School of Anesthesia

School of Anesthesia

The Mayo Clinic Health System — Franciscan Healthcare School of Anesthesia, University of Wisconsin La Crosse (UWL) Biology Department and Viterbo University School of Nursing have partnered to develop a program to meet the specific needs of the nurse anesthetist student during their doctoral education.

The School of Anesthesia (SOA) operates within the Mayo Clinic Health System campus in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Students are taught in a didactic and clinical setting over three years of full-time consecutive study.

Upon successful completion of the program, students will have earned:

  • A Master of Science in Biology from UW-L (30 credits)
  • A Certificate of Completion from the School of Anesthesia (26 credits)
  • A Doctor of Nursing Practice from Viterbo University (22 credits)

The Doctor of Nursing practice and clinical credits from the School of Anesthesia are required to sit for the national board certification exam to be licensed as a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).

The School of Anesthesia is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.

COA contact information:

Standards and guidelines for educational programs may be found on the COA website.

The program's next scheduled accreditation onsite visit by the Council on Accreditation will be fall 2025.

Program Statistics

Matriculation rates, success rates for first-time takers on the Certification Exam and employment rates are listed below and are published on the UW La Crosse School of Anesthesia, and Viterbo University websites. These program statistics are reflective of the Masters Science in Biology Nurse Anesthesia Concentration.

  2018 2019 2020 2021  2022
Number of Graduates 10 10 6 6 12 
Attrition Rate (%) 0 0 0 0 0 
Certification Pass Rate (%) - first time takers 90 100 100 100 100 
Employment Rate (%) within six months of graduation 100 100 100 100 100 

For more program information, contact:
Jessica Peterson, C.R.N.A., program director
Franciscan Healthcare School of Anesthesia
700 West Ave. S.
La Crosse, WI 54601
608-392-8565

The information above is reviewed annually and updated in February.