Nurse Anesthesia Program

Course Information

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An Immersive Experience

The USC Program of Nurse Anesthesia is a full-time, 36-month professional degree program in nurse anesthesiology with an immersive curriculum leading to the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) degree and eligibility to sit for the National Certification Examination. The program is administered by the USC Keck School of Medicine and the Department of Anesthesiology.

Expert academic and clinical faculty prepare nurse anesthesia trainees in the planning, administration, and evaluation of anesthesia and pain management across the lifespan and perioperative continuum. The program provides a diverse and rigorous clinical experience supported by academic coursework and leadership development.

Students and instructor work on a medical dummy

Each May, first-year nurse anesthesia trainees participate in a four-day, on-campus orientation. The remainder of the first summer session is delivered in a hybrid format, combining remote instruction with in-person learning up to one to two days per week. During the fall and spring semesters, doctoral students complete foundational coursework in anesthesiology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology.

An intensive two-year clinical training phase begins in the second year of the program. High-fidelity simulation is integrated throughout the curriculum to enhance clinical learning, procedural skill development, and high-performance team training. Nurse anesthesia trainees critically appraise and translate research into clinical practice and demonstrate scholarly proficiency through a doctoral capstone project. In addition, coursework in healthcare policy, leadership, and technology prepares graduates to advance to leadership roles in the profession.

The USC Program of Nurse Anesthesia transitioned to the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) degree in June 2017. The curriculum is fully approved by the University of Southern California, accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), and aligned with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice and the COA’s Standards for Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.

DNAP Curriculum

Effective May 2025

  • Summer
    ANST 608 (H): Advanced Clinical Anatomy | 2 units
    ANST 610 (H): Advanced Physiology for Nurse Anesthetists | 4 units
    ANST 691 (H): Doctoral Capstone Proposal | 2 units

    8 units

    Fall
    ANST 508: Research: Investigative Inquiry | 3 units
    ANST 602 (H): Analytic Methods for Evidence-Based Practice | 3 units
    ANST 604: Healthcare Policy for Advocacy in Healthcare | 3 units
    ANST 609: Advanced Health Assessment | 3 units
    ANST 651: PeriOperative Evaluation and Management I | 3 units

    15 units

    Spring
    ANST 501: Pharmacology of Nurse Anesthesia Practice | 4 units
    ANST 502: Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice | 4 units
    ANST 601: Professional Integration to the Clinical Environment | 2 units
    ANST 652: PeriOperative Evaluation and Management II | 3 units
    ANST 694a: Doctoral Scholarship Capstone Project | 2 units

    15 units

    (H) = Hybrid

  • Summer
    ANST 503: Advanced Pharmacology of Nurse Anesthesia Practice | 4 units
    ANST 504: Advanced Physiology & Pathophysiology in Nurse Anesthesia Practice | 4 units
    ANST 614: Clinical Practice in Nurse Anesthesia I | 2 units

    10 units

    Fall
    ANST 506: Advanced Principles of Anesthesia Practice | 4 units
    ANST 611: Leadership and Collaborative Practice | 3 units
    ANST 615: Clinical Practice in Nurse Anesthesia | 2 units
    ANST 631: Clinical Synthesis II | 2 units
    ANST 694b: Doctoral Scholarship Capstone Project | 2 units

    13 units

    Spring
    ANST 616: Advanced Clinical Practice in Nurse Anesthesia I | 2 units
    ANST 632: Clinical Synthesis II | 2 units
    ANST 694c: Doctoral Scholarship Capstone Project | 2 units

    6 units

  • Summer
    ANST 613: Clinician Technology Interface| 3 units
    ANST 617: Advanced Clinical Practice in Nurse Anesthesia II | 2 units
    ANST 633: Clinical Synthesis IIa | 2 units

    7 units

    Fall
    ANST 618: Advanced Clinical Practice in Nurse Anesthesia III | 2 units
    ANST 634: Clinical Synthesis IIb | 2 units

    4 units

    Spring
    ANST 619: Advanced Clinical Practice in Nurse Anesthesia IV | 3 units
    ANST 694d: Doctoral Scholarship Capstone Project (if needed) | 2 units

    3-5 units

  • 81-83 units