• News and Announcements
• Clinical Pearls
• About the Program
• Program Description
• Program Outcomes
• Didactic Curriculum
• Experiential Training
• Tuition and Fees
• Computer Requirements
• FAQs
• Admissions and Orientation
• Admissions Process
• Non-Degree Admissions
• New Student Orientation
• Registration
• Registration for New Students
• Registration Tools
• Tuition, Fees, and Refunds
• Books and Software
• Troubleshooting Problems
• eCollege Info and Login
• Student Resources
• Academic Calendar
• Schedule of Courses
• Course Descriptions
• Scholarships and Financial Aid
• Continuing Education Credit
• Accessing Library Materials
• Accessing E-Mail
• Tips For Success
• Experiential Training
• Planning for Rotations
• Rotation Requirements
• Registration for Rotations
• Students
• Preceptors
• Credit by Challenge Process
• Graduation
• Graduation Eligibility
• Contact Us

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How much time will each course take?

An average three credit hour course is the equivalent of about 3 classroom contact hours each week during spring and fall semesters, and 4 hours per week in the abbreviated summer semester. Readings and assignments related to the online class time will generally double the number of "classroom" hours. The actual time you spend will depend on the course requirements, your existing knowledge base in the area, and on your individual studying speed and style.

How long will it take to complete the program?

This program is intended to be flexible enough to meet the needs of any practicing pharmacist's schedule and to accommodate the amount of time that you can allocate to professional education. Most pharmacists take one or two courses per semester. Currently, you have 6 years to complete the program.

At an average class load of 6 credits (2 courses) per semester during three semesters each year, the didactic class work can be completed in 6 semesters. This is two calendar years. Many pharmacists take lighter loads during some semesters, or skip an occasional semester entirely. A reasonable estimate is 3 years to complete the course work.

Why are classes scheduled on a semester basis rather than being completely self-paced as in some nontraditional PharmD programs?

Providing the classes on a semester basis provides two important advantages. The most important reason is that this permits the faculty to structure many interactive learning opportunities with other pharmacists in the course and with faculty (such as chat rooms and threaded discussions). These interactive sessions distinguish this NTPD program from more passive programs in which pharmacists primarily watch video copies of lectures given to students on campus, or read assigned chapters in textbooks.

Most pharmacists also appreciate the external structure that class calendars provide - and move more steadily through the course work than do pharmacists taking programs that are completely self-paced.

How do the classes "work" online?

Offering the class work of the NTPD program online provides many creative formats for delivering course content. It permits the faculty to provide active and interactive learning opportunities that are not possible when utilizing more conventional distance learning methods such as viewing videos of taped lectures. Faculty members participate in online instructional design workshops to learn the most effective ways to present course content online. A few of the possibilities are listed here. All of these techniques and many more are used in selected NTPD courses.

• Read lecture handouts and view lecture slides on screen. Hard copies of these can also be printed from your computer.
• Listen to audio recording of the lecture material, either as a routine accompaniment to the notes and slides, or on demand, any time you wish.
• Participate in "threaded discussions" online. These are often called bulletin boards and are back-and-forth e-mail conversations among members of the class or subgroups that are asynchronous (pharmacists participate in the discussion by signing on at anytime over several days; they need not be online at the same time as the other participants). Threaded discussions are extensively used for patient case discussions, exchange of ideas or experiences, problem solving, and discussion of controversial issues.
• Discuss patients, situations, ethical issues, therapeutic controversies or course issues "live" through real-time chat rooms. These are also back-and-forth e-mail conversations, but differ from threaded discussions in that the participants are online at the same time, permitting instant responses to comments. This is called a synchronous discussion, and is similar to a telephone conference call, but with typed-in rather than spoken conversation. The text of chat room discussions is achieved so that pharmacists who were unable to participate at the scheduled time can read the conversation that took place. Chat rooms are also used to interact in small groups in some classes.
• View a video clip of a physiologic action, such as a beating heart, while you hear concurrent normal heart sounds. The video and sounds can be altered to illustrate the effects of a specific disease state. Video clips are also used for demonstrations and films of patients.
• Search the Internet for information on a particular therapy.

I use computers at work but am not very "computer savvy." How will I learn enough to be successful in this online program?

CU Online has contracted with eCollege, a company based in Englewood, Colorado that supports computer-based education. It is their responsibility to help you learn the basic computer skills that are needed to participate in the online courses. They provide easy tutorials to walk you through e-mail and Internet skills such as downloading programs and sending e-mail attachments. You can visit their web site at www.cuonline.edu for examples of these programs. They also provide a telephone help-desk number and e-mail address for technical support. Computer help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

How and where are exams taken?

Most exams for the University of Colorado NTPD program are given online and taken from your home or workplace computer, just like the class work. Exams are usually designed so that they require application of facts rather than facts themselves, as is true of most problems in pharmacy practice. Exams are formatted to be available at any time over several days, but you will have access to the exam for only a specified length of time once you begin. Exam guidelines will be established by the faculty members responsible for each course.

Is financial aid available for NTPD courses?

Pharmacists enrolled at least half-time (6 or more credit hours per semester) in the NTPD program are eligible for financial aid. It is likely that the income of most working pharmacists will make you ineligible for subsidized student loans, but you may be eligible for unsubsidized Stafford loans. These require that interest on loans be paid while you are in school. Financial aid information is available through the Student Financial Aid Office at (303) 315-8364.

I had pharmacokinetics in college, but have not used it since graduation. Will I be able to succeed in the pharmacokinetics portions of the NTPD program?

Many pharmacists will require a review of basic undergraduate pharmacokinetics to feel comfortable with the graduate level course work that will be included in the NTPD program. The Clinical Skills Foundation course begins with a brief review of basic pharmacokinetics, but this is not expected to replace an undergraduate course. If your pharmacokinetics knowledge base is weak or distant, we recommend the ASHP basic course: Concepts in Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 4th edition. This is order code P805 through ASHP Customer Service at 866-279-0681. The cost is about $80 for ASHP members.

How often is each course offered?

Courses are offered on a varied schedule that is established based on student numbers, faculty resources and sequencing issues. Most courses are offered once each year.

What are the time frames for each semester?

The spring semester begins in the first week of January each year and ends in early May. A one-week spring break is scheduled in March. Summer semester is short and requires compressed class schedules. It begins the end of May and ends in early August. Fall semester begins the last week in August and is completed in mid-December. The calendar for the nontraditional program parallels the on-campus calendar.

Last updated: 8/27/08