California is not authorized for any of NKU's online nursing programs, and NKU's NP concentrations take applications from 11 other states only. California nurses can't enroll from home or complete NKU practicum hours at California sites. Nevada, across the eastern border, is open to every NKU online program, including the NP tracks.
Share your destination state and the NKU program you want.
| NKU program group | California |
|---|---|
| FNP, AGACNP, PMHNP and NP certificates | Outside the NP application list |
| MSN Nursing Education and Nurse Executive Leadership | Not authorized |
| Post-master's DNP | Not authorized |
| RN-to-BSN | Not authorized |
There is no disagreement between NKU's two copies here. NKU's disclosure adds that relocating to a restricted state risks leaving the program unfinished; details are on the state authorization page.
Preceptors count for NKU only when they work in an NKU-approved state. For California nurses, that rules out enrolling from home and rules out California hospitals, clinics and schools as NKU practicum sites, whether the hours are for an NP rotation, the Nursing Education capstone, a leadership practicum or a DNP project.
For NKU students who already live in an open state, California clinicians are also off limits, however close a California site might sit to the Nevada line.
California's Board of Registered Nursing sets a high bar for NP programs based elsewhere. Under 16 CCR § 1486, such a program needs Board approval before placing students in California, must use preceptors who satisfy Board requirements, must meet NONPF and AACN standards and must teach California NP law. The first step is the Board's Verification of Clinical Practice Experience form, which the Board then takes up at one of its meetings.
Students in these programs need an active California RN license (16 CCR § 1486(d)), because California is not a compact state. AANP rates California restricted: some NP settings and procedures require a standardized protocol agreement, with exemptions possible.
Nevada is the closest NKU state, open to NKU's NP concentrations and to every other online NKU nursing program. Colorado matches it. Arizona and Oregon, California's other neighbors, are both not authorized.
A California nurse relocating to Nevada should know that Nevada is also outside the compact, so a Nevada RN license comes first. Confirm with NKU admissions that your Nevada address qualifies before you apply, and let your advisor know if a move happens mid-program. See Nevada and RN licensing for NKU clinicals.
When your move to an open state is set and NKU confirms eligibility, our placement desk starts building your clinical plan. A placement advisor searches for preceptors near your new home who match your NKU track, gathers the preceptor's resume, license and Preceptor Responsibilities form, and arranges the site contact NKU uses for its affiliation agreement. Your first Medatrax request can then go in with time to spare. Start on the contact page.
No. NKU takes PMHNP, FNP and AGACNP applications, and NP certificate applications, only from residents of 11 listed states, and California is not one. The non-NP options fare no better: education, leadership, the DNP and BSN completion are all listed as not authorized in California.
No. California sits on the not-authorized side for every online program group, and an NKU preceptor's state must be on NKU's approved list. California's Board of Registered Nursing would also require prior approval of an out-of-state NP program before any clinical placement there. Keep your rotations with Nevada preceptors.
A Nevada RN license. Nevada is one of the three NKU NP states outside the Nurse Licensure Compact, along with Illinois and Michigan, so multistate privileges from other states stop at its border. NKU's MSN pages want an active, unencumbered RN license from wherever you're licensed and working.
Yes, in Nevada, which is authorized for NKU's online RN-to-BSN. Arizona and Oregon are not. The RN-to-BSN ends with NRP 478P, a leadership practicum built around a quality-improvement project, and it needs a preceptor in an NKU-approved state.
Last checked 2026-09-24
We check these pages against NKU's own published sources. NKU's School of Nursing and your Canvas clinical shells have the final word.
Tell us your NKU track, where you live and which 7-week session your clinical starts. We find a preceptor and site that fit NKU's rules for your track and have your self-placement request ready well inside the 90-day window.
A placement advisor replies with the preceptor and site that fit NKU's rules for you.