View our EdD Early Childhood specialization completion requirements
Minimum degree requirements:
60 quarter credits
- Core courses (50 cr.)
- Capstone (10 cr.)
Minimum degree requirements:
60 quarter credits
Courses
In the EdD Early Childhood Education specialization, you’ll build skills and progress toward your final capstone project in every course.
Disclaimers: Walden students have up to 8 years to complete their doctoral program unless they petition for an extension.
In general, students are continuously registered in the dissertation/doctoral study course until they complete their capstone project and it is approved. This usually takes longer than the minimum required terms in the dissertation/doctoral study course shell.
To complete a doctoral dissertation, students must obtain the academic approval of several independent evaluators including their committee, the University Research Reviewer, and the Institutional Review Board; pass the Form and Style Review; gain approval at the oral defense stage; and gain final approval by the Chief Academic Officer. Students must also publish their dissertation on ProQuest before their degree is conferred. Learn more about the dissertation process in the Dissertation Guidebook.
For a personalized estimate of the number of your transfer credits that Walden would accept, call an Enrollment Specialist at 844-937-8785.
Courses
PhD completion program courses help you return to doctoral work, match with an advisor, and stay on track to finishing your dissertation.
Discover career opportunities in your area that match your interests.
Beth C. Garretson Received her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at the University of Michigan-Flint in December of 2015. She currently serves as Core Faculty in the College of Nursing at Walden University since February 2019. She teaches Advanced Practice Care of Adults Across the Lifespan for the Graduate Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner Track. Her teaching experience at other universities includes Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pharmacology, Advanced Nursing Theory, Advanced Practice Roles, Health Policy, Family Health and Adult Gerontology Primary Care Practicum, Advanced Nursing Research and Graduate Capstone Seminar. Dr. Garretson is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She is a licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in the states of Minnesota (# 6983, since January 2019) and Michigan (# 4704180338, since October 2000). Her clinical practice experience as a family nurse practitioner includes providing primary care to vulnerable populations such as Native Americans and uninsured Americans, as well as working in the retail clinic setting. Currently in her clinical practice she serves as a clinical coordinator for a large urban medical and surgical weight loss program.
NRNP 6531 - Primary Care of Adults Across the Lifespan - Didactic
PRAC 6531 - Primary Care of Adults Across the Lifespan - Practicum
BSN, University of Michigan
MSN, Michigan State University
DNP, University of Michigan Flint
ASMBS Walk From Obesity, Organizer - Detroit
Suzan G Koman Breast Cancer 3 Day, Volunteer - Detroit
Coleman, S., Garretson, B., Whebe-Alamah, H., McFarland, M., Wood, M. (2016). RESPECT: Reducing 30-day Emergency Department Visits and Readmissions of Bariatric Surgical Patients Effectively Through Cultural Competency Training of Nurses. Online Journal of Cultural Competence in Nursing and Healthcare
Wood, M., Kroll, J., Garretson, B. (2013). A comparison of outcomes between the traditional laparoscopic and totally robotic roux en y gastric bypass procedures. . Journal of Robotic Surgery
Coleman, S. (2016). RESPECT: Reducing 30-day emergency department visits and readmissions of bariatric surgical patients effectively through cultural competency training of nurses. . Michigan Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Collaborative
Garretson, B. (2014). Pain Management Issues in the Morbidly Obese Patient Population. . Detroit Anesthesiology Association
Walden University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Walden University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com | Walden University is certified to operate by SCHEV
© 2026 Walden University LLC. All rights reserved.
Legal & Consumer Info | Website Terms and Conditions | Cookie Policy