Admissions to School of Nurse Anesthesia

All applicants to the University of New England's Nurse Anesthesia program must apply through UNE's online application. This includes applicants to UNE's integrated M.S.-Nurse Anesthesia program (Portland, ME), as well as, applicants to St. Joseph's Hospital School of Anesthesia for Nurses program (Providence, RI). UNE serves as the academic center for St. Joseph's hospital-based program.

Requirements for Admission

Recommended Science Courses

Grades for the science courses listed above are used to calculate a cumulative science GPA for the Admissions Committee to review.

*Biochemistry/Organic Chemistry must be completed within the five years prior to expected enrollment into the Nurse Anesthesia program; and must be completed, prior to application, with a grade of “B” or better. The nurse anesthesia program will accept the online biochemistry or organic chemistry courses offered through UNE’s distance education program, as well as many other courses.

   Academic / Experience Requirements

• Graduation from a regionally accredited baccalaureate or higher degree generic program in nursing OR graduation from a regionally accredited associate degree/diploma program in nursing and completion of a baccalaureate degree in another field. 
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be submitted as part of a complete application
• Proof of current licensure as a registered nurse in your own state at the time of application. Upon acceptance into the program, licensure in the state where clinical experience is obtained will be required.
• A minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.0, especially in the science and professional courses
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to "shadow" a nurse anesthesia provider for at least a day in the operating room prior to application. In addition, to fully grasp the commitment involved in studying to be a nurse anesthetist, it is especially valuable to "shadow" a student registered nurse anesthetist for a day. Neither of these experiences are requirements for application, but are highly recommended.
• Minimum of one year of experience as a registered nurse in a critical care area (specifically ICU, CCU, SICU, MICU, and Neuro ICU) prior to application to the program. Note: ER, Recovery room or Post-Anesthetic Care Unit (PACU) will be considered on a case by case basis but is generally not sufficient as the sole critical care experience.  
• Successful (all section scores above the 30th percentile) completion of the general GRE test
• Three references/recommendations, submitted as part of the online application; one reference must be from the applicant's immediate acute care nursing supervisor/manager and must attest to the total length of time the applicant has worked in the acute care setting as a registered nurse.
• Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Certification
• Current Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Certification

Note: Before matriculation, accepted applicants will need to obtain a physical exam with proof of up-to-date immunization status. Immunization of students is based on current Centers for Disease Control recommendations for health professionals. This information must be presented prior to matriculation.

As required by clinical training sites, students will be subject to criminal background checks and drug screens periodically throughout the Nurse Anesthesia program.

Procedures and Policies

• Applications for admissions are accepted through the University of New England’s online application only.
• Deadline for submission of a completed application is November 1st of each year for matriculation in the following fall term. (Applications submitted and/or completed after the deadline will be reviewed on a space available basis only)
• On-campus interviews are granted to qualified applicants upon invitation by the Admissions Committee, and are required for admission to the program. Interviews will be held in December and January, after the application deadline.
• Admissions decisions will be made, by the program Admissions Committee, after all interviews have taken place. Decisions will be sent to applicants, from the Office of Graduate Admissions, as soon as all decisions have been made in January prior to the fall start date.  
• International students and students with international degrees must have transcripts evaluated for degree and grade equivalency to that of a regionally accredited institution in the US. See International Students for a list of educational credential evaluators. 
• International applicants must submit the International Student Supplemental Application Form at time of acceptance to the university.
• All applicants to UNE must be able to understand and communicate in English to be admitted to the university. UNE accepts several methods of English Proficiency, see International Students. English Proficiency requirement must be completed at the time of application.

The Admission Committee reserves the right to make changes or exceptions to the admission policies and procedures without notice when it deems such a decision is appropriate.

For additional information on the admissions process and requirements, please access the Nurse Anesthesia program website.

Advanced Placement
There is no advanced placement.

Experiential Learning
No credit will be awarded to students for experiential learning.

Transfer Credit

There is no transfer credit awarded to students in the Nurse Anesthesia program.