Application Process & Policies

Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Tuition – $10,000

Opening Retreat – May 14-18, 2025 (4 nights minimum) – budget $150-$250/night for Boulder area lodging, plus travel and evening meals

Practicum Experiential – Various Dates TBD (3 nights minimum for Ketamine Practicum) – budget $150-$250/night for Boulder area lodging, plus travel and evening meals. Those wishing to participate in Psilocybin Practicum may do so by choosing Psilocybin Practicum for an additional cost  ($1,500 expected), in consideration of the longer practicum length necessary to fulfill psilocybin facilitator requirements.

This cost estimate is provided as a courtesy and may differ based on individual participant’s travel and lodging  preferences. Participants will be fully responsible for costs not included in program tuition.

A $35 non-refundable application fee is required for all submitted applications. The application fee is not deducted from the certificate program tuition, which totals $10,000. Following the initial tuition payment, remaining tuition will be paid in seven monthly installments, less any scholarships or other awarded aid.

Program tuition totals $10,000 and does not include the cost of any facilitator licensure application or training license fees—these additional costs, assessed by the state in which a prospective licensee is seeking licensure, shall be the prospective licensee’s sole responsibility.

In addition to the successful completion of an approved training program, state licensure for psilocybin facilitation in Oregon and Colorado requires the successful completion of a practicum requirement, and in Colorado, the completion of a 50-hour consultation period. 

The practicum is an in-depth opportunity for trainees to facilitate a non-ordinary state of consciousness experience under the guidance of a qualified supervisor. Trainee placement in practicum opportunities will be prioritized, but approved service center limitations and other factors may impact availability, and placement is therefore not guaranteed. Given limited practicum site availability as Colorado’s Natural Medicine Program takes full effect in 2025, trainees are able to choose one practicum option (ketamine or psilocybin).

For 2025 trainees, Ketamine practicums will be held in Colorado in the fall of 2025. Psilocybin Practicums prioritizing those seeking Oregon Licensure will be offered in Oregon in the fall of 2025. Psilocybin Practicums prioritizing those seeking Colorado Licensure will be offered in Colorado beginning in 2026, after the conclusion of the program (as required by Colorado regulations).

Practicum and consultation opportunities will be offered to Naropa certificate program enrollees as such opportunities are confirmed. Practicum opportunities will entail additional screening, and travel/lodging costs for practicums are not included in certificate program tuition. Additional educational opportunities that may be made available to certificate graduates in the future, including consultation, peer support, and continuing education, are not included in the certificate program tuition, and will entail extra costs. 

Due to the contemplative, cohort-based nature of this intensive training program, participants are strongly encouraged to commit to completing the entire program in a single iteration. However, participants who wish to withdraw may do so in accordance with the following policies. Requests for withdrawal must be documented in writing to the Directors and Coordinator for the program, and may require a meeting to ensure a mutually supportive transition. Tuition refund will be determined based on the program’s published policy and the documented date of the participant’s request (see below).  

Withdraws: The following is the withdrawal fee schedule for participants who may choose to withdraw. Any scholarships, awarded aid, and processing fees will be deducted before refund, if any, is determined. Participants who have withdrawn may reapply for a future iteration of the program, but will be required to pay full tuition and complete all coursework for the new year. 

• If a participant withdraws by April 13, 2025, all tuition paid to date will be refunded, less a $250 processing fee.
• If a participant withdraws by June 30, 2025, then 50% of their full tuition (less any financial assistance) will be due, and the remainder will be refunded. 
• If a participant withdraws on or after August 3, 2025, then the participant will be responsible for the full program tuition cost (less any financial assistance).

Please note that for withdrawals, scholarships and discounts do not carry forward from the original year: new application statements for scholarships and discounts must be submitted and reviewed. Tuition fees, including deposits, cannot be applied toward other Naropa programs. 

Deferrals: Because our program evolves each year in keeping with the rapidly changing nature of this field, accepted applicants may not defer their acceptance, and will need to reapply in a future year should they choose not to enroll in 2025. This includes those who begin the program and withdraw.

It is important to note that participants must complete the entire curriculum to earn the certificate and meet the necessary state requirements for facilitator licensure, which specify the number of training hours that must be fulfilled. Attendance at live classes and pod small groups is therefore mandatory.

Live Classes: Saturday virtual live classes are a critical aspect of the certificate program. For every live class missed, participants must write and submit a short reflection paper about the content in the corresponding module. If a participant misses more than two live sessions, they may be required to attend the closest equivalent live session the following year of the program.  Please note that participants’ certificate of completion will be held until all make-up work has been addressed in full. 

Clinical Skills Practice Groups: Participants may miss one practice group meeting without penalty. After the first absence, participants are required to write and submit a short reflection paper about the topic of the missed session. If a participant misses more than three practice group meetings, they will need to return the following year to continue with the certificate unless an exception to policy is granted in writing.

Participants who miss substantial live class sessions in full or part will not receive a certificate of completion. Participants assume full responsibility for ensuring timely program completion, including any necessary make-up work.

Governmental, University and vendor guidelines may continue to change in response to COVID variants. All certificate program retreats and education events will be held in person as described unless prohibited by relevant governmental, University or vendor restrictions. In such cases, impacted retreat(s) will be moved fully online. There is otherwise no online-only option for retreats. Please note that attendance at program retreats is mandatory. All attendees are responsible for the costs of travel to program retreats, and Naropa is not responsible for refunding travel costs to participants who are unable to attend. 

All 2025 retreats will be held in person. In order to mitigate the risk of COVID-19, Naropa University strongly encourages all participants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We strongly encourage all participants to mask and take other relevant precautions during transit to each retreat, especially when traveling by air, to help ensure a safe and healthy retreat container for all. All participants must provide proof of a negative FDA-approved at-home test, rapid antigen, or PCR test taken within 24 hours prior to the start of each retreat. Participants are required to adhere to all health and safety measures as determined by Naropa University and partner retreat sites. Naropa University reserves the right to modify the delivery of or cancel retreats in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Participants who wish to seek any exception to the above-stated Withdrawal, Payments and Refund policies due to a medical emergency or extenuating circumstances may present a formal written petition to the Program Administrators via email. Petitions must provide a detailed summary and timeline of the relevant circumstance, and must be accompanied by supporting documentation. Completed petitions must be submitted in full within 30 calendar days of the last day of the program in which the participant was enrolled, or within 30 calendar days of the relevant due date or deadline, whichever is first.

The online components of the certificate program are primarily facilitated via Zoom along with industry-leading learning management software platforms, all of which include built-in accessibility features. The Opening Retreat will be held within ADA-accessible spaces at Naropa University’s Main Campus. Every effort will be made to offer practicum opportunities at sites where facilities are fully ADA accessible. Certificate program staff will notify practicum sites of any accessibility needs. 

Admitted program participants requesting support services and/or reasonable accommodations from Naropa University are required to submit documentation of a qualified disability to verify eligibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Disability Resources policies. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with qualified disabilities after appropriate review by Naropa’s Office of Accessibility. For more information please contact psychedelicstudies@naropa.edu.

Consistent with university obligations under the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug-Free Schools and Community Act Amendments of 1985, Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies (NCPS) certificate programs do not require the use of psychedelic substances by program participants in order to successfully complete training. In alignment with the Center’s mission, participants will be educated in the competencies required for psychedelic treatment and research where legal. Participation in apprenticeship trainings, practicums and experiential opportunities involving ketamine, psilocybin or other medicines shall be entirely voluntary, and all reference to such options will be to clinics or facilitators located in jurisdictions where training in the therapeutic use of these substances is legal.