Full-time vs flex at NSU: when your clinicals start and when to name preceptors
NSU's MSN APRN tracks run as a 6-semester full-time plan or a flex plan of 8 semesters (FNP, AGACNP) or 9 (PMHNP). The first clinical lands in semester III full-time, semester V on FNP and AGACNP flex and semester VI on PMHNP flex. Put that next to NSU's two-semester notice rule and a full-time student's first preceptor notice is due at the very start of the program.
Work out your notice dates
Tell us your track, plan and start term. Your placement advisor maps every clinical and its notice semester.
The two plans side by side
Both plans contain the same courses and the same 855 clinical hours. Flex spreads the didactic courses over more semesters so fewer run at once. The clinical block is the same shape in every track and plan: four clinical semesters in a row at the end of the program, with FNP's pediatrics and women's health clinicals sharing one of them.
| Track | Full-time | Flex | First clinical, full-time | First clinical, flex |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FNP (45 credits) | 6 semesters | 8 semesters | NSG 5549 in III | NSG 5549 in V |
| AGACNP (45 credits) | 6 semesters | 8 semesters | NSG 5629 in III | NSG 5629 in V |
| PMHNP (48 credits) | 6 semesters | 9 semesters | NSG 5719 in III | NSG 5719 in VI |
What flex changes is the load around the clinical hours, not the hours. A full-time FNP student takes NSG 5542, NSG 5549 and NSG 5220 together in semester III; a flex student takes NSG 5542 and NSG 5549 alone in semester V, having moved NSG 5220 earlier. Flex also shifts your campus visits later; the intensives page lists them by plan.
The notice arithmetic for every clinical, every plan
NSU's handbook asks APRN students to notify the clinical coordinator "two semesters prior to the start of each clinical course" when they have an identified preceptor and site. Counting back two semesters from each course gives the table below. A clinical in semester V of flex means naming the preceptor by the start of semester III; a clinical in semester III of full-time means naming it by the start of semester I.
| Track and plan | First clinical | Second clinical | Third clinical | Capstone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FNP full-time | NSG 5549 in III, notice by I | NSG 5559 in IV, by II | NSG 5589 and NSG 5569 in V, by III | NSG 5599 in VI, by IV |
| FNP flex | NSG 5549 in V, notice by III | NSG 5559 in VI, by IV | NSG 5589 and NSG 5569 in VII, by V | NSG 5599 in VIII, by VI |
| AGACNP full-time | NSG 5629 in III, notice by I | NSG 5639 in IV, by II | NSG 5659 in V, by III | NSG 5669 in VI, by IV |
| AGACNP flex | NSG 5629 in V, notice by III | NSG 5639 in VI, by IV | NSG 5659 in VII, by V | NSG 5669 in VIII, by VI |
| PMHNP full-time | NSG 5719 in III, notice by I | NSG 5729 in IV, by II | NSG 5739 in V, by III | NSG 5799 in VI, by IV |
| PMHNP flex | NSG 5719 in VI, notice by IV | NSG 5729 in VII, by V | NSG 5739 in VIII, by VI | NSG 5799 in IX, by VII |
Read the full-time rows closely. The first notice falls due as the program opens, and another follows every semester after it, so a full-time student is always one or two preceptors ahead. Flex gives FNP and AGACNP students two semesters of coursework before the first notice, and PMHNP flex students three. The two-semester deadline page explains what notifying involves, and the capstone page covers the biggest of the four searches.
On the full-time plan there is no lead time: the first notice is due in the semester you start, so the search for your semester III preceptor should begin before your first day.
Mapping plan semesters to calendar terms
NSU runs fall, winter and summer semesters, and MSN APRN students must stay continuously enrolled, taking at least one graduate course each term, so plan semesters follow one another straight through the year. NSU admits MSN APRN students in fall and winter. The mapping below is our arithmetic: NSU publishes no graduate term calendar, so confirm your own plan in Degree Works and with your adviser.
| Start term | Plan | First clinical | First notice due by the start of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | Full-time, any track | Summer 2027 (III) | Fall 2026 (I) |
| Fall 2026 | FNP or AGACNP flex | Winter 2028 (V) | Summer 2027 (III) |
| Fall 2026 | PMHNP flex | Summer 2028 (VI) | Fall 2027 (IV) |
| Winter 2027 | Full-time, any track | Fall 2027 (III) | Winter 2027 (I) |
| Winter 2027 | FNP or AGACNP flex | Summer 2028 (V) | Fall 2027 (III) |
| Winter 2027 | PMHNP flex | Fall 2028 (VI) | Winter 2028 (IV) |
The same count sets each finish line: a fall 2026 full-time student reaches the capstone in summer 2028, a flex FNP or AGACNP student in winter 2029 and a flex PMHNP student in summer 2029. See NSU semesters and start terms for the published term structure.
The semester counts NSU's pages disagree on
NSU's pages do not agree on how long the MSN takes, and the headline figures do not match the plans printed underneath them.
- FNP: "in only seven semesters" on the FNP page, which then shows plans of 6 (full-time) and 8 (flex).
- AGACNP: "in just six semesters" on the AGACNP page, but "seven semesters" on NSU's master's programs index; the plans are 6 and 8.
- PMHNP: "only seven semesters" on the PMHNP page, next to plans of 6 and 9.
NSU does not explain the seven. Plan from the semester-by-semester plan of study you receive rather than the headline, and confirm the count with your program director. Entrants with a non-nursing bachelor's also take NSG 5000B, a 6-credit course offered only in fall; see the NSG 5000B bridge.
Whatever the count, NSU caps the MSN. The handbook says "within 150 percent of the length of the program or within 11 semesters", and the 2026-27 catalog repeats the 150 percent rule. NSU does not say whether "the length of the program" means the full-time or the flex plan, and 150 percent of six semesters is nine, exactly the PMHNP flex length. Ask your program director how much room your plan has before a clinical semester is lost to a missing preceptor.
Choosing a plan with clinicals in mind
The right plan depends on your job and your life, and your program director is the person to talk it through with. From the clinical side, three points stand out.
- Full-time packs four clinical semesters into semesters III to VI, most of them beside a didactic course, and the first preceptor notice arrives the semester you start.
- Flex buys time to find preceptors before the first notice and lighter coursework in clinical semesters, at the cost of a longer program.
- Neither plan changes the weekly-hours rule: each clinical still runs weekly across its semester, so a 190-hour course asks the same of your week on either plan.
NSU's public pages do not describe switching between plans once you start, and the catalog calls the curriculum lock-step, so ask your program director before assuming you can move. How we work shows how a search lines up with either plan.
Why NSU students on either plan choose us
Your placement advisor starts from your plan of study and works out every notice date before the first search begins. Full-time students get a search that starts at once, because the first notice lands in semester I; flex students get their lead time used well, with preceptors lined up across all four clinical semesters instead of one at a time.
We find preceptors near your home in the setting each course needs, prepare what your clinical coordinator checks, and stay on call to find a replacement if a preceptor drops. NSU's clinical coordinator gives the final approval of every preceptor and site; we make sure what reaches the coordinator is complete and on time. Tell us your track, plan and start term through the placement request form.
Questions NSU students ask
Is NSU's FNP program six, seven or eight semesters?
It depends on the plan and on which NSU page you read. The FNP page advertises "seven semesters" but lays out a 6-semester full-time plan and an 8-semester flex plan. Plan from your own semester-by-semester plan of study and confirm the count with your program director before you set any notice dates.
When is my first NSU preceptor notice due on the full-time plan?
By the start of semester I. Every full-time MSN APRN plan puts the first clinical (NSG 5549, NSG 5629 or NSG 5719) in semester III, and NSU asks for notice two semesters before each clinical course. In practice the search for your first preceptor should begin before your first day.
Does NSU's flex plan lower the clinical hours per semester?
No. Each clinical course carries the same hours on both plans: 190 for 2-credit clinicals, 95 for the FNP pediatrics and women's health clinicals, 285 for the capstone. Flex moves didactic courses earlier so clinical semesters carry fewer other courses, but the weekly clinical time stays the same.
Why is the NSU PMHNP flex plan nine semesters?
NSU gives no reason. What the plan shows is 48 credits, three more than FNP or AGACNP because of NSG 5532 Neurobiology Psychopharmacology, spread over nine semesters with the first clinical, NSG 5719, in semester VI. That puts the first preceptor notice at the start of semester IV and the capstone in semester IX.
Can I switch from full-time to flex at NSU?
NSU's public pages do not describe switching plans. The MSN curriculum is lock-step and requires continuous enrollment, so any change goes through your program director. If you do switch, every clinical notice date moves with your new semester numbers, so recount them the same day.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-25
We check these pages against NSU's own handbook, catalog and program pages. The graduate clinical guide, your course in Canvas, your clinical coordinator and your program director have the final word.
NSU lets you name your own preceptor. We make sure you have one, close to home and in time.
Tell us your NSU program, your home ZIP area and when your next clinical course starts. We find preceptors who fit the course and have everything ready for your clinical coordinator well before the two-semester notice.
- Preceptors matched to the course: primary care for FNP, acute care for AGACNP, psychiatric care for PMHNP, a practice site for DNP project hours
- Named early enough for NSU's two-semester notice, with license, credentials and site details ready for the coordinator
- Close to your home ZIP code, with clinic days we plan around your work schedule
Start your placement plan
Program, ZIP area and start term is all we need to begin.