Placements and Professional Licensure - State Authorization

Field Placements

One of the most common triggers for authorization is field placements. Internships, externships, clinical rotations, practicums, field trips, and other experiential learning that takes place outside of Utah may require the University to seek official approval, waiver, or exemption from another state before the placement begins.
Regulations vary greatly from state to state, and change regularly.
Department coordinators should check with State Authorization staff regarding their intended placements early enough to secure any necessary approvals before the start of the field experience.
In some cases, approvals may prove too difficult to obtain (due to cost or the duration of the process). Early communication with the SA coordinator will help identify these cases and allow departments to make alternative placements.

Before students engage in field experiences (internships, practicum, clinical rotations, etc.) outside of Utah, programs related to licensed professions (such as social work, nursing, medical, education, etc.) may be required to submit information to state boards as part of an additional approval process.
In addition to curriculum, syllabi, and other artifacts, some states require that the instructors overseeing clinical placements are licensed in that state before we can be approved by the board. In some cases, we will be asked to demonstrate that our curriculum meets the state's requirements to sit for pre-licensure exams.
For post-licensure programs that result in a change in credential, similar information may be required before we can receive approval. Like State Authorization, there is no single standard nationally as to whether we are required to notify or apply for approval from the individual state boards.
Therefore, we must evaluate out-of-state placements and educational activities on a program-by-program, state-by-state basis.