator regarding the scheduled date and time for their personal interview with the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Admissions Committee during this annual interview session. MTSA is under no obligation to invite every candidate who applies for an interview.

At the conclusion of all personal interviews held during the annual admissions interview session, the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Screening Committee will determine which applicants will be accepted and MTSA will call and send acceptance letters to those selected for admission. In the acceptance letter, each selected applicant will be given a ONE-WEEK period in which to respond, and the deadline will be stated in the invitation. Applicants who choose to accept the offered position in the upcoming class must submit the NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT* to MTSA with the acceptance response letter by the stated deadline.

After the stated deadline, if the NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT* has not been received at MTSA, the applicant will forfeit the offered position in the upcoming class, and MTSA may then offer the vacant position to an alternate applicant. Accepted applicants who change their mind and decide at a later date to decline acceptance into the program at MTSA for any reason will NOT be refunded the NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT*. Furthermore, each year’s DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Admissions Committee session decisions are only valid for admission to the immediately upcoming class, and MTSA does not reserve student positions for applicants in subsequent future classes.

*NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT: $4,000

Personal Interview with Admissions Committee – DNAP Practice Doctorate Program

Prior to a determination regarding acceptance, there will be a brief personal interview with the MTSA DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Admissions Committee (6-8 members present). Members of this committee are interested in further exploring the candidate’s rationale for desiring to pursue the DNAP degree, as well as the candidate’s concept/phenomenon of interest, during the personal interview.

Selection by the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Admissions Committee is based on the applicant’s GPA (cumulative and recent academic), professional references, and presentation during the personal interview. Each member of the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Admissions Committee is given the responsibility to vote conscientiously after each applicant’s interview. Scores are collected immediately following the interview.

Justification by the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Screening Committee or the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Admissions Committee for acceptance or rejection of a candidate is not required nor noted in the applicant’s file. If there are areas where it is felt applicants could improve their chances for admission in the future, the Committee members are invited to express them on the scoring sheet. Any questions regarding admission requirements should be directed to the Admissions Coordinator (admissions@mtsa.edu), who may then consult with the Dean as needed.

All applicants should dress in professional attire for the interview with the DNAP Practice Doctorate Program Admissions Committee.

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.

RESEARCH-ORIENTED DOCTORATE
(E.G., Doctor of Philosophy)
PRACTICE-ORIENTED DOCTORATE
(E.G., Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice)
FOCUS:

Primary data-based investigation for the discovery of new knowledge.

FOCUS:

Application of research findings to practice-related problems.

TO ACCOMPLISH THE FOCUS:

Doctoral students master additional theory and knowledge in an area of academic focus for the discipline in which the degree is awarded.

TO ACCOMPLISH THE FOCUS:

Doctoral students are prepared to advance theory and knowledge of the discipline in which the degree is awarded. Doctoral students achieve advanced scholarship skills relevant to the area of academic focus.

Doctoral students develop advanced scholarship skills and generate research relevant to the discipline. Doctoral students complete a scholarly work that demonstrates knowledge within the area of academic focus. Doctoral students complete a dissertation or equivalent scholarly work which constitutes an original contribution to the knowledge within the discipline.
Faculty members demonstrate competency in scholarly and professional work in the relevant discipline. Faculty members demonstrate competency for scholarly and professional work in the relevant discipline.
Doctoral students have sufficient access to appropriately credentialed faculty. Doctoral students have sufficient access to appropriately credentialed faculty.