The Nurse Executive Leadership capstone at NKU: MSN 631L

NKU's program page says "100 clinical hours are required," and every one of them belongs to MSN 631L, the final course in the concentration. It is the only clinical in the Nurse Executive track, so the whole practicum rests on one preceptor and one 7-week session.

Over seven weeks, 100 hours averages a little over 14 hours a week, or about two working days. That is lighter than an NP rotation but still a real commitment for a busy nurse leader to host. The clinical hours guide sets this track beside NKU's others.

NKU's FAQ describes the right preceptor as a nurse leader with a master's in nursing who holds a management post, from nurse manager upward. The track-level rule says the preceptor must be working in a leadership role, and NKU's general preceptor list includes the Nurse Executive credential.

Every other NKU preceptor rule still applies. Your nurse leader needs twelve months or more in the present position, a clean, active license, a workplace located in a state NKU has approved, and a paid position at the training site. The preceptor cannot be your direct supervisor, a relative, a friend or a roommate. The preceptor requirements guide has the complete list.

NKU's FAQ describes the 100 hours as time spent with the nurse leader, and it names the kinds of activity involved. Hospitals are the default setting, and the track coordinator can approve others.

Activities NKU's FAQ names

• Shadowing the nurse leader through their working day
• Meetings the nurse leader attends or runs
• A "mini-capstone project" developed with the preceptor

Your syllabus sets the balance between these and any written deliverables. Read it the day the course opens and share it with your preceptor, so the project and the schedule are agreed in the first week.

Six courses must come first, according to the 2024-25 catalog: PSY 550, DNP 805, MSN 603, MSN 604, MSN 640 and MSN 641. NKU's 2025-26 sequence runs 11 sessions and places the capstone last.

The finance course number is in flux: the current program page lists FIN 624, while the 2024-25 prerequisites and the 2025-26 sequence use MSN 604. Follow your plan of study. The catalogs also set a C or better in PSY 550, against a B or better for nursing courses.

If you already work in a hospital, NKU lets you train where you work, with three conditions: no hours on your own unit, no precepting by your immediate supervisor, and no clinical time counted during hours you are paid to work.

For a leadership capstone that usually means pairing with a leader from a different department, with capstone hours scheduled outside your paid shifts. The employer site guide explains the rules in detail.

NKU's 11-state admission limit covers its NP programs, not Nurse Executive Leadership. The MSN state authorization table applies instead; the state authorization guide sets it out. MSN 631L also carries its own liability insurance line on NKU's class-fee table, MSN Nurse Exec Liability Ins.

NKU's Students page covers Nurse Executive Leadership alongside the other MSN concentrations, with its own Canvas shell and Contracts & Compliance contact, so plan on the same self-placement process: preceptor details at least 30 days before the session, and 90 days highly recommended. The deadlines guide maps both windows onto the 2026-27 sessions.

We look for master's-prepared nurse managers, directors and executives who can host 100 hours in a single session and help shape a mini-capstone project. When you work in a health system, we search outside your own unit and reporting line, so the placement fits NKU's rules from the start.

Your request reaches Contracts & Compliance with the preceptor's documents and signed form in place. The Nurse Executive Leadership program guide covers the whole concentration, and the form below opens your search.