Rivier nursing programs and the practicums each one needs
One placement rule runs through Rivier University's graduate nursing programs: you identify a qualified preceptor. What changes from track to track is the kind of clinician Rivier accepts and the hours you owe. The table gathers what Rivier's Handbook, program sheets and catalog list, and the guides further down explain the courses and preceptor rules for each program.
Get your placement plan
Tell us your Rivier program and where you live. A placement advisor replies with the preceptor and site options that fit your Rivier course.
Practicum hours and preceptors, by program
Treat the table as a planning aid. Your Program of Studies and your Program Director settle the numbers that apply to your cohort, and the practicum hours guide lays out every figure course by course.
| Program | Hours | Preceptor |
|---|---|---|
| MSN FNP | 750 in the Handbook; 610 in the 2025-26 catalog | MD, DO or FNP in outpatient family practice, two years |
| MSN PMHNP | 750 (NURS 521, NURS 523, NURS 525) | Psychiatrist or PMH-certified nurse, two years |
| MSN AG-ACNP | 750 (NURS 638P, NURS 639P, NURS 640P) | Hospitalist, then intensivist or AG-ACNP in critical care |
| Post-master's certificates | Up to 750 depending on prior study | Same as the matching MSN track |
| MSN Nursing Education | Not published (NURS 559P) | RN with a master's in a nurse educator role |
| MSN Leadership | Not published (NURS 571P on the 2026 sheet) | RN with a master's in a nurse leadership role |
| DNP | 1,000 supervised hours in total | Committee-approved external expert |
| BSN, ABSN, ASN | Not stated in hours | Assigned by Rivier |
Nurse practitioner tracks
Education, leadership and DNP
Undergraduate programs
Questions Rivier students ask
Which Rivier programs leave the preceptor search to the student?
Every MSN track and post-master's certificate: FNP, PMHNP, AG-ACNP, Nursing Education and Leadership. DNP students choose an external expert with their faculty guide, and Rivier assigns BSN, ABSN and ASN clinicals.
Is Rivier's NP program fully online?
The coursework is online, with a low residency: FNP students attend nine days of campus intensives, PMHNP students three weekends and AG-ACNP students ten days. The 2026 FNP program sheet calls the program 100% online, so check the intensive schedule with the program.
When can I start a Rivier graduate nursing program?
Rivier lists September, January and May starts for the MSN nurse practitioner tracks, the post-master's certificates and the DNP, and five starts a year for Nursing Education.
Last checked 2026-09-26
We check these pages against Rivier's own Nursing Student Handbook, program sheets, catalog, academic calendar and State Guide. Your program of study, your course faculty, your Program Director and the Clinical Practicum Coordinator have the final word.
Rivier asks you to identify a qualified preceptor. We make that the easy part.
Tell us your Rivier track, where you live and which semester your next practicum starts. We find preceptors who meet your track's rules, check early whether the site can contract with Rivier, and prepare everything the Preceptor Request Form asks for, well ahead of August 1 and December 1.
- Preceptors matched to the track: an MD, DO or FNP in outpatient family practice for
NURS 511, a psychiatrist or PMH-certified NP forNURS 521, a hospitalist or intensivist forNURS 638P - Preceptor license, credentials and CV ready for the Preceptor Request Form, with the site's contact details for the contract
- In your own area, in New Hampshire or any state Rivier's State Guide accepts
Start your placement plan
Track, city and semester is all we need to begin.