Your state decides where your SAU clinicals can happen
Spring Arbor's nursing programs are authorized in most states, but not in Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana or New York, and Washington is open to Washington residents only. Find your state for its licensing rules, who can precept there and where students look.
Get your placement plan
Tell us your Spring Arbor track and where you live. A placement advisor replies with what your preceptor and site need to look like for Spring Arbor to approve them.
01The short version
The DNP page adds Mississippi to its own list of states it can't serve, which the main nursing list doesn't, so Mississippi DNP applicants should confirm first. DC and the territories aren't listed at all. Wherever you do clinical hours, you need an unrestricted RN license valid in that state; see RN licensing for clinicals and state authorization.
| Status | States |
|---|---|
| Not authorized for nursing programs | Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, New York |
| Approved for residents only | Washington (MSN programs and named post-master's certificates) |
| Authorized | The other 45 states |
Residents only
Midwest
South
Questions Spring Arbor students ask
Which states can't I do Spring Arbor nursing clinicals in?
SAU's state authorization page lists Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana and New York as states without authorization for its nursing programs. Washington is approved only for Washington residents. Check the page again before you enroll or move, because the list has changed over the years.
Does my state's nurse licensure compact status matter?
Yes. You need an unrestricted RN license valid where you do clinical hours. A multistate compact license covers you in other compact states; in a state outside the compact you need that state's own RN license.
Is Michigan different?
Michigan is Spring Arbor's home state. The main campus, where the four-day MSN residency takes place, is in Spring Arbor near Jackson. Clinicals still follow the same rules: your own preceptor, approved by SAU faculty.
Last checked 2026-09-24
We check these pages against Spring Arbor's own published sources. SAU's nursing faculty and current catalog have the final word.
More preceptor leads, sooner, for your SAU clinicals.
Tell us your Spring Arbor track, where you live and when your clinical course starts. We look for a preceptor and site that fit SAU's rules for your track and help you get the paperwork in on time.
- Matched to your track: FNP, AGPCNP, PMHNP, PNP, Nurse Educator or DNP
- Clinical agreement, affiliation and preceptor verification forms ready early
- In your home state, near where you live
Start your placement plan
A placement advisor replies with what an SAU-ready preceptor and site look like for you.