UTHealth Houston - Cizik School of Nursing

About this program

Cizik School of Nursing is a nationally recognized leader in nursing education and scholarship. Its programs are consistently ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and it ranks among the top 10 nursing schools in the U.S. for research funding received from the National Institutes of Health. It is one of seven schools that make up The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the first school in the nation to offer Coverdell Fellowships at the undergraduate level. Students benefit from unmatched clinical and collaboration opportunities in the Texas Medical Center.

• Year partnership began: 2026
• Fellowships awarded per year (average): up to 5

Application requirements

The links below provide details on application requirements for each program available to Coverdell applicants.

• Accelerated BSN
• RN-BSN
• BSN-DNP Nurse practitioner tracks
• BSN-DNP Nurse anesthesia
• Post-Master’s DNP
• PhD

Admissions process

Cizik School of Nursing does not charge application fees. However, the Nursing Centralized Application System (NCAS) platform, through which students apply, does charge a fee that may vary and will not be waived for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.

Degrees awarded

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
  • Accelerated
  • RN to BSN
• Doctor of Nursing Practice
  • BSN-DNP Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner
  • BSN-DNP Psychiatric/Mental-Health Nurse Practitioner
  • BSN-DNP Nurse Anesthesia
  • Post-master’s DNP Nursing Leadership & Administration
  • DNP for students who are MSN-prepared nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse anesthetists
• Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (BSN, MSN, and DNP entry)

Benefits and opportunities

Net cost is equal to tuition/fees minus fellowship value. For some universities, the fellowship value includes non-tuition/fee benefits such as health insurance or housing. See cost savings details for more.

Estimated annual cost of living: $34,211

Cost savings details

The above calculations are for the BSN-DNP Nurse Anesthesia program.

BSN value = $22,640

DNP or PhD value = $14,968

Internship

Coverdell Fellows will complete a substantive internship (generally 150–300 hours) supporting communities in the United States or U.S. territories. Internships are meaningfully connected to the Fellow’s academic program and overlap with required clinical, practicum, or scholarly experiences as much as possible to avoid being additive for students. Program coordinators and faculty advisors facilitate the identification of an appropriate internship of at least 150 cumulative hours in collaboration with the degree program directors and the Fellow’s faculty advisor.

Other opportunities

Reduction of out-of-state tuition and fees to in-state level, with full-tuition and mandatory fees paid at the in-state level. Scholarship is provided through the Lillian Eriksen Memorial Endowed Scholarship for Global Health.

Jobs for alumni

Nontraditional options