About the Program

The CPAAS (Certificate in Pre-Anesthesiologist Assistant) considers the overall quality of its applicants, looking at academic achievement, personal motivation, life experiences and recommendations. The applicant must also meet all admissions criteria for the AA program.

Specific criteria for admission are as follows:

• NSU postbaccalaureate certificate in Pre AA studies application. Must have previously applied to the prior CASAA application cycle of the AA program. Must have a verified CASAA application on file from the prior CASAA cycle received by the prior year application deadline.
 
• Application fee - $50 (required) non-refundable 

• • Baccalaureate degree from a nationally recognized and regionally accredited college or university, including above average performance in courses required in a premed curriculum. (Refer to required courses below.)
    
    Note: a "C" or better is required in all prerequisite classes. In order to meet pre-requisite requirements, math and science courses must include sufficient rigor and detail in the discipline (Introductory, survey, or business courses will not satisfy the requirements).
    
    
    • Required and cannot be survey courses
      • English - 3 semester hours
      • General Biology I and II with Labs or Anatomy and Physiology with Labs - 8 semester hours
      • General Chemistry I and II with Labs - 8 semester hours
      • Organic Chemistry I with Lab - 4 semester hours
      • Biochemistry - 3 semester hours
      • General Physics with Lab - 8 semester hours (Trigonometry or Calculus based)
      • Calculus - 3 semester hours
    • Preferred but not required
      • Cell & Molecular Biology - 3 semester hours
      • Organic Chemistry II with lab - 4 semester hours
      • Microbiology and lab - 4 semester hours
      • Physiology - 3 semester hours
      • Anatomy with lab - 4 semester hours
  • Official transcripts of all undergraduate, graduate, and professional course work including foreign evaluations submitted to CASAA.
•    
  • • The applicant who has graduated from a college or university of a country which English is not the primary language, regardless of United States’ residency status, must take the computerized Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL-cBT). An official set of scores must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey, to CASAA or NSU Enrollment Processing Services
      
       
    • Applicants must have a minimum verified cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 grading scale. A minimum GPA of 3.2 is preferred.
  
  
  • • Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores must have been taken within the past five years and must be taken early enough for official scores to be received by admissions office from the prior CASAA application deadline of February 15. Information can be obtained from the GRE website and the MCAT website.
  
  
  • • Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant's prior academic performance, potential, character, work habits, and suitability for graduate study leading into a career in clinical practice.
  
  
  • • At least eight hours of documented anesthesia exposure by observation in the operating room.
  
  
  • Summary of an article published in a current anesthesia journal.

• Resume and/or copy of national or professional certificate or license if applicable.
 
• All applicants must show evidence of computer skills through coursework or self-study prior to the end of the first semester. Students may obtain instruction through the NSU Student Microcomputer Laboratory or other training facilities.

• Personal Interview

The following application process is required by all applicants:

1. Complete an online NSU application and pay a $50 non-refundable application fee. Verified CASAA from prior application cycle with all required documentation (official test scores, official transcripts, resume, three letters of recommendation, 8 hours of documented shadowing, literature summary and (TOEFL cBT) if applicable must be on file.                                                                                                                                                                                      
2. Applications are being accepted from May 1 - July 15, 2023, for the Fall 2023 semester.
3. Personal interviews are by invitation only and an integral part of the admission process. Not all applicants will be granted an interview by the program and an interview is not a guarantee of admission.                            
4. Submit official transcripts from each university/college attended for formal transcript evaluation and NSU transfer course equivalencies.

• Coursework taken at a foreign institution must be evaluated for U.S. institutional equivalence. A course by course with GPA calculation official transcript evaluation is required. Foreign coursework must be evaluated by one of the following services:
  
  Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
  International Education Consultants
  7101 SW 102nd Avenue
  Miami, FL 33173
  Phone: (305) 273-1616
  Fax: (305) 273-1338
  www.jsilny.com
  
  Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
  P.O. Box 415070
  Milwaukee, WI 53203
  (414) 289-3400
  www.ece.org
  
  World Education Services, Inc.
  P.O. Box 745
  Old Chelsea Station
  New York, NY 10113-0745
  (212) 966-6311
  www.wes.org

To ensure that your application receives prompt consideration, you should apply early.  Applications are accepted year-round.

Send your transcripts, evaluations, and NBRC documentation to:

Nova Southeastern University
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
3301 College Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314

Delivery of the Coursework:

The coursework will be delivered in a hybrid format. Courses that include labs will be held at the Palm Beach campus, one weekend during the Winter semester. The rest of the coursework will be delivered via distance learning technologies.

The following courses will be required for completion.

Fall

TOTAL CREDITS: 7

Winter

TOTAL CREDITS: 11

Total Required Credits for certificate completion: 18

Course descriptions can be found in NSU's Undergraduate Student Catalog. 

Tuition for the 2022-2023 academic year is a flat fee of $12,000 per student.

A NSU student services fee is also required annually.  All tuition and fees are subject to change by the board of trustees without notice.

Financial Aid

The primary financial responsibility for a student’s education rests with the student and his or her family. Economic circumstances for some families may make it necessary for the student to obtain assistance from other sources.

The Office of Student Financial Assistance at Nova Southeastern University is here to help as many qualified students as possible to complete their health professions education.  Various loans, scholarships, and grants are available to qualified students to help ease the high cost of a health professions education.  These financial assistance programs are described on our web site.

For information on financial assistance, contact:

Reginald Perkins, Financial Aid Counselor - Regional Campus
Enrollment and Student Services
Nova Southeastern University
11501 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
561- 805-2117 (Direct Phone)
561-805-2170 (Fax)
Toll Free (800) 541-6682 x 52117