Liberty practicum in Wisconsin and the out-of-state school rule
Liberty's lookup approves Wisconsin practicum for every online nursing track. Wisconsin's board, for its part, requires nursing schools from other states to hold its approval, and the levels it names include graduate and post-licensure bachelor's programs. Check with Liberty's practicum team that your program is covered before you line up a site.
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Wisconsin and Liberty's tracks
| Liberty program | Liberty lookup | Level in Wisconsin's rule |
|---|---|---|
| DNP – FNP, DNP – PMHNP, PMHNP certificate | Approved for practicum | Graduate |
| DNP (post-master's) | Approved for practicum | Graduate |
| MSN tracks, MSN/MBA, MSN/MSHA | Approved for practicum | Graduate |
| RN-to-BSN | Approved for practicum | Post-licensure bachelor's |
The right-hand column shows which level of Wisconsin's rule each program sits at. It doesn't tell you Liberty's approval status there; the next section explains why that question goes to Liberty.
Wisconsin approves out-of-state schools
Form 3067-OEE from the Department of Safety and Professional Services, revised April 13, 2026, points to Wis. Admin. Code N 1.06. That rule sets the approval requirements for nursing schools based in other states, and those schools need approval from the Wisconsin Board of Nursing. The requirement reaches RN and practical nurse programs at the graduate, bachelor's and associate levels, with post-licensure bachelor's programs included. To keep their approval, schools file a self-evaluation report on form 3069OEE, and DSPS posts a list of the out-of-state nursing schools it has approved.
Whether Liberty appears on that list, and for which programs, is Liberty's to confirm. Liberty's own lookup shows Wisconsin as approved for practicum. Ask the practicum team at APRN.DNPPracticum@liberty.edu to confirm your track before you commit a preceptor's time.
Don't assume a Wisconsin site can take you because a classmate on another track did. Wisconsin's rule is about the school and its programs, so confirm yours.
License rules for you and your preceptor
The Nurse Licensure Compact has been in force in Wisconsin since January 19, 2018. Liberty's rule for Wisconsin practicum is an active Wisconsin or multistate RN license. Wisconsin hasn't enacted the APRN Compact.
The same DSPS form also sets a rule for the people who teach you: anyone serving as faculty or preceptor for clinicals in the state needs either a Wisconsin license or the privilege to practice there. A preceptor licensed only in a non-compact neighbor such as Minnesota or Illinois would need one or the other. The RN license for practicum guide covers your side of it.
Wisconsin's new APRN law and your NP preceptor
In AANP's ratings, Wisconsin is a reduced practice state where NPs work in a collaborative relationship with a physician. AANP also notes the APRN Modernization Act, effective September 1, 2026. Under 2025 Wisconsin Act 17, DSPS issues APRN licenses in four roles today and has moved existing APNP licenses over to APRN. An NP who wants to practice independently, with no collaborating physician, has to apply separately and get board approval.
The practical point for you is the paperwork. A preceptor's credential may now read APRN where it once read APNP, so make sure the CV and license details you send Liberty match. The preceptor requirements page covers what Liberty publishes.
Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay and Appleton
Milwaukee-Waukesha is Wisconsin's largest metro, followed by Madison, Green Bay and Appleton. Large systems include Aspirus Health, UW Health, Ascension Wisconsin, Froedtert ThedaCare Health and Aurora Health Care (part of Advocate Health). None is a known Liberty partner. Community Health students can start with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Parts of western and northern Wisconsin belong to two metros centered in Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Duluth. A site on the Minnesota side needs a Minnesota RN license; see the Minnesota page.
Why Wisconsin students choose us
We look for Wisconsin preceptors and sites that fit your Liberty track and prepare what the Gate course collects. We work alongside Liberty's practicum team, and Liberty alone approves sites and preceptors.
Questions Liberty students ask
Is Liberty University approved by the Wisconsin Board of Nursing?
Liberty's place on the DSPS list of out-of-state nursing schools it has approved is Liberty's to confirm. Its state licensure lookup shows Wisconsin as approved for practicum for every online nursing track. For a definite answer on your program, ask the practicum team before you approach sites.
Does Wisconsin's out-of-state rule cover RN-to-BSN and MSN programs?
On its face, yes. DSPS form 3067-OEE applies the approval requirement to RN programs at the graduate, bachelor's and associate levels, and it counts post-licensure bachelor's programs in. That takes in Liberty's RN-to-BSN, MSN and DNP tracks alike. How Liberty meets it is the School of Nursing's business, so confirm with the practicum team.
Can my Wisconsin preceptor be licensed in another state?
The DSPS form requires every faculty member and preceptor for Wisconsin clinicals to have either a Wisconsin license or the privilege to practice in the state. Wisconsin is a compact state, so the question mostly arises with preceptors licensed in non-compact states such as Minnesota or Illinois.
What changed for Wisconsin nurse practitioners on September 1, 2026?
2025 Wisconsin Act 17 took effect. DSPS now licenses APRNs in four roles, CNM, CNS, CRNA and NP, and it converted APNP licenses already on file to APRN. To practice with no collaborating physician, an NP needs board approval through a separate application, so an NP you approach may still work with one.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-23
We check these pages against Liberty's own published sources. The practicum team and Liberty's current handbook have the final word.
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Tell us your Liberty program, your county and when your practicum starts. We look for a preceptor and site that fit Liberty's rules for your track, and help you get the Gate-course paperwork right.
- Matched to your track: FNP, PMHNP, DNP or MSN
- Paperwork ready for the Gate course and the site contract
- In person near you, or telehealth where your track allows it
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