University of Pittsburgh’s Nurse Anesthesia Program offers all of the assets and services of a large urban campus with the personal attention of a small program.
University of Pittsburgh
School of Nursing
Nurse Anesthesia Program
3500 Victoria Street
Victoria Building
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Contact Information
John M O’Donnell, CRNA, MSN, DrPH, Program Director
ph: (412) 624-4860
fax: (412) 383-7227
email: napcrna@pitt.edu or jod01@pitt.edu
Quick Facts
CRNA Degree offered
DNP (Entry Level), DNP (Completion)
Program Length
36 months full-time.
Credit Hours
86 credits, 9 terms
Starting Month
January
Application Deadline
1st deadline is February 15th with the admission decision expected by June 1st. International students should apply by this date.
2nd deadline is May 1st with the admission decision made by June 30th.
Do not contact the anesthesia program for an application, applications are located online.
Entire Program Cost of CRNA School at the University of Pitt.
Tuition is calculated at the 2020-2021 rate. Tuition at most schools increases each academic year. Over the duration of the program, expect to pay a tuition that is 5% to 15% higher than what is shown here.
Cost of In State Tuition: $82,962
*Fees and expenses: $2,814
Grand Total: $85,584
Cost of Out of State Tuition:$98,844
*Fees and expenses: $2,814
Grand Total: $101,658
*This includes mandatory fees only.
University of Pitt Tuition Link
Class Size
Approximately 45
Number of Applicants
The large number of applicants is reflective of the current job market for CRNAs. Early application is highly recommended.
CRNA Program Summary
Are you concerned that the University of Pitt’s Nurse Anesthesia Program won’t give you the specific experiences or training you need to be a successful CRNA? Learn what standards CRNA Programs must meet in order to be accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia (COA).
This CRNA program (as well as all others that are accredited by the COA) prepares you to take the CCNA certification exam at the conclusion of the program, allowing you to become a CRNA.
The curriculum design integrates the classroom and 47 anesthesia specialty credits for the whole program.
All anesthesia classes are during daylight hours and students’ clinical schedules are adjusted accordingly.
Clinical practice begins as two days/week in the third term and preparation sessions for the Certification Examination.
Specialty cases in cardiothoracic, neurosurgical, dental, organ transplantation, pediatrics, obstetrics, neonatal, burns and electroconvulsive therapy enrich the program.
A Skills Lab is available in the School of Nursing for workshops for specific procedures such as intubation, IV and regional anesthesia.
The School of Nursing has a human simulator center for the use of the students in the Nurse Anesthesia Program. Simulation is used to teach basic and team training. Read more about their state of the art, 16,000 sqft simulation center here.
Program Requirements
Looking for something specific? Find CRNA schools categorized by their unique requirements.
Some CRNA schools require much more out of their applicants than others. See how the requirements at the University of Pitt compare to most CRNA school’s requirements.
CRNA Program Requirements
BSN:
Bachelor of Science in Nursing is required.
GPA:
3.0 or greater in BSN from an accredited program (ACEN, NLN, ACICS, or CCNE)
RN:
Current registered nursing license. You’ll need a Pennsylvania license upon admission to the program.
Critical Care:
One year of full-time critical care experience within the past 5 years. You can apply to the program if you are currently employed in critical care and will have the necessary one year of full-time experience before the start of the full-time anesthesia component. Admission to the program is contingent upon fulfilling the critical care experience requirement.
Critical care experience should involve the following:
- Assessment of the critically ill and unstable patients
- Invasive hemodynamic monitoring
- Basic EKG interpretation
- Management of vasoactive infusions
- Care of ventilator-dependent patients
They do not accept as primary experience:
- Telemetry
- Neonatal ICU
- Operating Room
- *Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU or RR)
- *Emergency Room
*Exceptions can be considered if the PACU unit is also ICU overflow on a regular basis or has the patient acuity of an ICU, or if the ER is part of an integrated level one shock/trauma OR and ICU system.
Minimum GRE scores:
GRE scores must be within the last 10 years (5 years preferred).
CRNA Educational Requirements
- Statistics (3 credits)
University of Pittsburgh’s CRNA program website
School’s Performance
CRNA School Rankings – Schools by Rank
Ranked #29 for CRNA programs for the 2015 graduating class.
*Please note: Read about how CRNA rankings are created.*
Accredited CRNA Programs are reviewed regularly.
University of Pittsburgh Nurse Anesthetist Program was last reviewed in June 2020. It was given 10 years accreditation and will be reviewed again in May 2030. This shows that the program is very stable.
Pass Rate for CRNA Boards at University of Pittsburgh
- First-time test takers: 84% (2019)
- National average (2019): 84.8%
Attrition Rate
7% (Class of 2019)
CRNA Employment Rate of program graduates
100%
CRNA Salaries
An average nurse anesthetist salary in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania CRNA salaries are slightly lower than the national average with an annual mean wage of $174,240.
An average annual nurse anesthetist salary in the US is $181,040 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2019 study)
What makes the University of Pittsburgh’s CRNA school unique?
It offers all of the assets and services of a large urban campus with the personal attention of a small program.
Salaries pulled from Bureau of Labor Statistics
*This page was updated February 25th, 2021.*
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