Updated June 2026 · 9 min read
Part of the CRNA Career Hub — browse every related guide in one place.
Oklahoma now has three accredited nurse anesthesia programs: the long-established Oklahoma City University DNAP, the University of Tulsa DNP, and a brand-new public pathway at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, approved in 2025. For in-state applicants, that's a wider pipeline than most states offer.
| Program | Location / degree | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City University | Oklahoma City — DNAP (Kramer School of Nursing) | ~36-month curriculum, ~90–100 credits; one of the region's longest-established programs; early high-volume clinical immersion |
| University of Tulsa | Tulsa — DNP | COA-accredited; reaccreditation review scheduled by October 2026 |
| University of Oklahoma HSC | Oklahoma City — BSN-to-DNP, Nurse Anesthesia | Approved 2025 as Oklahoma's first public-university CRNA pathway; clinical training at OUHSC health-system affiliates |
Oklahoma City University's Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice, offered through the Kramer School of Nursing, is one of the longest-established CRNA programs in the region. It runs a roughly 36-month curriculum of about 90 to 100 credit hours, combining didactic instruction, simulation, and supervised clinical rotations at major Oklahoma City-area facilities, and it emphasizes early, high-volume clinical immersion. For applicants who value a long track record and a deep clinical pipeline in the OKC metro, it's the anchor program of the state.
The University of Tulsa offers a COA-accredited Doctor of Nursing Practice in nurse anesthesia and is the nurse anesthesia program based in the Tulsa metro. Its accreditation is current with a reaccreditation review scheduled by October 2026 — a routine cycle rather than a red flag, but worth confirming directly with COA if your application timeline overlaps that window. Tulsa is the natural in-state choice for applicants rooted in eastern Oklahoma.
OUHSC's nurse anesthesia track within its Doctor of Nursing Practice is the newest of the three and a milestone for the state: approved in 2025, it is the first CRNA pathway offered by a public university in Oklahoma, created specifically to help close the state's anesthesia-provider gap. Students complete advanced coursework alongside supervised clinical experience at OUHSC's health-system affiliates in the Oklahoma City area. As a newer public option, it may offer a different cost structure than private programs — verify current tuition directly.
Oklahoma City University is the established private anchor with early clinical immersion; OUHSC is the new public option in the same metro, likely with a different cost profile; the University of Tulsa serves the eastern side of the state. All three are doctorates leading to the same NBCRNA certification exam, so let location, cost, clinical-site geography, and program maturity guide your choice.
Three accredited programs is better odds than most states, but cohorts remain small, so apply broadly: consider all three Oklahoma programs plus neighboring options in Texas and Kansas. Each expects a strong GPA and at least a year of adult ICU experience, and most CRNA programs prefer or require the CCRN — address that early with the CCRN guide.
Oklahoma went from two CRNA programs to three: Oklahoma City University's established DNAP, the University of Tulsa's DNP, and OUHSC's new public DNP pathway. Apply broadly across all three plus neighboring states, verify each program's current figures, and weigh cost and location over prestige. For the bigger picture, see CRNA acceptance rates and the CRNA job outlook.
Get The ICU Notebook Newsletter
Clinical tools and career insights for ICU nurses. One email per week, no fluff.
Yes, send it freeNo spam. Unsubscribe any time.