Preceptors for NKU's online MSN in Nursing Education

Thirty-three credits make up the concentration, and NKU says a student can finish in as few as 12 months. The credits come from four core courses (MSN 600, MSN 602, MSN 601 and DNP 816) and seven concentration courses. In NKU's words, "200 clinical hours are required", and all of them fall in two courses.

Two details differ across NKU documents. The 2024-25 catalog and the 2025-26 sequence number the assessment course MSN 614 (3 credits) without the L, and NKU's FAQ puts capstone time at roughly 100 to 150 hours. The program page's 50 plus 150 is the clearest reading, and your Nursing Education Canvas shell has the final figure. Course detail sits on the educator courses page.

The 2025-26 standard sequence runs 11 seven-week sessions. The four core courses come first, then three of the four HHS courses on teaching, assessment, curriculum and the educator role. MSN 614 lands in the eighth session. HHS 603 and MSN 613 Pathopharmacology for Nurse Educators follow, and MSN 670 closes the program in the eleventh.

The 2024-25 catalog lists MSN 613, MSN 614 and HHS 603 as pre- or co-requisites for MSN 670, so the capstone really is the last step. On the standard path the two clinical courses sit three sessions apart, which means you can recruit both preceptors in one planning push months before the first one starts.

Every course runs 7 weeks, so simple division shows the load. Fifty hours over seven weeks is about seven a week; 150 capstone hours is closer to 21 a week, so talk through the calendar with your capstone preceptor before the session opens. Hours are logged in Medatrax, according to NKU's FAQ. The 7-week sessions page lists upcoming start dates.

The 50 direct-care hours put your assessment skills to work with real patients. NKU's FAQ gives examples of where they can happen: with a wound care specialist, in a clinic, on an acute care unit, with a nurse midwife, at an outpatient center, in a PACU or at a surgery center. Pick a setting that gives you steady hands-on assessment.

NKU's general preceptor rules apply here too: a minimum of one year in their present position and degree level, a license with no restrictions, a job at the clinical site, a practice in an NKU-approved state, and nothing personal or supervisory connecting them to you. If you work in a hospital, a different unit, a different supervisor and unpaid hours keep your employer in bounds; employer sites explains the three conditions.

The capstone preceptor must work as an educator and hold a master's degree or higher in nursing education. NKU names two settings: a school of nursing, or the education department of a healthcare facility. Your 150 hours go into a practicum project you design and carry out in that setting.

Strong capstone matches

• Nursing school faculty whose graduate degree is in nursing education
• A clinical educator in a hospital or health system education department
• An educator in your own facility's education department, as long as they aren't your supervisor and the hours are unpaid

Check the preceptor's degree field before you ask. NKU's FAQ calls for nursing education specifically, so an educator with a master's in a different focus may not clear review.

The 11-state admission rule covers NKU's NP programs, not this one. Nursing Education follows NKU's MSN state table instead. That table leaves out states including California, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, and authorizes Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Texas and others. NKU lists South Carolina under both headings, and Virginia shows as authorized only on the newer copy, so check the state authorization page.

NKU publishes no separate placement rule for this track, but its Students page gives Nursing Education a dedicated Canvas shell and a named Contracts & Compliance contact. Plan on the same route the NP tracks use: a self-placement request in Medatrax, your preceptor's resume, license and signed responsibilities form, and NKU's approval before you start. Aim for 90 days ahead; 30 is the floor. Both MSN 614 and MSN 670 carry a liability insurance charge in their course fees.

Two different preceptors from two different worlds, and we cover both. A placement advisor finds a clinical preceptor for your 50 direct-care hours and an educator holding a master's in nursing education for your capstone, at a nursing school or a hospital education team near you. We match the capstone preceptor to the kind of teaching you want to do next, academic or staff development, so the 150 hours build toward your next role.

We confirm each credential and state against NKU's rules, collect the CV or resume, license and responsibilities form, and give NKU a site contact whenever an agreement is needed. Your request reaches NKU complete and early. NKU signs off on every placement; we deliver the file ready for that sign-off on the first pass. See how it works, or begin on the contact page.