Iowa nurses and Ohio University's state lists
Ohio University's graduate nursing programs take applicants from 28 approved states as of September 2026, and Iowa is not one of them. Iowa is also missing from all four RN-to-BSN lists. What follows is for Iowans thinking about a move to Illinois, Missouri or Wisconsin, and for Ohio University students whose lives may take them to Iowa.
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Iowa's status, in one table
Admission to the MSN, the post-master's certificates and the MSN-to-DNP depends on living in an approved state and holding an unrestricted RN license there. The provost's MSN licensure disclosure lists Iowa as "No" as well, and the RN-to-BSN program page, which names 32 states and DC, leaves Iowa off.
| Program | For Iowa residents | Delivery | Clinical hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN FNP, PMHNP, AG-ACNP; matching certificates | Outside the approved list | Online | 750 |
| Emergency NP certificate | Outside the approved list | Online | 450 (catalog) or 500 (program page) |
| MSN-to-DNP | Outside the approved list | Online | 1,000 post-baccalaureate |
| Nurse Leader or Nurse Educator MSN | Outside the approved list | Online | 500 |
| RN-to-BSN | Absent from all four RN-to-BSN lists | 100% online | 31.5 |
Lists get revised, so ask Ohio University before deciding anything; the approved states page holds the current graduate list and the RN-to-BSN variations.
What Iowa expects from a program based in another state
Iowa's Board of Nursing, within the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, does not itself approve programs from other states. Its out-of-state criteria page still leaves those programs with a to-do list:
- Iowa College Aid firstThe program asks the Bureau of Iowa College Aid to authorize its operation in the state.
- Follow two rulebooksIowa law applies alongside the rules of the program's home state, and the Board can ask the program for data.
- License everyone on the groundEvery faculty member and preceptor working with students inside Iowa carries an active license, Iowa-issued or multistate.
- Put the clinical contract in writingIt spells out each party's duties, keeps faculty in control of student learning, and provides for annual review and termination.
Students carry a license duty too. A post-licensure student at an Iowa clinical site needs an active Iowa or multistate license and practices under Iowa Code; the Iowa Code 152.1 student exemption covers only unlicensed students. Preceptors are approved jointly by the nursing program and the clinical facility.
Who precepts an NP student in Iowa
Iowa titles its nurse practitioners ARNPs, and AANP rates the state full practice. Chapter 616 of the Board's rules says the bulk of an ARNP student's preceptorship experiences should come from ARNPs or physicians who share the student's role and population focus. Each preceptor must be licensed in the state where they practice, and the written preceptorship agreement gets an annual review.
Iowa also rewards precepting: a nurse who precepts for a minimum of 60 hours in an organized preceptorship program can count 6 contact hours toward renewing their license, once the supervising institution documents it. The compact arrived in Iowa on January 19, 2018; the APRN version has not been enacted.
The Quad Cities and Iowa's neighbors on the list
The biggest Iowa metro, Des Moines-West Des Moines, had about 759,000 people in 2025 Census estimates, followed by Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Large systems include MercyOne, UnityPoint Health and the University of Iowa's health care enterprise, named here as examples, not as sites known to take Ohio University students.
Along the Mississippi, the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island metro is split between two states, with about 175,000 residents on the Iowa side. Across the river, Illinois is on Ohio University's approved list but outside the compact, and Ohio University's disclosure says the APRN student and the preceptor there must both hold an Illinois RN license. Missouri and Wisconsin are approved compact states, with Missouri asking for clinical faculty licensed in Missouri. Check the RN license page before you choose.
How we help Iowa nurses
Relocating from Iowa to an approved state? Your placement advisor builds the preceptor search around where you will live, the Ohio University course you will start and the license rules on that side of the line. Students already enrolled at Ohio University who may move into Iowa should put the question to graduatenursing@ohio.edu before deciding, then bring us the answer so the search follows the plan. Use the contact page to start.
Questions Ohio University students ask
Is Ohio University's online PMHNP open to me in Iowa?
Not under the rules in place as of September 2026. Graduate applicants must be residents of one of Ohio University's 28 approved states with a valid, unrestricted RN license there, and Iowa is not on the list. FNP, AG-ACNP, certificate and MSN-to-DNP applicants face the identical rule. If you plan to move to an approved state, confirm the list with Ohio University first.
Is Ohio University's RN-to-BSN available in Iowa?
None of Ohio University's four RN-to-BSN state lists includes Iowa, whether the long list on the program page or the short one on the NRSE 4600 course page. The eligibility page says other states may be added in the future, so check back with Ohio University. The RN-to-BSN page describes the program itself.
I live in Davenport. Could I train across the river in Illinois?
Residence is the first hurdle: Ohio University's graduate programs look at the state you live in, and Iowa is not on the list. For anyone who does live in an approved state and trains in Illinois, Ohio University's disclosure requires both the APRN student and the preceptor to hold an Illinois RN license. Illinois is also outside the compact.
What do Iowa preceptors get for teaching students?
Iowa's Board counts at least 60 hours of precepting in an organized preceptorship as 6 contact hours toward license renewal, with documentation from the supervising institution. No state tax credit for preceptors is recorded for Iowa. Ohio University itself publishes no preceptor benefits for nursing preceptors.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-24
We check these pages against Ohio University's own catalog, program pages and Nursing Knowledge Center. Your syllabus, the Graduate Nursing Student Handbook and your faculty have the final word.
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