For most courses, including all self-paced courses, full payment is due at the time of registration, prior to the start of the course. For our comprehensive, months-long certificate programs, a payment plan option is available. Contact us at palliativecare@csusm.edu or call 760-750-4006 to talk to one of our Relationship Managers. 

Yes. Please contact us and we’ll work with your organization’s accounting department to accommodate purchase orders. Call 760-750-4006 or email us at palliativecare@csusm.edu. 

Very few of our courses require you to buy a text or any outside materials. Please refer to each course description page for details.

Instructor-led courses: 

Cancellations may be made up to the day before the start date of the course. A refund will be issued for the registration amount minus a $35 administrative fee. 

Self-paced courses: 

There are no refunds on our self-paced courses. 

The Institute works hard to make our courses affordable. We do not offer financial aid, but encourage you to contact your organization’s Human Resources department to review their reimbursement program for professional development. Some professional associations or independent organizations offer scholarships as well. 

No, no application or acceptance to the CSU is required to take our courses. All you have to do is register and pay the fee. 

No palliative care experience is required for most of our courses; however a few of our certificate programs strongly suggest practical experience in palliative or serious illness care before participating. Each course description will give information on basic requirements. 

Our courses are flexible so you can access them 24/7, whenever it works best for you. 

Most instructor-led courses are entirely asynchronous, meaning students don’t need to be online at the same time or any particular time. Participants are typically given weekly assignments. The work can be completed on your own time as long as deadlines are met. 

A very few of our instructor-led courses include live virtual sessions in order to practice skills, discuss case studies, or ask questions of instructors and experts. In these cases, the times and requirements for the live sessions are clearly stated in the course descriptions. 

You can start a self-paced courses any time after registration, and you will have up to 90 days to complete your work. 

No. Instructor-led programs are structured so all students in the cohort move through the material as a group each week. All work must be completed by the course deadline in order to receive your certificate of completion. 

Instructor-led courses are available for up to 90 days past the end of the course schedule. Self-paced courses are available for 90 days from registration. 

Our instructor-led online courses provide in-depth content, a small-group learning environment, and personal feedback from experts in palliative care teaching and practice. These courses begin periodically throughout the year, with new groups called “cohorts.” In your cohort, you’ll complete weekly assignments and connect with peers from across the country. A few instructor-led courses also include live, virtual sessions to practice skills or connect with your cohort. 

Self-paced online courses are self-contained interactive courses you complete at your own pace. They feature reading materials, videos, learning exercises, and quizzes that reinforce learning. 

Most instructor-led courses repeat throughout the year. To receive notification of the program dates, please email one of our Relationship Managers at palliativecare@csusm.edu and note the courses you are interested in. 

Our instructor-led courses typically range from 20 to 30 participants per cohort. 

We do not issue letter grades. Each course provides a certificate of completion for continuing education credits issued by the California State University San Marcos, which is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). To earn the certificate, you must complete the assignments in instructor-led courses, and pass quizzes in all courses with at least 80% correct answers (you can retake the quizzes several times).  

The Institute confers certificates of completion, not certification. Certification in hospice and palliative care is offered only by national certifying bodies, and usually involves a comprehensive exam or portfolio submission. Certificates earned through the Institute provide proof of continuing education credits; they can be included on your resume and are recognized as an important accomplishment in the field of palliative care. 

Yes, continuing education (CE) hours for all courses are provided through California State University San Marcos, which is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Some courses also offer CEs approved by the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) and Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS.) CE hours are listed on each course description page. The number of CE hours is roughly equivalent to the amount of time it takes to complete the course. 

Yes, we offer CME credits for some of our courses. The CME credits provided are AMA PRA Category 1. The hours are noted on each applicable course description on the website. 

Our programs are designed for busy working professionals. The time required per week for instructor-led courses varies by program and is relative to the continuing education or CME hours earned for that course. See course description pages for details. 

Our faculty includes nationally recognized experts in palliative care and hospice care as well as specialists in fields including oncology, cardiology, nutrition, interdisciplinary practice, complementary/alternative therapies, gerontology, healthcare administration, case management, chaplaincy, and more. 

You’ll need a computer and Internet connection to access courses and materials in our learning management system (LMS), known as Canvas. Students must have basic computing skills – copying and pasting, spell-checking, saving files, word count, attaching files to email, searching topics online, and using your computer’s browser. 

Canvas runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, or any other device with a modern web browser. Canvas highly recommends updating to the newest version of whatever browser you are using, as well as the most up-to-date Flash plug-in. 

Instructors do not provide computer support or training, but Institute staff are available to help. The courses provide instructions for how to access support. 

Students in instructor-led courses must participate in written discussion posts to achieve learning outcomes, so proficiency in English is required. If English proficiency is in question, you may be asked to demonstrate that you can pass the TOEFL exam. 

The Institute complies with all American Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, please contact our Department of Educational Operations at palcarehelp@csusm.edu or call 760-750-4006 to request reasonable and necessary accommodations for you prior to the start of the course.

To access our website privacy policy, click HERE; to access the privacy policy governing your use of the Canvas LMS, click HERE. 

The short answer is you own your content and neither the Institute nor Instructure (the company that owns Canvas) claims any rights or access to the content beyond what’s required to run the course. Likewise we count on you to only contribute your own original work or, if you are quoting or sharing another’s work, to properly cite the author/owner and respect their copyright. To see the detailed Acceptable Use Policy, click HERE.