diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20230627-152528.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20230627-152528.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..78d017e88b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20230627-152528.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+kind: Fixes
+body: add access to ModelNodeArgs for external node building
+time: 2023-06-27T15:25:28.488767-04:00
+custom:
+  Author: michelleark
+  Issue: "7890"
diff --git a/core/dbt/contracts/graph/node_args.py b/core/dbt/contracts/graph/node_args.py
index 69e86686c6a..cd419e69b5e 100644
--- a/core/dbt/contracts/graph/node_args.py
+++ b/core/dbt/contracts/graph/node_args.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from typing import Optional, List
 
 from dbt.contracts.graph.unparsed import NodeVersion
+from dbt.node_types import AccessType
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ class ModelNodeArgs:
     version: Optional[NodeVersion] = None
     latest_version: Optional[NodeVersion] = None
     deprecation_date: Optional[datetime] = None
+    access: Optional[str] = AccessType.Protected.value
     generated_at: datetime = field(default_factory=datetime.utcnow)
     depends_on_nodes: List[str] = field(default_factory=list)
     enabled: bool = True
diff --git a/core/dbt/contracts/graph/nodes.py b/core/dbt/contracts/graph/nodes.py
index c5cd99496f1..0f87306e97d 100644
--- a/core/dbt/contracts/graph/nodes.py
+++ b/core/dbt/contracts/graph/nodes.py
@@ -599,6 +599,7 @@ def from_args(cls, args: ModelNodeArgs) -> "ModelNode":
             alias=args.identifier,
             deprecation_date=args.deprecation_date,
             checksum=FileHash.from_contents(f"{unique_id},{args.generated_at}"),
+            access=AccessType(args.access),
             original_file_path="",
             path="",
             depends_on=DependsOn(nodes=args.depends_on_nodes),
diff --git a/core/dbt/parser/manifest.py b/core/dbt/parser/manifest.py
index 797b2534215..a8e2db684b7 100644
--- a/core/dbt/parser/manifest.py
+++ b/core/dbt/parser/manifest.py
@@ -776,6 +776,7 @@ def build_external_nodes(self) -> List[ModelNodeArgs]:
                         schema=public_node.schema,
                         identifier=public_node.identifier,
                         deprecation_date=public_node.deprecation_date,
+                        access=AccessType.Public,
                     )
                 )