Graduate

DNP - Nurse Anesthesia (CRNA)

Nurse Anesthesia students gathered around the professor and a dummy on a hospital bed.

Ready to take your nursing career to the highest level? If you're a BSN or MSN-prepared registered nurse (RN) with a passion for critical care and leadership, our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nurse Anesthesia program offers a direct path to becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), one of the most respected and high-paying roles in healthcare.

Application Deadline

Applications Open

Jan 1 - Sept 15, 2026

Classes Start

Summer 2027
DNP student posing outside of the student union in an A-State Nurse Anesthesia coat.

Degree Overview

DNP - Nurse Anesthesia (CRNA)

Our DNP - Nurse Anesthesia program is a 36-month, full-time program designed to prepare advanced practice nurses for the highest level of clinical anesthesia care. The curriculum combines in-person clinical training with comprehensive online doctoral coursework. Students engage in cadaveric dissection and labs to develop critical and advanced anesthesia techniques. Learn from experienced faculty who are actively practicing. You'll get over 2,000 hours of clinical experience and learn to deliver safe, independent, evidence-based anesthesia care throughout the lifespan of patients across a variety of healthcare settings.

Cost

$395 per credit hour

Additional fees may apply to programs in the College of Nursing and Health Professions*

All Tuition & FeesCRNA Specific Fees

Degree Requirements

114 credit hours

Course CatalogGraduate Information Guide

Admission Requirements

  • Official GRE scores sent to NursingCAS
  • Minimum GPA of 3.25
  • Completed Online Application - NursingCAS
  • BS in Nursing from ACEN or CCNE accredited program
  • Official Transcripts
  • Personal Resume

Meeting the minimum requirements for admission to the Graduate School does not necessarily equal acceptance into a particular graduate program.

View All Admission Requirements'25-26 Nursing Student Handbook
Nursing and Health Professions building

Careers & outcomes

Graduates are ready to provide life-saving care using anesthesia while also working alongside teams in different clinical settings. CRNAs are one of the top-paid, highly sought-after nursing degrees.
Graduates are ready to provide life-saving care using anesthesia while also working alongside teams in different clinical settings. CRNAs are one of the top-paid, highly sought-after nursing degrees.

Where can you find CRNA jobs?

Graduates of the DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program enter diverse and rewarding careers. You'll find CRNA jobs in:

  • Operating rooms
  • Outpatient surgery centers
  • Gastrointestinal (GI) centers
  • Dental and medical offices
  • Level I trauma centers
CRNA students in lab together working on intabating a dummy.
Arkansas State University’s Nurse Anesthesia Program offers an exceptional, close-knit learning experience where faculty truly know you by name and small class sizes create a supportive, personalized environment. As a mother balancing graduate school with family life, I have found the program’s support and mentorship invaluable. Wolves Up!
— Perla Sanchez-Perez ’26, DNP - CRNA

About the CRNA program


ACCREDITED BY COA

The Nurse Anesthesia program is accredited by The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, 10275 W Higgins Rd, Suite 906, Rosemont, IL 60018-5603, Telephone: (224) 275-9130.

The next accreditation review is scheduled for Fall of 2034.

ACCREDITED BY ACEN

The Doctorate of Nursing Practice programs at Arkansas State University at the Jonesboro campus located in State University, AR is accredited by the: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326 (404) 975-5000


The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the doctorate of nursing practice programs is continuing accreditation.


View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program on the ACEN website.

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Program Requirements

View cost breakdown

Students must apply for the CRNA program seperatly. 

UNCONDITIONAL ADMISSION STATUS

View University Graduate Degree Policies

The following Graduate School admission requirements are minimum standards which identify the pool of applicants from which departments select students to be admitted in a degree program. To be granted unconditional admission status in the Graduate School, applicants must:

  • Submit a completed online application for admission and the nonrefundable application fee of $30 for U.S. Applicants, $40 for International Applicants, or $50 for Doctoral Applicants to Graduate School Admissions, along with the required program documents, by the deadline on the department website.
  • Earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution (or its equivalent as determined by the Graduate School).
  • Achieved a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale or a 3.00 GPA on the last 60 hours.
  • Achieved a minimum 3.00 GPA on any previous graduate courses completed at either Arkansas State University or another accredited university.
  • Submitted official transcripts from each college or university as requested by the Graduate School. Official transcripts must be submitted directly from the registrar of other institutions to the office of the Graduate School at Arkansas State University.
CONDITIONAL ADMISSION STATUS

An applicant who fails to meet the GPA requirements for Unconditional Admission Status, who lacks the appropriate undergraduate background for a particular degree program, or whose baccalaureate degree is from an unaccredited institution, may be granted conditional admission status after:

  • Submission of a completed online application for admission and the designated nonrefundable application fee mentioned above to Graduate School Admissions, along with the required program documents, by the deadline on the department website.
  • Submitted official transcripts from each college or university as requested by the Graduate School. Official transcripts must be submitted directly from the registrar of other institutions to the office of the Graduate School at Arkansas State University.
  • Achieving a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale or a 2.75 GPA on the last 60 hours for admission into a graduate program or for admission as a non-degree student.
PROGRAM ADMISSION CRITERIA

Meeting the minimum requirements for admission to the Graduate School does not necessarily ensure acceptance into a particular graduate degree program. Individual departments may establish requirements for individual degree programs above and beyond the standards for admission to the Graduate School.

Apply Here

how to apply

All admission requirements

For questions or equivalencies with other tests of English language proficiency please contact the School of Nursing at 870-972-3074.

1. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION MATERIALS

Closely observe the deadline and required materials set by your graduate program of interest, including any additional documents requested of students who are seeking departmental funding through assistantships or fellowships. Complete the application and fax, e-mail or mail any materials that could not be submitted online to A-State Graduate Admissions.

General documents needed in the application process:
  • A completed online application accompanied by the appropriate application fee ($30 for U.S. applicants, $50 for International applicants, $50 for Doctoral applicants), along with the required documents for that specific graduate program. See the program website for specific required documents. (There may be separate application forms for some programs, as noted on the departments' websites.)
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended since leaving high school. Transcripts must be mailed directly from the institutions previously attended. If you are a graduate of A-State, we will obtain your transcript for you.
  • All students are required to present written documentation of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization. This immunization must have been received after the first birthday and after January 1, 1968.
  • Arkansas law requires that, in order to be eligible for enrollment at a public institution of higher learning, a male applicant between the ages of 18 and 25 who is a U.S. citizen must be registered or be exempt from registration with the Selective Service System.
  • If a standardized test is required for your major, you may contact the Testing Center at Arkansas State University at (870) 972-2038 for information regarding tests and test dates.

 

2. REVIEW BY THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Once an applicant has submitted all required documents to Graduate Admissions, the admissions committee for that particular academic program will review their applicant file and make their decisions regarding admission.

3. FINAL REVIEW BY THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

Once the Graduate School receives the academic program’s admission decision, they email a copy of that Notice of Admission Decision to the applicant, unless the program notifies their applicants directly.

4. ADMISSION

If accepted into the degree program to which you applied, Graduate Admissions will admit you to the University and email you a copy of your Notice of Admission, unless that program notifies their accepted applicants directly. Admitted applicants need to check with their assigned advisor, as noted on their Notice of Admission, in order to be able to register for the semester.

The A-State Nurse Anesthesia Program is 36 months with 114 semester hours of academic credit. Class time for each 3-credit hour course equals 45 clock hours per semester. Clinical practicum course hours vary per semester. Total committed clock hours for both didactic courses and clinical courses averages to 64 hours per week arranged over a 4-week period.

Total Credit Hours: 114

View all coursework

Program Outcomes
program statistics

Arkansas State University Nurse Anesthesia Option graduated its first class in 2005. Since then, the Option has graduated >600 students. The most recent cohort completed the program in May of 2025.  The DNP Nurse Anesthesia 2025 Cohort’s attrition rate was 10%. The five-year attrition rate is currently 6.9%. In 2025, 100% of the graduating DNP cohort passing the NCE received offers of employment within six months of graduation. The NCE first-time pass rate for the 2025 DNP Nurse Anesthesia cohort 2 was 57%. The Second Attempt Pass Rate was 82%. 

Year 1st Time Pass Rate 2nd Time Pass Rate Job Placement
2020 Masters 89% 100% 100%
2021 Masters 93.5% 96.7% 100%
2022 Masters 70.91% 96.7% 100%
2023* Red Wolf Logo
2024 DNP 80.7% 100% 100%
2025 DNP 57.1% 82.1% 100%

*There was no graduating class in 2023 due to the transition to the DNP program.