Admission Requirements

This is a limited and very competitive admissions program, the number of applicants generally well exceed the number of positions. The program year will begin each Fall semester in August. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2010 to be considered for the Fall 2010 admission term. All required documentation must be submitted by the deadline date in order to be considered.

Applicants meeting the following criteria will be evaluated for admission to the program.

1. Application to University South Florida Graduate School.
2. 2. A Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Nursing from a regionally accredited program. Non nursing Bachelors: Applicants with a bachelor degree in a related discipline will be considered on an individual basis.
3. A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (based on a 4.0 system) with a science GPA of 3.0.
4. Required undergraduate coursework with a grade of B or better must include:
   1. Pathophysiology 3 credits
   2. Chemistry 3 credits
   3. Human Anatomy & Physiology 6 credits
   4. Statistics 3 credits
   5. Health Assessment 3 credits
   6. Pharmacology 3 credits
5. If pre-requisite science coursework is greater than 10 years old, it is highly recommended repeating or supplementing with a refresher course at the undergraduate or graduate level.
6. Unrestricted Registered Nursing license to practice in the United States at the time of application. A Florida license will be required prior to the start of the clinical phase.
7. A minimum of 2 current years of experience as an RN in an aggressive critical care unit. One year must be in adult critical care. Critical care is qualified as medical intensive care, surgical intensive care, cardiovascular intensive care, coronary critical care, or neurology intensive care. Emergency room, operating room, post anesthesia, and obstetrics are not accepted as critical care experience. Critical care experience is also defined as daily or full time contact with patients in intensive care units, use of invasive monitors, continuous cardiac monitors, ventilators, vaso-active infusions, and life threatening pathophysiology.
8. Evidence of good physical, mental and emotional health.
9. Current BCLS, ACLS, PALS Certifications (must be maintained while in program). The CCRN is highly recommended to be a competitive applicant.
10. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within 5 years of application. Competitive score on the GRE. An overall score of 1000 with a minimum score of 500 in quantitative and verbal is highly recommended. An analytical writing score of 4 is also recommended for graduate admission.
11. All international students whose native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in the English language. A TOEFL composite score of 550 for the paper test or 213 for the computer-based test is strongly recommended for admission to the graduate program.
12. Three favorable evaluations or recommendations. The recommendations should include one from each of the following sources:
    1. Current clinical supervisor evaluating clinical competence.
    2. Academic faculty member familiar with your academic performance and potential for graduate level coursework.
    3. CRNA, Anesthesiologist, or RN for potential as an anesthesia provider.
13. Successful personal interview with CRNA program panel.
14. One page statement of professional goals regarding the practice of nurse anesthesia, past experiences and contributions the applicant expects to make in anesthesia.   
15. Copy of your resume or curriculum vita using the recommended format (Resume Format)

Disclaimer:
Exception to certain admission requirements will be considered on an individual basis. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Acceptance into the program will be reserved for the best-qualified applicants and not necessarily based on the fulfillment of all admission requirements.