The DNP is 1,000+ post-baccalaureate hours. At most online programs, finding the preceptor is on you.
University of Colorado DNP support

DNP preceptors and project sites for University of Colorado

DNP students at University of Colorado can use our independent search support for project mentors, clinical preceptors, and practicum sites. We work from the student's confirmed course rules, while the school keeps final authority over every candidate and site.

University of Colorado DNP students: Colorado practice environment and the 1,000-hour AACN post-baccalaureate floor
University of Colorado sits in Colorado. DNP practice environment and the 1,000-hour AACN post-baccalaureate floor.

University of Colorado DNP program snapshot

  • Program: Doctor of Nursing Practice
  • School: University of Colorado
  • Directory location: Aurora, Colorado
  • National accreditation evidence: CCNE
  • Roster verified: July 21, 2026
  • Approval authority: University of Colorado

Treat this as an identity and accreditation snapshot, not as a statement of school policy. The official school website and the student's current course documents remain the sources for pathways, deadlines, hours, and placement rules.

Start with the current University of Colorado DNP requirements

As of the July 21, 2026 roster check, CCNE accreditation records include a DNP program at University of Colorado. Accreditation answers the inclusion question. Your current catalog and placement office must answer the separate questions about entry route, specialty, deadlines, and site approval.

Begin with the course number, term dates, required practice setting, mentor or preceptor credentials, location limits, and every form your program expects. If the course includes both a scholarly project and direct-care practice, separate those needs so each proposed person and site can be evaluated for the work they will actually supervise.

Make the scholarly project the placement spine

A DNP scholarly project needs a practice setting where the student can examine a real care or systems problem, introduce an approved change, and evaluate results. Suitable settings may include health systems, hospitals, clinics, public health programs, long-term care organizations, or community services. The right setting depends on the approved project question, access to the intended population, and the site's capacity to support the work.

The project mentor must fit both the proposed work and University of Colorado's current credential rules. A DNP-prepared nurse, physician, nurse executive, quality leader, or another qualified practice expert may fit in some programs, but the title alone never establishes eligibility. We screen for role alignment and send the documented candidate to the program for its own review.

Map supervised practice hours before sourcing

At least 1,000 supervised post-baccalaureate practice hours are part of AACN's DNP framework, but that is not a school-specific course total. Prior qualifying master's hours and the hours assigned to the DNP pathway vary. Ask University of Colorado to confirm the student's remaining requirement and build the placement request from that answer.

For a direct-care pathway, the plan may require a board-certified nurse practitioner or physician in the student's population focus. Systems and leadership hours may call for a different practice expert and setting. The DNP clinical hours guide explains the cumulative post-baccalaureate framework without assigning a school-specific total that the evidence does not support.

Build an approval-ready match in Colorado

A local search can start in Aurora and extend to eligible sites elsewhere in Colorado when the program and state authorization rules allow it. Geography is only one filter. The proposed site must also support the course objectives, the mentor must meet current credential and conflict rules, and both parties must be willing to complete the school's approval documents.

Use our DNP placement guide for Colorado alongside this school page when planning geography. It identifies common site categories, while the student's program still decides what is eligible.

Before the proposal reaches University of Colorado, we collect the facts that commonly drive review: who the candidate is, where the work would occur, what the person would supervise, and when the experience is available. The school may still require contracts, compliance checks, authorization, or other documentation that only it can approve.

What to confirm before outreach begins

  • Your exact DNP pathway and practicum course
  • The remaining approved practice hours shown by your program
  • Whether the need is a project mentor, direct-care preceptor, systems mentor, or a combination
  • Required credentials and disallowed relationships
  • Approved state, setting, population, and project parameters
  • Submission deadline and all site or preceptor forms

Recheck every item against the documents for the student's actual term because catalog and placement instructions can change. The official source links below are the starting point. Our search follows the requirements supplied for this program and does not import another university's rules.

Independent DNP placement support for University of Colorado students

Once the current requirements are clear, a search request should include the course, dates, approved location, setting, population focus, project topic, and school forms. The placement process uses those facts to screen candidates before the program performs its own review.

PreceptorDNP is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of Colorado and has no university authority to approve a site. Submitting a matching request begins candidate sourcing only; it does not guarantee placement, paperwork completion, or school approval.

Questions

Frequently asked

Does University of Colorado approve the preceptor or project mentor?

University of Colorado makes its own approval decisions. We identify and document a candidate around the current requirements you provide, then the program reviews the person, site, and paperwork.

How many DNP practice hours does University of Colorado require?

AACN sets a floor of at least 1,000 supervised post-baccalaureate practice hours, but the total and treatment of prior qualifying hours varies by program. Confirm your current University of Colorado degree audit and handbook rather than relying on a generic number.

Can you find both a DNP project mentor and a clinical preceptor?

Yes, when the current course requirements call for both roles. We screen each candidate for the work that person will supervise and submit the match for program approval.

Are you affiliated with University of Colorado?

No. PreceptorDNP is an independent placement service. We do not represent University of Colorado, and we cannot guarantee that the school will approve a proposed mentor, preceptor, or site.

Request a preceptor

Tell us your program. We'll start sourcing.

No cost to request, and nothing is billed until a match is confirmed and your school signs off. We'll reply within one business day.

We do not guarantee placement. Final approval rests with your program.