Nurse Anesthesia: For Applicants

Revised August 18, 2009

This page includes:

• Admissions Deadline
• Admissions Requirements
• Application Forms & Directions
• I have to retake a course. Where should I take it?
• GRE test
• Costs, Student Health Insurance
• Financial Aid
• International students

For more information tailored to applicants- check out the links at the left.

The Admissions Committee goal is to enroll 25-30 students once each year in September. Applications are accepted year-round, though there is an Oct 31 deadline to be considered for the following September. Our applicants are Registered Nurses with Bachelor of Science degrees (usually in Nursing), who have a year or more of acute care experience. Generally this is intensive care unit experience, but other types of experience are also considered on an individual basis. Accepted applicants begin coursework in September. Orientation is held prior to enrollment. Observation and simulation experiences are scheduled in the first term. Clinical experience begins during the second semester.

What is the Deadline for Admissions?

The deadline for application to be considered for September 2010 admission is Oct 31, 2009.

What are the Admission Requirements?

The master's program is targeted to outstanding Registered Nurses with critical care experience who possess a baccalaureate degree. Requirements include:

1. Graduation from an accredited (NLNAC or CCNE) nursing program.
2. Baccalaureate degree in Nursing or appropriate science degree. A bachelor's degree in a natural science is accepted. Examples are Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Biology, or Physics. If you have another degree, your past academic background is individually considered for predictors of success in our Program, such as a strong science background and good performance.
3. Minimum of one year recent experience (within the last 5 years) as a professional registered nurse in a critical care area in which the applicant has had the opportunity to develop as an independent decision maker, demonstrate psychomotor skills and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring techniques. Direct patient contact is required.
   • The requirement for critical care is that you have experience as a Registered Nurse in a critical care area, with emphasis placed on invasive hemodynamic monitoring, ventilatory care and pharmacologic management. The preferred areas (with the greatest preference first) are: SICU (Surgical Intensive Care), MICU (Medical Intensive Care), CICU (Cardiac Intensive Care), PICU/NICU (Pediatric or Neonatal Intensive Care). Applicants have also been accepted whose experience is primarily in the Emergency Room, provided they can demonstrate familiarity with invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology.
4. Professional/academic competency attested by three letters of recommendation.
   • Have the Recommendation Forms filled out by the Dean (or designee) of your nursing program, your immediate supervisor (charge nurse or head nurse) in critical care, and a colleague who is a CRNA, physician or RN, and is familiar with your critical care skills.
   • For Nurse Managers and Colleague recommendations: We are interested in an assessment of the applicant's critical care nursing skills, personal characteristics (maturity and readiness for a difficult program of study), and degree of professional development as a Registered Nurse.
   • For Nursing School Deans: We are interested primarily in confirmation of academic degrees and dates. They may provide this on the recommendation form, on letterhead, or both.
5. Completion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test with scores available before the deadline for applications (October 31). Please see the further discussion below on this page.
6. An undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above.
7. Undergraduate coursework: Transcripts should reflect one undergraduate course taken within the last ten years, with a grade of B or above, in each of the following areas: Inorganic chemistry, Organic (or Bio-) chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, Research Methods.
8. Submission of a professional autobiography delineating personal goals of graduate study.
9. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
10. Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).
11. Current unencumbered licensure as a professional registered nurse in Michigan, or ability to obtain the same.
12. Applicants must demonstrate they can meet the technical standards published in our handbook, and complete the application process as directed here including filling out and signing the Statement of Accuracy form.

We expect that applicants will shadow a CRNA during the application process (prior to interview at least) to learn more about the specialty and help them determine if nurse anesthesia suits them.

Once accepted, enrollment is contingent on successfully passing a health and drug screening as well as a criminal background check, and remaining in critical care until enrollment. Policy and forms for criminal background check and drug screening are on the web site.

How do I Apply?

You may apply on line, through a secure server. The forms you need are linked in the instructions below. Please follow the instructions below. We do not accept paper applications.

1. Fill out our secure On-Line Application
   • Please list all colleges and universities attended since high school on the online application; that way, we will know what transcripts to expect.
   • Be sure to note the instructions here, and at the online application itself.
   • Once we receive your application, we will acknowledge it with an email. Once you have submitted your application, please email us with any changes, rather than going back and editing the original application online. That way you will know we received your updates, because we will acknowledge with a return email or call.
   • Note: For those applying in 2009 (for Sept-2010 enrollment), you must revisit your application to check on it. Login to your application, and you will see the status, such as whether supporting documents (transcripts and letters of recommendation) have been received.
2. Print, sign, and mail us the Statement of accuracy. When you sign this statement, you affirm that your online application is true and complete, and you give us permission to verify it.
3. Print out three copies of the Recommendation Form. The form is in Adobe Acrobat format, which allows the recommendation form to be printed from any computer. If the software is not on your computer already, you may download it from Adobe Acrobat Reader free download. Have the Recommendation Forms filled out by the Dean (or designee) of your nursing program, your immediate supervisor (charge nurse or head nurse) in critical care, and a colleague who is a CRNA, physician or RN, and is familiar with your critical care skills.
4. If you have ever enrolled in a program of nurse anesthesia in the past, you must provide a letter of reference from the Program Director.
5. Occasionally, the Admissions Committee has questions or needs clarification regarding your clinical experience, or your transcripts. They may contact your references (or the institutions of higher education you have attended) directly for clarification.
6. Finally, you will also need to provide several documents. Please do not send these in binders or report covers. You do not need to send them in all at once:
   • Official transcripts from all educational institutions you have attended after high school. These must be original transcripts sent directly from the institution. Faxed, scanned, sealed and mailed from you, or sealed and hand-delivered are not accepted. So please plan ahead- even local institutions can take weeks to process transcript requests.
   • Completion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) within the past 5 years, with scores provided before we will schedule an interview. Only copies sent directly to the University can be accepted. Use Institution Code 1835, and Department Code 0699; or, send it to UDM, directed to Health Professions or Nursing. Either will get to us.
   • A professional autobiography in essay form delineating personal goals of graduate study. Please address the following in not more than 2 pages (single-spaced, 12-point, Times New Roman font with 1 inch margins): Briefly describe your critical care nursing experience during the past five years. Mention your roles and responsibilities, invasive line experience, etc. How do you perceive the role of the nurse anesthetist? Why did you select nurse anesthesiology as a career choice? Why did you select the University of Detroit Mercy program? What do you feel you have to offer the profession of nurse anesthesiology?
   • Your curriculum vitae. Include your complete education and employment history (after high school). Guides for preparing your CV may be found at:
     • Preparing a Curriculum Vitae 
     • Purdue's Curriculum Vitae page 
     • Curriculum Vitae from About.com 
   • Copy of Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
   • Copy of Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). This is not required by the admissions deadline, but we must have it before enrollment. Please consider scheduling this course early. It is not offered as frequently as ACLS.
   • Copy of current licensure as a professional registered nurse in Michigan or ability to obtain the same (Michigan license must be in your file before enrollment).

When applying, keep in mind:

1. Please keep us informed of your current email address throughout the process. We use email as a primary means of communicating with you. Please note that some applicants have had problems with reliability of "free" email services (i.e. missing email we sent). We do not follow all email communications with a letter or phone call. So please be sure you choose a reliable email provider.
2. Attend an information session for clarification of any questions.
3. Apply at least 2-3 months before the October 31 deadline if you can, as this allows time for transcripts and recommendations to arrive. While we will consider all applications received before the deadline, it is difficult to determine that an interview should be scheduled if we are awaiting transcripts and letters of recommendation.
4. We encourage you to fill out the online application before sending in supporting documentation (this gives us your contact information if we have questions).
5. Ensure that supporting documentation is sent promptly. This includes three letters of reference (including a Dean reference), transcripts from all institutions of higher learning attended since high school, and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores.
6. We review all applications received in November. We contact all applicants in mid December (approximately), indicating whether we will be granting an interview or not.
7. The top candidates meeting or exceeding admission requirements will be granted an interview (normally held in late January, but this may vary from year to year). The Admissions Committee goal is to notify all applicants of their decision within two weeks after the interviews. Applicants are either accepted, accepted as alternates, or their application is denied.
8. After they receive notice from the Admissions Committee, accepted applicants confirm their intention to enroll in writing, and by submitting a deposit ($1,000, which is non-refundable and applied to the first term tuition).
9. If there are unfilled positions available after fall interviews, qualified candidates whose applications are received after October may be scheduled during a second round of interviews in the spring, space permitting.

NOTE: The Program welcomes applications or inquiries twelve months a year. Please call with any questions or concerns you may have. 

Admissions- Frequently-Asked Questions

See Frequently-Asked Questions- Admissions for further information.

Contact us by mail, email, phone, or fax today!

If you are re-applying...

If you are re-applying, please re-submit your online application, and re-send everything (except Dean reference, unchanged transcripts, and unchanged GRE score reports).

Where do I send the transcripts and other documents?

Nurse Anesthesia Attn: Claudia Rowland
University of Detroit Mercy
4001 West McNichols Road
Detroit MI 48221-3038

Who should I contact if I have questions?

If you have any general questions about the program, or your application, including whether your file is complete, email or call Claudia Rowland (rowlancl@udmercy.edu), 313-993-1762. Please note: there is a window where you can check on the progress of your application. Login to your application, and you will see the window, where we check off items such as transcripts and letters of recommendation when they are received.

If you have questions about how the admissions requirements apply to your circumstances, you should read this page and site carefully. Then you should plan on attending an Information session (maps and schedules).

I have to retake a course. Where should I take it?

Make sure that you have one undergraduate course taken within the last ten years, with a grade of B or above, in each of the following areas: Inorganic chemistry, Organic (or Bio-) chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology. We will accept Research Methods content from your BSN.

It is common for people to repeat coursework for age or grades. You may retake courses where you wish. A general chemistry I, general chemistry II sequence will fulfill the chemistry requirement. A variety of courses would fulfill the anatomy and physiology requirement (for example, one course in anatomy, or physiology, or A&P I, or A&P II).

Hear more about prerequisites (3 min).

Can you tell me more about the GRE requirement?

We use past academic performance (cumulative grade point average) as our primary means of predicting success in the graduate school classroom. We ask that all applicants take the GRE General Test so that we have a second source of data to help us understand your current ability.

The GRE consists of the Verbal and Quantitative portions, which are scored on a scale of 200 to 800. the Analytical Writing test is scored on a scale of 0-6. The range of scores for recently enrolled students in our program is as follows:

GRE has released national data on the Analytical Writing component (based on the performance of examinees in all disciplines who tested between July 1 2004 and June 30, 2007):

We suggest that a visit to the GRE web site will be very helpful to you. There is a wealth of information there on how to interpret your scores, help in preparing for the test, including GRE Powerprep software. All of these are free of charge.

What computer skills do I need before enrolling?

We use the computer extensively for communications, presentations, record-keeping, and other functions. We have standardized on the MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), so it is strongly advised that students have Office Suite (the Professional edition includes Powerpoint). You will also need a web browser and an email account to do your coursework. We are more than willing to help you, so please call us if you have any questions.

• Alternatives to the full Office version include
  • MS Office for Students and Teachers, which includes Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, but is much more affordable.
  • Open Office from Sun Microsystems, which is free, reads and writes MS Office files (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc). It also contains math, drawing, and database programs.
  • The equivalent open-source program for the Apple is NeoOffice which is also a free download.

Is nurse anesthesia education something I can afford?

The cost for the entire program (tuition and fees) is $43,750 effective fall 2009. See estimated costs (2009-2010). These costs are payable in equal installments, thus, the cost is approximately $6,250 per term for full time (approximately $4,305 per term for part time).

Financial Assistance

We strongly discourage working while in graduate school, as the time comittment for the program is 60-65 hours per week.

Our students are fortunate in that financial aid is readily available. For a full-time student, the Sept-April average annual award is as follows: Michigan tuition grant $2000, Stafford unsubsidized loan $10,000, and private alternative loan $3,000. There are additional awards for summer term. Financial Aid is available from

1. the Federal government (for all graduate students ie Stafford Loans)
2. the Federal government (Nurse Anesthetist [and other] Traineeships, which are grants for junior and senior students in nurse anesthesia programs)
3. the state of Michigan (tuition grants)
4. the hospitals (many local hospitals sponsor tuition assistance programs for nurse anesthesia students).

Thus, abundant financial assistance is available through the federal government, the University, from potential employers, and other sources. Federal grants are renewed each year by Congress, so the availability and amount varies from year to year.

Accepted applicants should begin the process by contacting the University Financial Aid Office (313-993-3350) as soon as they are notified of acceptance. One of the first steps is to begin filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It is optimum to have financial aid forms completed by April 1 of the year in which you will enroll.

Student Health Insurance

Please note that health insurance for students is available for purchase through Specialty Risk Inc. Information regarding a basic injury and illness insurance plan is available at the Student Health Insurance web page, including description of coverage and costs, which are quite affordable.

International students

Students who have studied overseas must have their transcripts sent directly to us by the college or university they attended. The program requires that you have your foreign credentials evaluated by a recognized educational credential evaluation service. Please arrange for foreign transcript reports to be sent directly to the UDM Nurse Anesthesia Program from the foreign transcript evaluation agency. UDM will require a certified course-by course evaluation of all required academic transcripts and diplomas performed by a recognized educational credential evaluation service such as World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). Contact the foreign transcript evaluation service as early as possible. The service may take several weeks to process your foreign transcript once it is received. In order to be considered for admission, the foreign transcript evaluations will need to be received by the nurse anesthesia program by the October 31 application deadline.

English Language Requirements: If English is not your first language, or if you have not successfully completed a four-year degree program from an approved U.S. school, you are required to take UDM's own academic English language proficiency test upon arrival at the University. Go to the International Student Office (section on English Language Requirements) for more information. Demonstration of spoken English proficiency may also be required.

If you are a permanent resident/U.S. citizen, you may apply directly to the program. Non-US citizens must also complete a UDM international student application. Go to the International Student Office at UDM, for more information.

International Students Office, 313-993-1205, iso@udmercy.edu.