The short answer
Across every specialty, a preceptor needs an active, unencumbered license where the student’s hours take place and experience in the student’s field. The details differ by profession: NP students complete at least 750 direct patient care hours, DNP students 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours, counseling students a 100-hour practicum and 600-hour internship, social work students 400 or 900 field hours, and BCBA candidates 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork.
- 14specialties, each with its own preceptor profile
- 750direct care hours, the minimum for every NP track
- 1,000post-baccalaureate practice hours for a DNP
- 2,000supervised fieldwork hours for BCBA candidates
What every program asks
Whatever the specialty, programs look for the same foundation: an active, unencumbered license in the state where the student’s hours take place, national certification where the profession certifies, experience in the role (usually one to two years for nurse practitioners, and two years after the master’s degree for counseling site supervisors and social work field instructors), and a practice whose patients match the student’s course.
The table below brings the specialty details together. Each school sets its own preceptor guidelines on top of these standards, and your recruitment manager tells you exactly what your student’s school asks.
Nurse practitioner specialties
The 2022 National Task Force standards set a minimum of 750 direct patient care hours for every NP population-focused track. Care delivered through telehealth can count; simulation does not. Programs divide the hours across courses, so a single rotation is one part of the total.
| Specialty | Who usually precepts | Certifying boards |
|---|---|---|
| FNP | Certified FNPs, and physicians in family medicine, internal medicine or pediatrics for part of the hours | AANPCB (FNP-C), ANCC (FNP-BC) |
| AGPCNP | AGPCNPs and FNPs who see adults, internists and geriatricians | AANPCB (A-GNP-C), ANCC (AGPCNP-BC) |
| AGACNP | AGACNPs, hospitalists, intensivists and inpatient specialists, in person | ANCC (AGACNP-BC), AACN Certification Corporation (ACNPC-AG) |
| PMHNP | PMHNPs and psychiatrists, in person or by telepsychiatry | ANCC (PMHNP-BC), AANPCB (PMHNP-C) |
| PNP | PNPs, pediatricians and FNPs with a pediatric panel | PNCB (CPNP-PC, CPNP-AC) |
| WHNP | WHNPs, certified nurse-midwives and OB/GYNs | NCC (WHNP-BC) |
| NNP | NNPs and neonatologists, in the NICU | NCC (NNP-BC) |
Midwifery, DNP and MSN
Nurse-midwifery students complete hands-on hours through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum weeks in programs accredited by ACME, and their preceptors are certified nurse-midwives, with OB/GYNs for part of the experience. DNP programs count at least 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours across the program, often including a project built in a real practice. MSN students in education, leadership and informatics tracks complete practicums set by their program, with nurses who hold an MSN or higher in that track.
| Specialty | Who usually precepts | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse-midwifery | Certified nurse-midwives (AMCB), with OB/GYNs for part of the hours | Set by the ACME-accredited program, in person |
| DNP | Doctorally prepared clinicians and leaders in the student’s practice area | At least 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours (AACN) |
| MSN (non-NP tracks) | Nurses with an MSN or higher in education, leadership or informatics | Set by the program |
Physician assistants
PA students complete supervised clinical practice experiences across core areas of medicine, usually as a series of rotations with different preceptors. PAs and physicians precept most rotations, and many programs also welcome nurse practitioners for part of the year. Practicing PAs who precept students from ARC-PA accredited programs earn AAPA Category 1 CME: 2 credits per student for each 40-hour week. PA rotations are matched in person.
How Preceptorate matches you
When you apply, you tell us your specialty, the states where you are licensed and whether you would like to precept in person, virtually or both. We match you with students whose program and course fit your practice, verify your license with the state board, and set up a short call so you can both see it is a good fit. Then our team prepares the affiliation agreement and the school’s forms.
Documents schools usually ask for
A school builds a file for every preceptor. It usually includes:
- Your resume or CV, with your education and current role.
- Your license number and state, which the school verifies.
- Your national certification, where your profession certifies.
- The school’s preceptor form or agreement.
- Your facility’s details, for the affiliation agreement.
Precepting in more than one state
A student’s hours take place where you practice, so programs look for your license in that state. If you hold licenses in several states, add each one to your Preceptorate profile and we match you with students in each, in person near your practice or virtually where the student’s school accepts it.
Questions
Do I need board certification to precept?
Can I precept students outside my own specialty?
Do the hour rules differ between schools?
Which specialties are matched in person only?
Who gathers my documents for the school?
Sources
- National Task Force: Standards for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education, 6th edition (2022)
- AACN: Doctor of Nursing Practice
- CACREP 2024 Standards, Section 4: Professional Practice
- CSWE: 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards
- BACB: BCBA Handbook (updated June 2026)
- AANPCB: PMHNP certification program accredited by NCCA
- AACN Certification Corporation: ACNPC-AG Renewal Handbook (July 2026)
- NCC: certification and certificate maintenance
- PNCB: CPNP-PC recertification FAQs
- AMCB: Certificate Maintenance Program, continuing education policy
- AAPA: Category 1 CME for precepting
Checked October 30, 2026. Schools build on these standards with their own guidelines.