How it works

How does placement work, step by step?

Placement works in six plain steps: you tell us your program and term, we source the mentor, we secure the site with its affiliation agreement and CastleBranch compliance, we help you scope the project, you approve everything, and then you log your hours. Excelsior provides no clinical instruction and leaves the mentor, the site, and the project for you to arrange, so our job is to do that legwork and hand you a plan you simply sign off on. You pay only when you are matched.

Six steps, one planPay only when matchedMentor volunteers, never paidStart 4 to 6 months early

Infographic: the three things we line up, an Excelsior mentor, practice-experience site, and capstone project — Mentor, site, and project, all lined up for your 135 hours.

The steps

What happens from first contact to logged hours?

Step 1

Tell us your program and termShare your Excelsior program, your capstone course, your city, and your target start term. That is all we need to begin.

Day 1

Step 2

We source the mentorWe find a master's-prepared, specialty-matched professional willing to volunteer as your mentor and pass Excelsior faculty approval.

Weeks 1 to 4

Step 3

We secure the site and complianceWe confirm the practice-experience site, handle any affiliation agreement, and guide your CastleBranch background, drug screen, and immunizations.

Weeks 2 to 6

Step 4

We help scope the projectWe shape an independent project the site will host and your faculty will approve, mapped to your track and its hour count.

Weeks 3 to 6

Step 5

You approveYou review the mentor, the site, and the project scope. Nothing moves forward until you say yes.

Your call

Step 6

You log your 135 hoursWith everything in place, you complete and log your practice-experience hours and finish your capstone on schedule.

Your term

What we source

What exactly do we line up for you?

We line up the three things Excelsior requires you to arrange yourself, and we verify each one against Excelsior's own criteria before you commit. The mentor is a volunteer with a master's degree or higher and expertise in your specialization; Excelsior faculty approves, but you have to find the person, and that search is where most students stall. The site is the agency or setting that hosts your work, along with any affiliation agreement it wants signed and any CastleBranch compliance it requires. The project is an independent capstone the site will host and your faculty will approve.

The mentor

Master's-prepared, specialty-matched, willing to volunteer, and built to pass faculty approval. Excelsior uses the word mentor; some students call it a preceptor.

The site

The agency or setting, plus any affiliation agreement and CastleBranch background, drug screen, and immunization clearance.

The project

An independent capstone project the site will host and your Excelsior faculty will approve, mapped to your track competencies.

Timing and cost

When should you start, and when do you pay?

Start four to six months before your capstone term. Affiliation agreements have to route through a site's administration, and CastleBranch clearance can take weeks on its own, so early runway is what keeps your capstone from slipping. When you come to us with a term still months away, we can work at a pace that leaves room for a second option if a first site does not work out.

On cost, you pay only once your mentor and site are confirmed. There is no charge for the initial plan, and there is never a payment to your mentor, who volunteers as your resource. Our flat fee per placement covers sourcing, verification, and the affiliation-agreement and compliance work. If you already have part of the picture, a mentor you found or a site that will host you, we do less and you pay accordingly.

The math that matters: a capstone you cannot staff does not slip by a few weeks, it holds your whole degree. Lining up the mentor and site early costs far less than repeating a term of tuition or stalling your graduation.

Questions

Common questions about how it works

When do I pay?

You pay only once your mentor and practice-experience site are confirmed. There is no charge for the initial plan, and there is never a payment to your mentor, who volunteers. Our fee covers sourcing, verification, and the affiliation-agreement and compliance legwork.

How early should I start?

Start four to six months before your capstone term. Affiliation agreements and CastleBranch compliance take time, so the earlier you begin, the more comfortably we can line up a mentor, secure the site, and scope a project your faculty will approve before the term opens.

Do you guarantee faculty approval?

We cannot approve your mentor or project, because only Excelsior faculty can do that. What we do is verify that your mentor meets Excelsior's stated criteria, a master's degree or higher with expertise in your specialization, and help scope a project that fits the course competencies, so what you submit is built to pass review.

What if I already have a mentor or site?

Then we do less, and you pay accordingly. We can verify a mentor you already found, help with just the affiliation agreement and CastleBranch steps, or focus on scoping the project. Tell us what you already have and we will fill only the gaps.

Is this affiliated with Excelsior University?

No. We help you meet Excelsior's requirements; we do not act for Excelsior or submit anything on the university's behalf.

Written and maintained by the Excelsior Preceptor placement team. Facts verified against Excelsior University nursing program and catalog pages. Last updated July 3, 2026.

Start with a plan, not a search

Tell us your Excelsior program, your city, and your capstone term. We will come back with a mentor, a site, and a project you can approve.

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