The class itself, I've taken it, is mostly about safety, concealed carry laws, and not shooting yourself, although you do have to shoot at least fifty rounds with a semi-reasonable degree of accuracy.
The state reasoning is that since semi-autos are more complex, you should test with a semi to carry a semi, but if you can handle a semi, you should be able to handle a revolver.
The NRA short pistol course is for either revolver or autoloader.
I suggest she take an NRA long course, which will take all day and include range time. My students are all urged to take the long course because it includes a written test. Should she have to defend herself, and a bottom feeding lawyer (OK, OK, forgive the redundancy!) wants to claim she was not properly trained, the test results and her qualification target are available.
So much for shark repellent.
I suggest the Charter Arms .38 revolvers because of their lightness, low cost, availability with a laser sight (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ! ! !) and the reliability/simplicity of a wheel gun.
Suggest to her that she shoot lots of low powered .38 wad cutters and carry the best defense loads she can afford.
Possession of a musical instrument does not a musician make. Neither does owning a handgun make one competent to defend one’s life in a gun fight.
Perfect practice makes perfect, so find her a good shooting coach. NRA has quite a list of ‘em.