Last updated: May 9, 2026 | Researched and reviewed by Daniel Etheridge, CRNA
The University of Tulsa is the only currently COA-accredited Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program in Oklahoma. Housed within UTulsa’s Oxley College of Health Sciences, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) — Nurse Anesthesia track admits a small national cohort each spring.
This guide is written for BSN-prepared registered nurses with adult ICU experience pursuing nurse anesthesia school for the first time. If you’re a practicing CRNA returning for a doctorate, that is a different pathway covered separately.
Key Takeaways for the 2026 Applicant
- Only accredited program in Oklahoma per the COA’s March 6, 2026 List of Accredited Educational Programs.
- Degree: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Entry Level — 36 months, full-time.
- Start month: May (annual cohort).
- Cohort size: Limited to 20 students for low faculty-to-student ratios.
- Application deadline: May 1 (for the cohort starting roughly one year later).
- GPA: 3.0 minimum recommended; recent admits average 3.5 cumulative and 3.4 science.
- ICU: Minimum 1 year (2,080 hours) of full-time adult ICU within the last 2 years; CCRN required.
- Director: David White, DNAP, MSNA, BS, APRN-CRNA.
- Tuition: Private-university rate (~$1,478 per credit hour for the DNP-Nurse Anesthesia program).
- Distance Education: Yes, per COA LOAP.
Program Information at a Glance
- Official Name: The University of Tulsa Nurse Anesthesia Program
- Address: 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK 74104-9700
- Phone: (918) 631-3445
- Email: saw7292@utulsa.edu
- Director: David White, DNAP, MSNA, BS, APRN-CRNA
- Degree Awarded: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Entry Level
- Program Length: 36 months, full-time
- Start Date: May (annual)
- First Cohort Year: 2020 (program inaugurated August 2020)
- Cohort Size: Up to 20 students
- Distance Education: Yes (per COA LOAP)
- Accreditation: COA-accredited; DLR May 2025; NRD May 2027
Where the Program Lives
The Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia is offered through The University of Tulsa’s School of Nursing within the Oxley College of Health Sciences.
UTulsa is a private research university with roughly 4,000 total students, and its DNP portfolio joined the U.S. News Top 100 in 2026.
The small private-university scale is the program’s signature: 20-student cohorts allow direct, sustained access to faculty, with course delivery that combines didactic content, simulation, and clinical practicum across regional Tulsa-area sites.
Accreditation Status
Per the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs List of Accredited Programs (March 6, 2026):
- Date of Last Review (DLR): May 2025
- Next Review Date (NRD): May 2027
- Degree: Doctor of Nursing Practice, Entry Level
- Length: 36 months
- Start month: May
- Distance Education: Yes
UTulsa graduates are eligible to sit for the NBCRNA National Certification Examination and to obtain CRNA licensure in any U.S. state.
Admission Requirements
Academic Prerequisites
- Degree: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from a regionally accredited program.
- Cumulative GPA: 3.0 minimum recommended; recent admits average 3.5.
- Science GPA: Recent admits average 3.4 in undergraduate science coursework.
- Prerequisite courses: Satisfactory completion of undergraduate nursing coursework, including statistics and the natural-sciences sequence.
Licensure & Critical Care
- RN license: Active, unencumbered RN license in the state where you will complete clinical practicum.
- Adult ICU experience: Minimum 1 year (2,080 hours) of full-time adult ICU within the last 2 years.
- Excluded settings: Emergency room, operating room, post-anesthesia recovery, and step-down units do not satisfy the ICU requirement.
- CCRN: Current CCRN certification required.
- BLS / ACLS / PALS: Current certifications required (verify exact list with the program).
Application Materials
- Three letters of recommendation attesting to professional and academic competency.
- Professional resume or CV outlining academic and clinical experience.
- Personal statement of professional goals and CRNA-scope understanding.
- Official transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended.
- Interview (panel-style) for shortlisted applicants.
Application Timeline
- May 1: Application deadline.
- Summer: File review and interview invitations issued.
- Fall: Decisions communicated.
- The following May: Cohort matriculates.
Curriculum and Program Format
Year 1 — Didactic Foundation
The first year is heavily front-loaded with didactic coursework: advanced physiology, advanced pharmacology, anesthesia principles, and the chemistry/physics of anesthesia.
Simulation labs and skills development are integrated alongside coursework, with periodic introductions to the clinical environment.
Year 2 — Clinical Integration
Coursework moves into specialty anesthesia content — obstetric, pediatric, cardiothoracic, neurosurgical, regional, and pain management — paired with progressive clinical experiences in the Tulsa-area clinical network.
Students log cases under CRNA and physician anesthesiologist preceptors, with a typical clinical week running Monday–Friday plus call expectations.
Year 3 — Residency and DNP Project
The final year is dominated by full-time clinical residency rotations and completion of the DNP scholarly project.
Students rotate through subspecialty services, take call, and refine independent practice skills before graduation.
Tuition and Cost of Attendance
UTulsa is a private university, so tuition is the same for in-state and out-of-state students.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice — Nurse Anesthesia rate is approximately $1,478 per credit hour for current cycles (verify the current published rate at utulsa.edu tuition pages).
Most students fund the program through federal Direct Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS loans, supplemented by limited UTulsa-administered scholarships.
The CRNA salary in Oklahoma typically supports aggressive loan payoff once you enter practice.
Faculty and Leadership
The program is led by David White, DNAP, MSNA, BS, APRN-CRNA, listed as the Director on record with COA.
UTulsa’s nurse anesthesia faculty include practicing CRNAs from the Tulsa metropolitan clinical network.
Program Outcomes
UTulsa’s DNP program joined the U.S. News & World Report Top 100 in the 2026 rankings — a meaningful signal for a smaller private program.
Specific NCE first-time pass rates, attrition rates, and employment-within-six-months figures should be verified against the program’s annually published outcomes data.
How UTulsa Compares Within Oklahoma
As of May 2026, The University of Tulsa is the only Oklahoma program holding active COA accreditation.
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) College of Nursing has a BSN-to-DNP Nurse Anesthesia track under review for initial COA accreditation; per OUHSC’s own statement, students cannot be enrolled in the OUHSC program until accreditation is granted.
For applicants who want to start in Oklahoma in 2026 or 2027, UTulsa is currently the only enrolling pathway. See the full CRNA Schools in Oklahoma guide for the current state-wide picture.
Who This Program Is Best Suited For
UTulsa Is a Strong Fit If:
- You want a small, private-university cohort experience with high faculty access.
- You are comfortable with private-university tuition in exchange for low student-to-faculty ratios.
- You have at least one year of high-acuity adult ICU experience and a current CCRN.
- You can commit to a 36-month, full-time, in-person clinical residency anchored in the Tulsa metro.
- You want the only accredited Oklahoma option as you compare programs.
Consider Other Options If:
- Cost is your primary deciding factor and you have access to a lower-tuition public program in your home state.
- You require a wider clinical-site network than a single mid-sized metro can offer.
- You prefer a program with a longer, established LOAP cycle for added accreditation stability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The University of Tulsa CRNA program COA-accredited?
Yes. The University of Tulsa Nurse Anesthesia Program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.
Per the COA’s March 6, 2026 List of Accredited Programs, UTulsa holds DLR May 2025 and NRD May 2027.
How long is the program?
36 months, full-time, with annual May matriculation.
What is the cohort size?
UTulsa caps the Nurse Anesthesia DNP cohort at 20 students to maintain low faculty-to-student ratios.
What is the application deadline?
The application deadline is May 1 for the cohort beginning the following May.
Always verify the current cycle’s deadline at the program’s utulsa.edu page before submitting.
How much ICU experience do I need to apply?
A minimum of one year (2,080 hours) of full-time adult ICU experience within the last two years is required, plus a current CCRN certification.
Does emergency room, OR, or step-down experience count?
No. The program explicitly excludes emergency room, operating room, post-anesthesia recovery, and step-down units from the ICU requirement.
What GPA do successful applicants typically have?
The published recommended minimum is 3.0, but recent admitted students average 3.5 cumulative and 3.4 in science coursework.
Is the GRE required?
UTulsa does not list the GRE as a published requirement; verify the current application cycle’s testing policy directly with the program before sitting for the exam.
Is there a second Oklahoma CRNA program I can apply to?
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) is developing a Nurse Anesthesia DNP track that is currently under review for initial COA accreditation.
OUHSC’s own materials state students cannot enroll in that program until initial accreditation is granted; UTulsa is the only currently enrolling Oklahoma option.
Additional Resources
- The University of Tulsa (program landing page in the School of Nursing)
- UTulsa Academic Bulletin — Nurse Anesthesia DNP
- Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA)
- American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA)
- NBCRNA Certification Board
- All CRNA Schools in Oklahoma
- CRNA Schools by State
- How to Become a CRNA: Start Here
- What Is a CRNA?
Disclaimer: Information is for educational purposes only.
Program details verified against The University of Tulsa’s official program pages and the Council on Accreditation (coacrna.org) List of Accredited Programs (March 6, 2026), as of May 2026.