NAU nursing programs and the clinical time behind them

Updated September 27, 2026, reviewed by the NAU Preceptor placement team

Northern Arizona University's FNP route, in the MS or the post-master's certificate, runs 780 clinical hours across three practicums. The PMHNP route centers on NUR 680, which NAU lists in units and requires in person. The table sets the programs side by side; each program guide covers the courses, preceptors and timing.

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Bar chart of fNP clinical hours in NAU's 2022-23 FNP Clinical Guidelines and graduate handbook: NUR 661 180, NUR 663 300 and NUR 665 300, 780 in all for the MS FNP and the post-master's FNP certificate, with at least 500 faculty-supervised hours in the population focus. — FNP clinical hours in NAU's 2022-23 FNP Clinical Guidelines and graduate handbook: NUR 661 180, NUR 663 300 and NUR 665 300, 780 in all for the MS FNP and the post-master's FNP certificate, with at least 500 faculty-supervised hours in the population focus.

Programs at a glance

NAU nursing programs and clinical time (catalog pages and NAU handbooks)
Program	Clinical time	Clinical courses
MS Advanced Practice, FNP emphasis (48 units)	780 hours	`NUR 661`, `NUR 663`, `NUR 665`
Post-master's FNP certificate	780 hours	`NUR 661`, `NUR 663`, `NUR 665`
MS Advanced Practice, PMHNP emphasis (51 units)	13 units of practicum, in person	`NUR 680`, plus the `NUR 689` project
PMHNP graduate certificate	9 or 13 units of practicum	`NUR 680`
DNP (not accepting applications)	1,000 hours, 240 at NAU	`NUR 703`, `NUR 608`
Clinical Nurse Specialist prescribing bundle	None	Coursework only
RN to BSN	Community projects, no set hours	Online courses

Reading the table

The FNP figure comes from NAU's graduate handbook and 2022-23 FNP guidelines: 180 hours in the summer practicum and 300 in each of the fall and spring practicums, at least 500 of them faculty-supervised in the family population. NAU prints no hour total for PMHNP, so the clinical hours guide explains what the units suggest and why it labels that as an estimate.

BSN students are placed by NAU; the preceptor search falls to graduate students, which is where our desk works.

Nurse practitioner

MS Advanced Practice, FNP emphasisNorthern Arizona University's online MS Advanced Practice, FNP emphasis: 48 units, three family practicums, 780 clinical hours and how preceptors are approved.MS Advanced Practice, PMHNP emphasisNorthern Arizona University's MS Advanced Practice, PMHNP emphasis: 51 units, the 13-unit in-person NUR 680 practicum, the rural NUR 689 project and preceptors.Post-master's FNP certificateNorthern Arizona University's post-master's FNP certificate: 39 or 38 units, the same 780-hour practicum sequence as the MS, and what MSN nurses plan for.PMHNP graduate certificateNorthern Arizona University's PMHNP graduate certificate: the 23-unit NP track, the 36-unit MSN track, in-person NUR 680 and the Kansas licensure-table answer.FNP vs PMHNP at NAUFNP or PMHNP at Northern Arizona University: units, clinical courses, published and unpublished hours, in-person time and the preceptors each track needs.

Doctoral and other graduate

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)Northern Arizona University's post-master's DNP: 74 units, 1,000 practice hours with 240 at NAU, a mentor you arrange, and its closed admissions status.CNS prescribing course bundleNorthern Arizona University's Clinical Nurse Specialist prescribing bundle: NUR 520, 540 and 650, self-paced online, no preceptor, rolling admission.

Undergraduate

RN to BSN onlineNorthern Arizona University's online RN to BSN: 30 units of NAU nursing courses, clinical projects in your own community, and the states it excludes.BSN clinicals and campusesHow Northern Arizona University assigns BSN clinical sites in the Traditional, Compressed, Global, Accelerated and AIP formats: courses, hours and Typhon.

Questions NAU students ask

Does NAU offer an NP program for nurses who already hold an MSN?

Yes. NAU offers a post-master's FNP graduate certificate with the same three practicums as the MS FNP, and a PMHNP graduate certificate, which takes 23 units for nurse practitioners and 36 for MSN graduates who are not NPs.

Is NAU's DNP open to new students?

Not at present. Both the catalog and the college's graduate programs page say the Doctor of Nursing Practice is not accepting applications. Students already enrolled continue to complete the 1,000 practice hours it requires.

Are NAU's NP programs online?

The MS Advanced Practice and both certificates are delivered online, with clinical practicums at approved sites. The PMHNP practicum, NUR 680, is marked in the catalog as requiring in-person engagement.

How long does NAU's MS Advanced Practice take?

NAU's degree search lists 2.5 years for the MS Advanced Practice, 25 months for the post-master's FNP certificate and one year for the PMHNP certificate. Master's students have six years to finish under NAU policy.

Last checked 2026-09-27

We check these pages against Northern Arizona University's own catalog, program pages and published nursing documents. Your program coordinator and course faculty have the final word.

NAU welcomes a preceptor you arrange. We arrange one close to home.

Tell us your NAU track, your town and your next practicum. We line up preceptors who fit the course and Arizona's preceptor rule, confirm the site's approval, and gather the CV, license and certification the Green Form needs, well before NAU's cutoff.

Preceptors matched to the course: all-ages family primary care for FNP, psychiatric settings for PMHNP
License, experience and certification checked against the rule NAU applies, before the Green Form goes in
All three FNP practicums planned together, near home instead of a long drive away

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