Step 1: What you will need to apply
- Official scores for the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) taken within five years preceding application. Your GRE scores should be sent to code 6906.
- Official transcripts from each post-secondary institution you have attended. Electronic submission is preferred. Official transcripts may be sent directly from your post-secondary institutions to [email protected]. Transcripts will not be accepted if emailed from the student. Transcripts submitted on paper must be printed within six months of receipt.
- Three letters of reference. The applicant letter of reference form should be provided your references.
- A curriculum vitae or résumé.
- A 500-word statement describing your area of practice interest, career goals, and reasons for desiring doctoral study.
- If you have previous college coursework outside the U.S., you must submit official transcripts from all foreign institutions attended and course-by-course evaluations from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or Western Educational Services (WES).
Minimum admission requirements:
- Official scores for the GRE taken within five years preceding application. GRE scores should be sent to codes 6906. Competitive scores are at least 151 verbal, 144 quantitative, and 3.5 written.
- A baccalaureate degree in nursing earned from an accredited program. Applicants must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- A completed basic statistics course.
- A completed organic chemistry or biochemistry course with a grade of B or higher taken within the past 5 years. The lab is not required only the lecture. The course must be at least 3 semester credit hours. We strongly recommend that you complete this requirement before application. If you apply and are accepted without fulfilling this requirement, your admission is contingent upon successfully completing the course before your first semester begins. Introductory courses will not meet this requirement.
- Evidence of current unencumbered Texas registered nurse licensure.
- International applicants must supply one official copy of their TOEFL score. TOEFL scores can be no more than two years old. A minimum score of 550 is required on the paper exam, a minimum score of 213 on the computer-based exam, or a minimum score of 86 on the internet-based exam.
- Required work experience: Minimum one year of work experience in critical care as a registered nurse, two years preferred. While you may apply before obtaining a full year of experience, this requirement must be met and documented before enrollment. Clinical experience involving invasive hemodynamic monitoring, vasoactive drip initiation and titration, and management of ventilated patients is preferred. Applicable clinical areas include emergency room, CVICU, SICU, CCU, MICU, NICU (Level IV only) and PICU as well as trauma and burn intensive care units. PACU and cardiac catheterization lab experience does not meet the critical care requirement for admission.
Student profile
The Nurse Anesthesia track at Cizik School of Nursing is highly competitive. The school conducts a holistic review of applicants and considers a variety of factors when determining admission. Most accepted students exceed the minimum requirements detailed above. The averages below are based on recently accepted cohorts, but these statistics vary based on the applicant pool.
- 3.6 GPA
- GRE (mean)
- Quantitative 151
- Verbal 154
- More than 50% were from diverse populations
- 2.5 years of ICU experience (average)
Step 2: Apply!
- Check the application deadline for the Nurse Anesthesia track.
- Complete online application for admission and nonrefundable $60.00 application fee.
- Submit all required application materials to:
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
PO Box 20036
Houston, Texas 77225-0036
Once an application is received, you will be assigned a seven-digit application ID and granted access to applyUTH, where you can track the status of your application materials. If you have questions about whether transcripts or documents have been received, please contact the Registrar’s Office at 713-500-3361.
Step 3: Admission decisions
Applications for the Nurse Anesthesia track are reviewed after the application deadline. Completed applications will be forwarded to faculty for review. Selected students will be invited for an interview, and writing samples may be required at the time of interview. Faculty will make admission decisions following the interview. Applications then may be accepted or denied.
Cizik School of Nursing's admission policy describes multiple factors taken into consideration in the admissions process. These admission factors are not assigned a specific weight or point value. Cizik School of Nursing considers the totality of each application and considers each of these factors.
Notification
Once a decision is made, ApplyUTH is updated with the application status. If you are admitted, you will receive an email and a letter in the mail. If you are denied, you will receive a letter in the mail.
Please see the applications deadline page for approximate notification dates.
Step 4: Pre-enrollment requirements for accepted students
If admitted, enrollment is contingent upon successful completion of immunization screening, immigration status clearance, documentation of an unencumbered Texas registered nurse licensure, clearance of the mandatory criminal background checks and drug screening, and documentation of BLS, ACLS, and PALS certification.
Your American Heart Association Basic Life Support (AHA-BLS) for the Health Care Provider certification must be current before any clinical placement. You may choose to take the AHA-BLS through Cizik School of Nursing’s Simulation and Clinical Performance Laboratory.
Get all the details in our New Student Guide.
Essential Skills in Nursing
Nurses must be able to demonstrate cognitive skills in critical thinking and logical/analytical thinking. Nurses must also have psychomotor skills, including fine motor dexterity, physical strength, coordination, and proper body mechanics. Observational skills are also required, such as the ability to hear within the normal decibel range, the ability to read English in regular to extra-fine print, and the ability to palpate/auscultate. Students must be able to demonstrate these skills, with or without reasonable accommodation. See HOOP 101, Disability Accommodation.
Important Notes:
The admission requirements listed on this page apply to students who have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Students with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in a specialty other than nurse anesthesia are also eligible to apply. If you have earned an MSN on a nurse anesthesia track and would like to advance your education to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), please see the minimum admission requirements for our Post-master’s DNP program.
Please note: Students who need an F-1 visa are not eligible for admission due to the amount of content delivered online. The Department of Homeland Security does not allow our DNP or MSN programs to issue F-1 visas. Additionally, students admitted to Cizik School of Nursing must personally reside in the state of Texas before the first day of class.
