Online Prerequisites: FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions: Online Prerequisites for Genetic Counseling, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, and other health professions.

What online prerequisite courses do you offer?

We offer 25 online prerequisites during the fall, spring, and summer semesters as follows::

Anatomy & Physiology I, Anatomy & Physiology II, Biochemistry, Biology I, Biology II, Introduction to Chemistry for the Health Professions, Chemistry I, Chemistry II

Exercise Physiology, Microbiology, Nutrition, Physics I, Physics II

Abnormal Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Statistics

Introduction to Communication Sciences & Disorders, Phonetic Transcription and Introduction to Acoustic Phonetics, Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech, Language, and Hearing Mechanism, Speech-Language Acquisition, Introduction to Audiology.

All science courses except Introduction to Chemistry offer labs if needed.

A few courses, like Introduction to Chemistry, Chemistry II and Physics II, are not offered every semester, but most other courses are. See our list of course offerings which includes a brief description for each course, an overview of the course content (Syllabus Overview) and a link to more information about faculty.

Live chat to ask questions about Registration and Payment

How do I get set up for online classes?

• Access to D2L: Students generally receive access to D2L, our learning management system, within 24-48 hours of registration during the business week. 
• Orientation to D2L: Once you have access to D2L, you will find a list of Help Resources on the home page, including direct access to out Information Technology staff by placing a Help Desk ticket. The prerequisite program also has an Orientation to D2L that you will find on your home page.
• Technical requirements
• IHP Bookstore

What does an online prerequisite course at the IHP look like?

Weekly modules: Our instructor-led courses are divided into weekly modules. Each module begins with an Introduction from the instructor, provides resources for the week’s content, and engages you in questions to discuss the applications of the content you are studying. In some weeks you will complete additional mastery activities such as case analyses or lab reports.

• No online lectures: Instead we use multiple resources: text-based introductions and explanations interspersed with brief podcasts and other resources provided through the course management system (D2L).
• Quizzes and Exams: Many of our courses include weekly quizzes to help you assess your level of mastery of the content. Most of our courses also include midterm and final exams.
• Labs:  You can take many of our labs separately from the didactic course. Check Course Listings for more information. Also, please be sure to check with all the programs to which you are applying to be sure that online labs are acceptable for application.
• Note that the costs for lab software and materials are not included in your tuition.
• Why not "take a walk" through of D2L, our online course management system, to see what it looks like?

What support do you offer online students taking online prerequisites?

• Access to faculty, TAs: Each course includes a discussion board titled “Ask the Professor” where you can post questions. Instructors and lab TAs are also available by email and telephone.
• Live Q&A: Many of our courses provide you with the opportunity to attend live Q&A sessions with the instructor.
• Tutoring: The IHP provides our prereq students with up to 30 minutes of free tutoring each week with the approval of the instructor.

What should I consider about online courses before enrolling?

We get a lot of questions about taking these courses online so we’ve created a very brief (and free!) guide on “5 Things to Consider When Enrolling in Online Prerequisite Courses for the Health Professions!” Download it now.

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