CAA Guide
CAAHEP Accredited 16 seats

University of Colorado — Anschutz Medical Campus (Aurora)

Anesthesiologist assistant (CAA) program in Aurora, Colorado · CAA practice status in Colorado →

Last verified

Program Overview & Admissions

Degree & Length
Master of Science in Anesthesiology
28 months duration
Cohort Seats
16 seats
Program page (accessed Aug 2026): 'Cohorts of 14-16 students'; historical graduating classes 6-15/year per outcomes page.
Starts & Deadline
Starts: August
CASAA: See notes
Estimated Tuition
$95,874
Approx. total program tuition at Colorado-resident rate ($841/credit hour) (2026-27)
Out-of-state: $140,448
Testing Requirement: MCAT required, taken within 5 years of applying (GRE not accepted); an MCAT of 500+ also waives the 7-year window on prerequisite coursework. Casper situational-judgment test also required of all applicants.
Shadowing: 8 hours required. With an anesthetist or anesthesiologist in the operating room; additional hours strongly suggested; Documentation of Shadowing Experience uploaded with the application source ↗

Prerequisite Coursework

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  • English
  • Biology I
  • Biology II
  • General Chemistry I
  • General Chemistry II
  • Organic Chemistry I
  • Organic Chemistry II
  • General Physics I
  • General Physics II
  • Biochemistry
  • Statistics
  • Human Anatomy & Physiology
  • Calculus (preferred)

Published Outcomes

Metric Value Period
NCCAA certification exam first-time pass rate 100% (94/94 graduates) classes 2015-2025
Retention rate 92.68% 2022-2024
Attrition 12% voluntary withdrawal + 1% separation (18 of 141 enrollments) cohorts 2015-2025
Employment rate 100% classes 2015-2025

Program Notes

CAAHEP Continuing Accreditation since 2013-05-17. No fixed CASAA deadline: the 2026-27 application opened 2026-04-15 with rolling admissions. Review begins April/May, interviews start in late May, and CASAA closes when the cohort is finalized (Sep-Oct) for classes starting mid-August of the following year. One of the smallest cohorts among AA programs; only MCAT accepted. Required AAAA student membership ($200 for program duration). All applicants must also complete the Casper situational-judgment assessment.