USU clinical placement deadlines, in order
USU runs clinical placement on two clocks: name at least three qualified preceptors 6 months before each clinical course, and have every approval on file 16 weeks before it. Inside those windows sit Program Director review, the site agreement and Complio, each with its own lead time. Once the course opens, you upload your approval letter and start hours in week one.
Is your next clinical course inside the 6-month window?
Tell us the course and session. A placement advisor will reply with next steps.
Two deadlines, both binding
The 6-month rule comes from USU's 2026-27 catalog: submit "a minimum of three qualified preceptors with valid contact information" at least 6 months before the start of each clinical course. The 16-week rule comes from the FNP, DNP and practicum handbooks: all site, preceptor and health and safety approvals must be on file with OFE at least 16 weeks before the course.
They measure different things. Six months is when your leads are due; 16 weeks is when the finished PAC file (Preceptor, Agreement, Compliance) is due. Both appear in current USU documents, so treat both as binding. The FNP handbook adds an earlier marker still: at enrollment you should already have preceptors confirmed, or at least three potential preceptors and sites in each setting, on the Interest Form.
The full timeline
Here is every published USU date in the order you'll meet it. FNP rules apply unless a row says otherwise. The practicum handbook's 16-week line names MSN578 and NUR378 but not MSN587, so Health Care Leadership students should confirm their date with their CPC.
| When | What's due | Where USU says it |
|---|---|---|
| At enrollment | Preceptors and sites confirmed, or at least 3 potential per setting, on the Interest Form (Appendix G) | FNP Clinical Handbook |
| DNP: second course | Start identifying a Project Mentor | DNP Practice Immersion Handbook |
| 6 months before each clinical course | At least 3 qualified preceptors with valid contact details | 2026-27 General Catalog |
| As early as possible | New affiliation agreement under way (allow at least 4–6 months) | FNP handbook; Appendix A says 16 weeks |
| As soon as a preceptor agrees | Appendix H packet to OFE; Program Director review averages 4–16 weeks (DNP mentors 2–16) | FNP and DNP handbooks |
| 16 weeks before the course | All preceptor, site and health and safety approvals on file (FNP, DNP, MSN578, NUR378) | Handbooks; Appendix A |
| 16 weeks before the affected course | Any change of preceptor or site approved | FNP Clinical Handbook |
| Before any time on site | OFE Approval Letter received | FNP Clinical Handbook |
| Week one of each clinical course | Letter uploaded with the preceptor acknowledgement form; clinical hours started | FNP handbook; catalog |
| Within 48 hours of each encounter | Entry logged in Project Concert | FNP Clinical Handbook |
What the dates look like on USU's 2026-27 calendar
Clinical courses run in 8-week sessions. Counting back from some 2026-27 session start dates gives the dates below. This is simple arithmetic, not a USU-published schedule, and the dates your CPC gives you take precedence.
| Session and start date | 6 months before | 16 weeks before |
|---|---|---|
| Spring II 2027, 03/02/2027 | 09/02/2026 | 11/10/2026 |
| Summer I 2027, 05/04/2027 | 11/04/2026 | 01/12/2027 |
| Summer II 2027, 06/29/2027 | 12/29/2026 | 03/09/2027 |
| Summer IID 2027, 08/03/2027 | 02/03/2027 | 04/13/2027 |
If you're already past the 16-week date for your next clinical course, raise it with your CPC now rather than hoping the file clears. The calendar doesn't say which sessions admit new students, so check your own degree plan; FNP clinicals begin in the second year. See USU's course calendar.
Lead times inside the windows
The deadlines only work if the steps inside them start early. USU publishes these lead times:
- Program Director approval: 4–16 weeks on average for FNP preceptors, 2–16 weeks for DNP Project Mentors.
- New affiliation agreement: at least four to six months per the handbook, or 16 weeks per the Appendix A flyer.
- Complio review: 2–5 business days per item, then about 2 business days for OFE to update your status. Rush requests can't be accommodated.
- Background checks: can take months in some states.
- Your CPC's email replies: within 24 business hours.
Stack the slow ones and the 6-month mark stops looking generous. A new site whose agreement takes six months, finished 16 weeks before the course, has to be named about ten months out. Need a preceptor fast explains what can and can't be compressed.
Deadlines once the course starts
The first week matters most. USU's catalog says clinical hours must start within the first week of each clinical course, and missing that may mean withdrawal, reapplication and a retake. You also upload the OFE Approval Letter with your preceptor acknowledgement form that week.
After that, the clock runs daily. Each encounter goes into Project Concert within 48 hours or its hours don't count. The FNP handbook suggests about 17 hours a week toward each course's 135, with no more than 12 in a day. Hours don't roll over between courses, and an Incomplete needs at least 81 hours done. Any new legal violation must be reported within 10 days. If you're slipping, see behind on clinical hours.
Changes, renewals and moves
Changing preceptor or site needs approval at least 16 weeks before the course the change affects, so plan any swap between courses well ahead. The changing preceptors page covers how.
Complio sends expiry notices 60, 45, 30 and 15 days before an item lapses and on the day itself. An expired item puts you on clinical pause until the renewal clears review, so act on the first notice rather than the last.
Moving has its own timing. USU says it is not responsible for making sure you have a placement if you move after a term starts, or, for out-of-state placements, within two terms before clinicals begin. Travel nurses must update their address to wherever they'll do clinicals.
How our search runs on USU's timeline
We plan searches around USU's 6-month and 16-week marks, aiming to hand you qualified leads early enough for Program Director review and any new agreement to run their course. OFE and the Program Director set the pace of approval, so we build every plan backward from USU's dates. If your next clinical course is less than 6 months away, tell us the course and session and a placement advisor will give you a straight answer on what's still realistic.
Questions USU students ask
What happens if I miss USU's 16-week deadline?
USU's handbooks don't set out a single penalty, but the effects follow from other rules. Without every approval there's no OFE Approval Letter, without the letter you can't start hours in week one, and a missed week-one start may mean withdrawing and retaking the course. You also lose priority for OFE placement help. Tell your CPC straight away.
Does the 6-month rule apply to every FNP clinical course or just the first?
The catalog says each clinical course, so it applies to FNP592, FNP594, FNP596 and FNP597. If your practicums run back to back in 8-week sessions, as USU's 2020 FNP degree plan lays them out, the 6-month date for FNP597 lands at about the time FNP592 begins. So plan to have leads for all four courses in by your first clinical week.
How long does Complio take to approve documents?
USU's FNP handbook says Complio reviews items in 2–5 business days, after which OFE takes about 2 business days to update your status. Urgent or rush requests can't be accommodated, and background checks in some states take months. Order the Background & Drug Screen package early and upload immunization records well before the 16-week mark.
Can I change preceptors after the 16-week deadline has passed?
USU's rule is that changes need approval at least 16 weeks before the course where they apply, and it doesn't publish an exception process. If a preceptor withdraws for reasons outside your control, OFE makes every reasonable attempt to find an alternative. If you simply want someone different, the new search is yours and the timing rule still applies.
When should DNP students start looking for a Project Mentor?
The DNP handbook starts mentor identification in the program's second course, well before any immersion course. Program Director approval of a mentor takes 2–16 weeks, and site, mentor and health and safety documents are due 16 weeks before the immersion. The first immersion course with hours is DNP707, at 135 hours.
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.
Six months out is USU's rule. We start now.
Tell us your USU program, your state and when your next practicum opens. We look for preceptors who meet USU's rules and help you build the packet the Office of Field Experience and Program Director review.
- Preceptors matched to the course: family practice, pediatrics, women's health, urgent care within USU's caps
- Appendix H, license, CV and board certification gathered the way OFE asks
- In person near you; telehealth only inside USU's 40-hour limit
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