CRNA Programs are accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA).
All nurse anesthesia programs in the United States award either a
masters or doctoral degree. As of January 1, 2022, all nurse anesthesia
programs within the United States must award a doctoral degree for entry
into practice for students matriculating into a nurse anesthesia
program.
As of August 2019, there are 121 COA accredited programs in the United
States and 91 of those programs award a doctoral degree for entry into
practice.
Upon graduation from an accredited CRNA program, the student must pass
the National Certification Examination (NCE) administered by the
National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse
Anesthetists (NBCRNA). Certification as a CRNA is maintained through the
Continued Professional Certification (CPC) program by the NBCRNA.