USU from New Hampshire: an approval gap closes the FNP
New Hampshire's Board of Nursing requires formal approval for out-of-state APRN programs, and USU says it hasn't obtained it, so the FNP is closed to anyone living in New Hampshire. You can still enroll in USU's RN-to-BSN, its Nurse Educator or Health Care Leadership MSN, or its DNP.
Studying with USU from New Hampshire?
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USU programs a New Hampshire resident can enroll in
| Program | Open to New Hampshire residents? | Practicum hours |
|---|---|---|
| MSN Family Nurse Practitioner | No | 540 across FNP592 to FNP597 |
| MSN Nurse Educator | Yes | 100 in MSN578, 1:1 with an MSN- or doctorate-prepared preceptor |
| MSN Health Care Leadership | Yes | 100 in MSN587, 1:1 with a graduate-prepared mentor |
| RN-to-BSN | Yes | 90 across NUR378 and NUR499 |
| DNP (post-master's) | Yes | 1,000 post-baccalaureate, up to 500 transferred in |
USU's State Authorization list also leaves out its non-clinical Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Nursing Business for New Hampshire. Program-by-program detail sits on the RN-to-BSN, Health Care Leadership and DNP pages.
Why New Hampshire is closed to USU's FNP
Different states close the FNP for different reasons. In Kansas USU points to clinical hours and in New York to a missing prescription-law course. New Hampshire's reason is procedural: USU's Board of Nursing and State Authorization disclosures both say formal approval from the New Hampshire Board of Nursing is required for out-of-state APRN programs and has not been obtained.
Two consequences follow. Because USU enrolls by state of residence and turns away residents of states where it lacks authorization, a New Hampshire address rules out the FNP whether you'd planned clinicals in Manchester or across the line in Massachusetts. And by USU's own licensure disclosure, the FNP does not satisfy APRN educational requirements in unauthorized states, New Hampshire included.
USU updates these lists, and the PDF links on its accreditation page change when it does. The version we checked is the board list updated May 19, 2026. If you're weighing the FNP, read the current list before applying rather than assuming anything has changed.
Moving to New Hampshire, or living just outside it
If you're already in USU's FNP, moving to New Hampshire takes you somewhere your program isn't offered, and USU's catalog says you then can't complete it. USU's State Relocation Notice and the FNP handbook repeat the warning. Raise it with your Clinical Placement Coordinator while a job in Nashua or Concord is still only an offer.
Southern New Hampshire sits partly inside the Boston metro, which counts about 459,000 New Hampshire residents, while the Manchester-Nashua metro holds roughly 433,000 more. That proximity cuts the other way too. A Massachusetts FNP student can ask USU for clinicals in another state only where USU is approved, and New Hampshire isn't approved for this program, so practices over the border aren't an option for FNP hours.
New Hampshire's board, compact status and practicum sites
The New Hampshire Board of Nursing is part of OPLC, the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. AANP lists New Hampshire as a full-practice state, it implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact on January 19, 2018, and it has not enacted the APRN Compact.
For the programs you can take, OPLC's education page places post-licensure programs, RN-BSN and RN-MSN among them, outside the Board's regulation. Nur 602.15(j) sets out the clinical filings for out-of-state schools with pre-licensure programs in mind: a Form A petition every year, a Part B Student Clinical Placement form for each rotation, a Clinical Preceptor Agreement for each preceptor, and notice 6 weeks before each placement. That rule's current status is also unsettled: one published copy shows it expiring in January 2026, and readoption wasn't confirmed.
USU's own rule still applies: your nursing license must be active in whichever state hosts your practicum. The state's larger systems include Dartmouth Health, Elliot Health System, Concord Hospital Health System, HCA's Catholic Medical Center and Southern New Hampshire Health.
Why New Hampshire students choose us
USU's FNP is closed to New Hampshire residents, and our New Hampshire searches cover the programs that are open. For a Nurse Educator or Health Care Leadership residency, an RN-to-BSN practicum or DNP immersion, a placement advisor looks for a qualified preceptor, mentor or agency near you, helps you assemble what USU's Office of Field Experience reviews, and keeps searching if someone withdraws. USU makes every approval. Start with your course.
Questions USU students ask
Does New Hampshire's board have to approve my USU RN-to-BSN practicum?
According to OPLC, the Board doesn't regulate post-licensure programs like RN-BSN and RN-MSN, and Nur 602.15(j)'s clinical filings for out-of-state schools are aimed at pre-licensure programs. USU's Office of Field Experience still has to approve your agency and agency leader, and you need an active license in New Hampshire or a multistate license.
Could USU's FNP open to New Hampshire residents later?
The barrier USU names is an approval it hasn't obtained, not the program's hours or courses, so the answer depends on USU and the New Hampshire Board. USU publishes updated lists on its accreditation page. Check the current Board of Nursing list before you apply, and don't enroll in a different program expecting to switch.
I live in Massachusetts near the border. Can I do USU FNP hours in Nashua?
No. USU encourages clinicals in your state of residence and only considers requests for other states where it is approved for your program. New Hampshire isn't approved for USU's FNP, so a practice in Nashua, however close, can't host your FNP hours. Look on your own side of the line first.
Can I take USU's DNP from New Hampshire?
Yes, New Hampshire isn't on USU's excluded list for the DNP. It's a post-master's program with 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours, up to 500 of them transferable, and a doctorally prepared Project Mentor. USU's disclosure says the DNP isn't currently CCNE-accredited, which is worth weighing before you enroll.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-23
We check these pages against USU's own catalog, handbooks and disclosures. USU's current handbook and your Clinical Placement Coordinator have the final word.
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