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 to plan, administer, and evaluate 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 2027

  • Summer
    ANST 608: Advanced Clinical Anatomy w/ Cadaveric Lab | 4 units

    ANST 610: Advanced Physiology for Nurse Anesthetists | 4 units

    ANST 691: Doctoral Capstone Proposal | 2 units

    10 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 | 4 units

    16 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 | 4 units

    ANST 652: PeriOperative Evaluation and Management II | 4 units

    ANST 694a: Doctoral Scholarship Capstone Project | 2 units

    18 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 | 4 units

    12 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 | 4 units

    ANST 631: Clinical Synthesis II | 2 units

    ANST 694b: Doctoral Scholarship Capstone Project | 2 units

    15 units

    Spring
    ANST 616: Advanced Clinical Practice in Nurse Anesthesia I | 4 units

    ANST 632: Clinical Synthesis II | 2 units

    ANST 694c: Doctoral Scholarship Capstone Project | 2 units

    8 units

  • Summer
    ANST 613: Clinician Technology Interface| 3 units

    ANST 617: Advanced Clinical Practice in Nurse Anesthesia II | 4 units

    ANST 633: Clinical Synthesis IIa | 2 units

    ANST 694d: Doctoral Scholarship Capstone Project (if required) | 1 unit

    9 (10) units

    Fall
    ANST 618: Advanced Clinical Practice in Nurse Anesthesia III | 4 units

    ANST 634: Clinical Synthesis IIb | 2 units

    6 units

    Spring
    ANST 619: Advanced Clinical Practice in Nurse Anesthesia IV | 5 units

    5 units

  • 99-100 units