Frequently asked questions about Nurse Anesthesia D.N.P. Program

Application Process and Requirements

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How do I apply?

Applicants create an application on the . The application opens annually on 9/1 and closes on 12/15. Applicants鈥痵ubmit鈥痑ll required materials, including all unofficial鈥痶ranscripts,鈥痶o their application portal and鈥痬onitor鈥痶heir application through completion.鈥 

Complete applications will be reviewed following the application deadline.鈥疌andidates selected for the interview鈥痯ortion鈥痮f the application process will be notified directly

When are admission decisions made?

As the program is a cohort model, admission decisions are not made on a rolling basis. Once the 12/15 deadline has passed, all complete applications are thoroughly reviewed, and candidates selected for interviews will be notified directly by鈥痬id-January.鈥 Interviews typically occur in February through early 鈥疢arch鈥痑nd candidates are notified of final decisions in early March.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

Will applications missing an item be reviewed?

No.鈥疧nly鈥痗omplete applications鈥痵ubmitted鈥痓y 12/15 will be reviewed for admission. Applicants are encouraged to鈥痵ubmit鈥痙ocuments early and鈥痗onsistently鈥痬onitor鈥痶heir application portal to ensure all required documents are present by the 12/15 deadline.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

What is the Casper assessment?鈥

All applicants are required to complete Casper as part of their application for the 2026/27 admissions cycle.鈥痠s an online, open-response situational judgment test that takes 65-85 minutes to complete.

Casper measures different personal and professional skills that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. It will complement the other tools we use for applicant review and evaluation, and we require Casper as part of our efforts to enhance fairness in our selection process.鈥 The Casper assessment is part of the admission process for many nurse anesthesia programs, medical schools and other professional health programs; an applicant may choose to share their Casper results to multiple programs.

痴颈蝉颈迟鈥痶o create an account, register to complete Casper, and learn more about this assessment, including important dates and technical requirements.  The Casper assessment may be completed earlier and must be completed by 12/15 as part of the 91黑料网 nurse anesthesia application. 

Is my statistics course considered current or expired?

An undergraduate statistics course is a program prerequisite and must be completed within five years of the鈥痯rogram鈥痵tart date.鈥

If the five-year limit has been exceeded鈥痓y the鈥痯rogram鈥痵tart date, applicants must complete an approved statistics course which includes inferential analysis from a nationally accredited academic institutions (not self鈥憄aced or open鈥慹nrollment courses).

Please contact the program to鈥痗onfirm鈥痶he statistics course of interest is approved for content via email to: Carrie von Bohlen,鈥carrie.vonbohlen@marquette.edu.鈥

If the statistics course is in progress at the time of application, it is鈥痳ecommended鈥痶he course information,鈥痠nstitution鈥痑nd scheduled term/date鈥痓e included on the application for admission.   

What makes a strong application?

The鈥痵election鈥痮f candidates is detailed and holistic.鈥 A strong application will meet the requirements of admission and address the application criteria as directed.鈥 Strong applications have strong academics as demonstrated by their entire academic history, including undergraduate and/or graduate nursing degree and science GPA, as well as post-degree elected science course GPA; strong professional clinical experience including demonstrated leadership; recommendation forms prepared by previous or present employers in critical care, at least one must come from a current direct supervisor in the critical care area, with extensive observation of the applicant skills and knowledge; well-written response to an essay question, and CRNA shadowing experience with a strong understanding of the specialty practice. 

Are international students accepted into the program?

All applicants are required to have an unencumbered US license as an RN and to have obtained 1-2 years, full-time as registered nurse in a critical care setting within the United States, its territories or a U.S. military hospital outside of the United States. 鈥疐oreign institution transcripts must have an educational equivalency assessment completed and鈥痵ubmitted鈥痺ith the official transcript.鈥 Contact the 91黑料网 Graduate School for assistance. 

Are all qualified applicants invited for the interview?鈥 

No, due to the number of applications, not all qualified applicants are selected for interview or admission.  

How do I prepare for the interview?

The purpose of an interview is to get to know applicants in a professional interaction. Interviews may be hosted in-person, virtual, or both at the discretion of the program. For virtual synchronous or asynchronous interviews, it is helpful to test technology, sound, and lighting in advance, as well as secure a private location free from distractions. For virtual and/or in-person interviews, applicants are encouraged to prepare and practice with others to be more confident and comfortable. Carefully listen to the questions asked to ensure you are answering鈥痑ppropriately and completely. 鈥疊e prepared to communicate your interests and goals in the鈥痭urse鈥痑nesthesia specialty and why鈥痽ou鈥痜eel 91黑料网 is the best fit for you.

How can I show my nursing GPA if the institution I attended does not use a numeric grading system?

If a domestic/foreign institution awards a non-numeric GPA, a numeric calculated conversion from the institution on a 4.0 scale鈥痠s required to鈥痓e鈥痵ubmitted鈥痺ith the official transcript.鈥 Contact the 91黑料网 Graduate School for assistance. 

Can credits be transferred to meet course requirements in the program curriculum? 

No, plan of study for the DNP nurse anesthesia curriculum does not allow for transfer of courses.

Please review the鈥current curricular plan for the program.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

Qualifications For Admission

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What is the minimum GPA required?

A baccalaureate or (direct entry/entry to practice) graduate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited college or university鈥痺ith both鈥痬inimum鈥痗umulative BSN/MSN GPA and science GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. For graduates of foreign nursing schools, a formal evaluation of their nursing program of study documenting equivalency to a U.S. Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree must be鈥痵ubmitted.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

Which certifications are required for admission?

CCRN adult or pediatric certification is required鈥痓y the time of application.

Current certification in BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications from the American Heart Association is strongly preferred at the time of application submission. All three current certifications鈥痑re required to鈥痓e鈥痵ubmitted鈥痯rior to matriculation and must be鈥痬aintained鈥痶hroughout the program for continued clinical site access

Can I apply even if I don鈥檛 meet the minimum work experience until the time I would start the program?

No, applicants who do not have the minimum required critical care experience as a registered nurse at the time of application deadline will not be considered for an admission interview. By the 12/15 application deadline a minimum of one, preferably two years, of full-time professional experience, not including orientation, as a registered nurse in a *critical care setting in the United States is required.

* Critical care experience must be obtained within the U.S., U.S. territories or a U.S. military hospital. During this experience, applicants must develop critical decision making and psychomotor skills, competency in patient assessment, and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring techniques. Two or more years of full-time critical care experience is strongly preferred.

A critical care unit comprises one or more of the following: invasive hemodynamic monitors (e.g., pulmonary artery, central venous pressure, and arterial catheters); cardiac assist devices; mechanical ventilation; and vasoactive infusions. Critical care units include surgical intensive care, cardiothoracic intensive care, coronary intensive care, medical intensive care, pediatric intensive care, and neonatal intensive care. 

Will recently repeated/updated science courses be considered as part of the science GPA?鈥 

Many applicants choose to update a previously completed science course to update knowledge and/or grade. If a science GPA course has been updated following your nursing degree, this will be noted in a post nursing degree GPA separately from the science GPA which includes coursework prior to/within your nursing degree.

Applicants who choose to repeat or update science coursework should complete credit鈥慴earing courses at a nationally accredited academic institution of appropriate rigor (including four鈥憏ear or two鈥憏ear undergraduate programs, or non鈥慸egree graduate programs). Coursework should be selected to meaningfully strengthen or advance knowledge and should follow a typical semester structure of 8鈥15 weeks鈥攚hether offered online or in person鈥攊ncluding proctored examinations.

If an applicant intends to strengthen or advance their knowledge, it is not recommended to enroll in self鈥憄aced or open鈥慹nrollment courses, or in coursework that lacks academic rigor, a structured format, proctored examinations, and the quality control of a semester鈥慴ased university course (which includes fixed timelines, deadlines, and no opportunities for retakes or extensions).

Note, the DNP program does not allow for transfer of courses. 

If I have earned a direct鈥痚ntry/entry to practice鈥疢SN, ADN-BSN or have earned an advanced nursing practice degree, how will this impact my application? 

Given its rigor and academic strength, applicants from any nursing educational path are equally鈥痗onsidered for program admission.  Current students and alumni have entered the program from each of these varied academic pathways in nursing. The application review is holistic, and an applicant entire academic history is considered. Additionally, demonstration of clinical maturity, depth of critical care clinical experience, and leadership in professional experiences are key to enhancing applicant success.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

Is there a preferred ICU type as critical care experience?鈥

No, there is not a preferred ICU for critical care experience and admitted students come from a variety of ICU experience.

Critical care experience must be obtained within the U.S., U.S. territories or a U.S. military hospital. During this experience, applicants must develop critical decision making and psychomotor skills, competency in patient assessment, and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring techniques. Two or more years of full-time critical care experience is strongly preferred.

A critical care unit comprises one or more of the following: invasive hemodynamic monitors (e.g., pulmonary artery, central venous pressure, and arterial catheters); cardiac assist devices; mechanical ventilation; and vasoactive infusions. Critical care units include surgical intensive care, cardiothoracic intensive care, coronary intensive care, medical intensive care, pediatric intensive care, and neonatal intensive care. 

Can I apply if my ICU experience was several years ago?   

Applicants without recent critical care experience are eligible to apply; however, given the volume of highly qualified applications that are received this will likely be a disadvantage. Clinical practice changes鈥痳apidly鈥痑nd recency of critical care experience is important for students to be successful in the program.鈥疘t is important for nurse anesthesia applicants to have familiarity with current evidence-based patient鈥痗are treatment鈥痯aths. 

Program details

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How long/how many credits is the program?

The NAEP a full-time, 36-month program which consists of 91 credits over 9 semesters.

When does the program begin/matriculate?

The NAEP is a cohort program with a Fall start only. Students graduate in mid-August, at the conclusion of 9 semesters. 

What is the estimated time commitment for a student in the program?

Students should鈥痯lan for鈥痑n average of 60-64 hours鈥痯er week throughout the program duration, with an understanding this may vary depending on an individual student ability to understand and apply anesthesia concepts. Some weeks may be more hours and others may鈥痓e鈥痩ess鈥痟ours.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

Can students work during the program?

The program strongly discourages continued work as a registered nurse due to the time commitment involved for courses, labs,鈥痗linicals鈥痑nd individual study time.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

How is tuition charged throughout the program? 

Tuition is charged using a per-semester tuition model vs a per-credit tuition model.  This supports students in the evolving landscape of graduate school loan options/funding and 鈥渓ocks in鈥 tuition for the entire program at鈥痑 lower rate using the graduate school tuition rate of the first semester for the entirety of the program. 

Coursework and Clinicals

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What is the program structure for coursework and clinicals? 

The first two semesters include didactic coursework with in-person requirements for lecture and lab with some hybrid or remote learning.

Semesters three-four include both didactic coursework and part-time clinicals.

Semesters five-nine include full-time clinicals with some coursework and/or completion of the DNP project. 

Are courses taught in person or online?

Courses are primarily taught in person with some hybrid or online courses throughout the program.鈥 Simulation labs and clinicals are offered in person.鈥

Where are clinicals located?

Most鈥痗linical sites are within鈥90鈥痬inutes鈥痙riving distance of 91黑料网's campus. There are also clinical sites at鈥痑 distance of up鈥痶o four hours driving distance from Milwaukee. A student may be assigned to any or鈥痑ll of鈥痶hese clinical sites. As is customary, all expenses associated with travel, lodging, etc. to clinical sites鈥痑re the responsibility of the student.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

What types of settings are clinicals?

Clinical sites鈥痳epresent鈥痸arious anesthesia care delivery models (i.e., anesthesia care team, CRNA small group, CRNA solo), facility settings (i.e., Level 1 or 2 trauma centers, community hospitals, office-based practices) as well as urban and rural locations. The program continues to add clinical sites to enhance students鈥 clinical experiences.鈥&苍产蝉辫;