United States University from Utah: programs and clinical rules
This page is about United States University (usuniversity.edu), whose main campus is in Sandy Springs, Georgia, not Utah State University. Utah residents can enroll in the MSN-FNP, the Nurse Educator and Health Care Leadership MSNs and the RN-to-BSN, though not the DNP or RN-to-MSN. Utah sets firm conditions for any out-of-state program placing students in its clinics, down to an annual report due August 1.
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What United States University offers Utah residents
The abbreviation trips people up here. Utah State University uses usu.edu and is a different school; every rule on this site concerns United States University. For Utah, its Board of Nursing list (May 19, 2026) rules out the DNP, all RN-to-MSN tracks and the closed Post-Master's FNP, and its state-authorization disclosure labels the DNP "ineligible per BON".
| Program | Open from Utah? | Clinical hours |
|---|---|---|
| MSN Family Nurse Practitioner | Yes | 540 (FNP592, FNP594, FNP596, FNP597) |
| MSN Nurse Educator | Yes | 100 |
| MSN Health Care Leadership | Yes | 100 |
| RN-to-BSN | Yes | 90 |
| RN-to-MSN, all specializations | No | None |
| DNP | No | 1,000 post-baccalaureate |
Utah's approval of USU, as that list records it, spans four programs: FNP, Nurse Educator, Health Care Leadership and RN-to-BSN. One check: in USU's September 2026 state-authorization PDF, a Utah entry shows a "valid till" date of January 29, 2026, already past. USU's accreditation page links the newest versions; check them before enrolling.
R156-31b-609: Utah's conditions for out-of-state programs
Utah Admin. Code R156-31b-609 requires an out-of-state nursing program to satisfy the Division of Professional Licensing and the Board of Nursing before placing students for clinical or practicum experiences at agencies or institutions in Utah. The rule draws no line between pre-licensure and graduate programs, so it reaches an online FNP like USU's.
What the program has to show Utah
- Approval by its home-state board of nursing, and accreditation by a nursing accreditor the US Department of Education recognizes.
- Faculty employed by the program who meet accreditor and home-state standards and, when supervising face to face, are licensed in Utah or a compact state.
- A plan covering how clinical sites are chosen and how faculty or preceptors are selected and supervised.
- An annual report by August 1 giving the number of students placed in Utah, attesting to faculty and preceptor licensure, and verifying accreditation.
Those duties are USU's; its catalog says the master's in nursing is CCNE-accredited. What reaches you is the preceptor license rule.
Your preceptor's license: Utah or a compact state
Under R156-31b-609, when an out-of-state program uses a preceptor in Utah, that preceptor needs a license in good standing from Utah or from a Nurse Licensure Compact party state. USU, for its part, wants the preceptor's license active, clean and valid for the state the clinic sits in. A preceptor with a Utah license satisfies both.
The rest of USU's list still applies: a certified nurse practitioner or a physician with at least a year in practice, a cap of two students per preceptor, and an NP for no fewer than 135 hours. AANP lists Utah as full practice, so NP-led clinics deserve a call alongside physician practices. See preceptor requirements.
From Salt Lake City to St. George
Salt Lake City-Murray is Utah's largest metro, about 1.31 million people by the 2025 Census estimate, with Provo-Orem-Lehi (about 773,000) and Ogden (about 673,000) next and St. George (about 214,000) after them. Intermountain Health, University of Utah Health and HCA's MountainStar Healthcare are examples of systems Utah FNP students look at. None is a USU partner by default; every site needs an affiliation agreement from OFE, which can take four to six months.
Two compacts, one still waiting
Utah has been a Nurse Licensure Compact member since January 19, 2018, and its APRN Compact law was signed on March 24, 2022. The APRN Compact isn't operating yet: it needs seven states, and five (Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming) have enacted it.
USU's side is simpler: keep your RN license active and unencumbered in Utah, where your address sits on file, and hold liability insurance in that same state. Any telehealth patients, up to 40 FNP hours, must be in Utah. See RN license for clinicals.
Why Utah students choose us
We search Utah for preceptors who meet USU's rules and Utah's licensure line, and help you put together the preceptor packet OFE and your Program Director review. USU decides every approval. Should a preceptor withdraw, we look again. Tell us your course and city.
Questions USU students ask
Is United States University the same as Utah State University?
No. United States University (usuniversity.edu) runs its nursing programs online; its catalog lists a main campus in Sandy Springs, Georgia since 2025 and San Diego as an administrative site. Utah State University (usu.edu) is an unrelated institution. Both get shortened to USU, so check the web address on any handbook, form or email before relying on it.
Can Utah residents enroll in USU's DNP?
No. USU's state-authorization disclosure marks the DNP "ineligible per BON" in Utah, and its Board of Nursing list excludes Utah residents from the DNP and from every RN-to-MSN specialization. The MSN-FNP, Nurse Educator, Health Care Leadership and RN-to-BSN stay open to Utah residents.
Does my Utah preceptor have to report anything to the Board?
No. Under Utah's rule, reporting is the program's job: each year by August 1, an out-of-state school files a report giving the number of students it placed in Utah and attesting that its face-to-face faculty and preceptors are licensed in Utah or a compact state. Your preceptor's part is USU's Appendix H Preceptor Information and Acknowledgement Form.
Can I do USU clinical hours in Idaho or Nevada while living in Utah?
You can ask, but USU prefers hours in Utah and can't vouch for how a licensing board will treat hours logged outside your state of residence. You'd also need an RN license valid in the other state, so raise any cross-border site with your Clinical Placement Coordinator before you approach it.
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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