Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements to apply for admission to the Kaiser Permanente School of Anesthesia/California State University, Fullerton (KPSA/CSUF) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Anesthesia program. No exceptions are made.
- Active, unrestricted California RN license with no disciplinary action pending or imposed
- Applicants who are currently licensed outside of California are encouraged to review the requirements for California RN Licensure by Endorsement to ensure they meet the California Board of Registered Nursing requirements for California RN Licensure. Note the BRN’s Prerequisite Course requirements for Licensure by Endorsement.
- Baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) or master’s degree in Nursing (MSN) from a regionally accredited institution Minimum GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 semester units of college/university coursework
- Minimum of one year of full-time clinical registered nursing experience within the past two years in an adult critical care unit in the U.S. The Adult ICU requirement can be satisfied by working in any kind of Adult ICU environment, such as a Medical ICU, Surgical ICU, Coronary Care Unit, Trauma ICU, Cardiovascular ICU, Neuro ICU, Burn ICU, and CT ICU. The following experience is NOT considered adult critical care: Pediatric ICU, emergency room, post-anesthesia care unit, step down unit, and cath lab.
- CCRN (Adult) Certification
- Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and current booster
University English Proficiency Requirement: Regardless of citizenship, all applicants whose native language is not English must submit proof of English proficiency before an admissions decision can be made. The university will accept TOEFL, IELTS and PTE proficiency tests. Review the university's requirements on the Admissions website.
International Students: At this time, we cannot accept international applicants who require an F-1 or J-1 visa into the KPSA/CSUF DNP CRNA program. Please contact International Admissions for more information.
Degree Requirements
All applicants to the DNP Nurse Anesthesia program must have earned a Baccalaureate degree in Nursing (BSN) or a Master’s degree in Nursing (MSN) from a regionally accredited college/university.
- Regional accrediting organizations include HLC, MSCHE, NEASC, NWCCU, SACS, and WASC. Regional accreditation is granted to the university, not the nursing program. To verify the accreditation of your baccalaureate and master’s degree granting university/college(s), visit the institution’s website and/or search for the school on the regional accrediting organizations’ websites.
- National accreditation alone is not sufficient.
Foreign Degrees
If you completed your baccalaureate and/or master’s degree outside of the United States, to verify if you meet the degree requirements for admission to the program prior to applying, you must have it evaluated by a foreign transcript evaluation agency for equivalency to a baccalaureate degree in the United States, and for the conversion of your Grade Point Average (GPA) to a 4.0 scale.
Admission Timeline
February 1
KPSA/CSUF application opens. Prospective students should create a profile in the CRNA Prospective Student Portal and submit required materials for review. If minimum admission requirements are met, the prospective student will have immediate access to the online application in the portal.
July 31
Deadline to submit KPSA/CSUF application to the School of Nursing at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). All parts of the application, including all recommendations, updated transcripts, and updated work experience, must be complete by this date.
September
Invitations to complete an interview are sent via email.
October / November
Interviews take place at the KPSA facility in Pasadena, California.
December
Admission notifications are sent via email.
Application Process
The KPSA/CSUF School of Nursing online application is available until July 31 in the CRNA Prospective Student Portal to those who have completed STEP 1 below and meet the minimum admission requirements.
STEP 1: Complete the Prospective Student Profile
The first step to the application process is to create a prospective student profile on the School of Nursing website. To create your account or log in to your previously created account, visit our CRNA Prospective Student Portal.
The profile will require prospective students to complete/provide the following:
- Education history
- Clinical experience
- Unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended
- Current CCRN certification with the expiration date clearly stated
KPSA will review your profile and contact you via email to let you know your status. If you meet the minimum admission requirements, you will be able to begin the preliminary online application through the CRNA Prospective Student Portal. If you do not meet the minimum admission requirements, you will receive an email letting you know which requirement(s) you do not meet so that you may work to meet those for a future admission cycle.
STEP 2: Submit the Online Application through the CRNA Prospective Student Portal
The KPSA/CSUF School of Nursing online application will be available through the CRNA Prospective Student Portal until July 31. If you meet all the admission criteria and completed STEP 1 above, you will receive notification when the application is available to you. The application must be submitted by July 31.
The preliminary online application will require applicants to complete/provide the following:
- Online application form
- Personal statement
- Copy of active RN license
- Names and contact information for a minimum of three (3) recommenders. We will email the recommenders a unique link that will allow them to submit an online recommendation as part of your application.
STEP 3: Attend an In-Person Interview Day at KPSA (Upon Invitation from KPSA/CSUF)
Selected applicants will be invited to complete an in-person interview with the KPSA Admissions Committee, which includes representatives from KPSA and the CSUF School of Nursing. Interviews will be held in October/November and all details will be provided upon invitation.
STEP 4: Submit Online Application to CSUF (Upon Invitation from KPSA/CSUF)
Applicants offered admission to the program will be required to submit a university application to CSUF. Please do not complete the university application unless invited to do so.
CSUF University Application and Application Fee:
- Submit the online CSU application for the current admission term. How to access the application, dates the application will be available, and the due date will be provided to you upon invitation.
- Submit the university application fee online at the time you submit the online CSU application.
- Submit one (1) set of official (sealed) transcripts from all colleges/universities attended to CSUF Admissions. Electronic transcripts are preferred.
Student Selection Process
After the application deadline, the admissions committee reviews all complete applications. Every year admission to the anesthesia program becomes more competitive as hundreds of qualified applicants compete for 30-35 positions.
Well-qualified applicants should:
- Possess a BSN and/or MSN degree with a grade point average greater than a 3.5 on a 4-point scale
- Earn “A” grades in completed science courses
- Have at least 2-3 years of current adult ICU experience in a large metropolitan teaching facility
- Obtain professional certifications in addition to CCRN
- Serve on unit-based or hospital-wide committees or task forces
- Demonstrate leadership skills in research, management or education
- Demonstrate service to the community and/or profession
Expenses
| Expense | Cost |
| CSUF Tuition/Fees (CA residents) | *See CSUF |
| KPSA Program Fees | $15,000 |
| AANA Student Membership Fee | $375 |
| Self-Evaluation Exams (SEE) | $500 |
| Anesthesia Equipment | $1,000 |
| Medatrax | $270 |
| CSUF Graduation Fee | $115 |
| National Certification Exam | $725 |
All fees are subject to change.
*Students who are not residents of California will be subject to non-resident tuition.
Financial Aid
Students interested in obtaining financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The priority filing deadline for the FAFSA each year is March 2nd. Complete the form online at fafsa.ed.gov. Have the information electronically sent to CSUF using the school code: 001137. You can complete this prior to admission.
CSUF Financial Aid information can be found on their website.
