APU nursing programs and the clinicals each one needs
Clinical work at Azusa Pacific ranges from the 540 primary care hours of GNRS 600 up to a DNP residency of 1,000 hours, and no two programs ask for quite the same thing. APU's published hours are laid out in the table; for the courses, preceptors and campuses behind any single program, open its guide further down.
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Clinical hours by program (2026-2027 catalog)
| Program | Clinical hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MSN FNP | 540 in GNRS 600, 135 of them pediatric | BSN to DNP FNP students complete 750 direct-care hours |
| MSN AGPCNP | 540 in GNRS 600 | BSN to DNP AGPCNP students complete 750 direct-care hours |
| MSN PNP-PC | 540 (units x 45) | GNRS 590A and GNRS 532 list 135 hours each on APU's request form |
| MSN PMHNP | 540: 135 in each of GNRS 535 to GNRS 538 | Campus lists differ between APU pages |
| MSN CNS (adult-gerontology or pediatric) | 540 (units x 45) | APU's request form lists 180 hours for each CNS course |
| FNP or PNP with School Nurse Services Credential | 675 | Adds the school nursing field experience |
| MSN with School Nurse Services Credential | 270 (units x 45) | GNRS 550A and GNRS 590C |
| Oncology NP Fellowship | 540 at a comprehensive cancer center | Post-master's |
| BSN to DNP | 1,000 total; 750 NP direct-care hours on the APRN track | Leadership track: 1,000 residency hours |
| DNP (post-master's) | 1,000 in GNRS 732 | Up to 500 may transfer from your master's program |
| MSN Nursing Education | 225, including the 135-hour GNRS 663 capstone | Online, with hybrid options |
| MSN Healthcare Administration and Leadership | 225 (units x 45) | Course numbers differ between APU sources |
| RN to BSN | 90 (units x 45) in RNRS 482P | Online |
| BSN, transfer and LVN to BSN | 900 to 1,035 (units x 45) | APU assigns pre-licensure clinicals |
If two numbers here disagree for your program, your catalog year and syllabus settle it; check the answer with APU's placement team or your program director before you plan hours around it.
Where your program runs from
APU's nurse practitioner MSN specialties run from the Azusa, Inland Empire and San Diego campuses, and applicants must live in Southern California. The DNP, Nursing Education and Healthcare Administration and Leadership programs are online, with some hybrid options. The regional campuses guide sets out which programs run where, including the places APU's pages disagree.
Nurse practitioner MSN
CNS, school nursing and entry-level
Certificates and DNP
Education, leadership and bachelor's
Questions APU students ask
Which APU nursing programs need a preceptor?
Every graduate clinical program does: the NP specialties, the CNS tracks, the school nurse credential programs, the Oncology NP Fellowship, BSN to DNP and the DNP residency, plus the education and leadership practicums. APU assigns clinical placements for its pre-licensure BSN and ELM students.
How many clinical hours are in APU's MSN nurse practitioner programs?
The FNP, AGPCNP, PNP-PC and PMHNP specialties each come to 540 hours. The FNP's 540 hours include 135 in pediatrics. Adding the School Nurse Services Credential to an FNP or PNP program brings the total to 675.
Can I take APU's NP programs if I live outside Southern California?
APU's catalog says applicants to its MSN APRN programs must reside in Southern California. The online Nursing Education and Healthcare Administration and Leadership programs are open to applicants in other places, subject to APU's state authorization rules.
Does APU count hours by the unit?
Yes. APU's printed figures work out to 45 clinical hours per clinical unit, so a 3-unit clinical course means 135 hours and the 12 units of GNRS 600 in the MSN mean 540 hours.
Last checked 2026-09-25
We check these pages against APU's own catalog and program pages. Your syllabus, your clinical faculty and APU's student placement coordinators have the final word.
APU says the clinical site and preceptor are yours to find. We make that the easy part.
Tell us your APU program, where you live in Southern California and when your next clinical term starts. We find preceptors who fit the course and prepare what APU and the site need before anything is approved.
- Preceptors matched to the course: primary care for
GNRS 600, pediatrics for the PNP courses, psychiatric care for PMHNP - Credentials, license and site details ready for APU's review and the affiliation agreement
- Close to home, from the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire to San Diego
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