Doctoral Health Programs
Is there an order in which I should be taking my courses? Can I make any changes to that order?
The courses in your program are to be completed in a pre-determined sequence. This sequence has been outlined for you on your Degree Audit and located on Registration button tab of your myWalden portal.
If you wish to make changes to this sequence, you will have to petition for program director approval. The petition form is located in the Program and University Forms tab of the Academic Resources page of your myWalden portal. Please know that many courses have prerequisites associated with them, and petition requests may be denied if the required prerequisites have not been met.
How many courses do I take each quarter?
Your program is designed to be taken two per quarter. If you wish to take only one course per quarter, please email your Student Success Advisor to request a drop from the second course.
Students using Financial Aid to pay for their program should contact the Financial Aid office (finaid@mail.waldenu.edu) to discuss the impact dropping one or all of their courses may have on their financial aid award that term.
Do I find my own doctoral study committee?
Students will be assigned a doctoral study committee by program leadership. This process generally takes place during DDHA 8246: Advanced Application of Practice-based Research in Health.
When should I take my residencies?
Residency 1 should be completed within the first three quarters of the program, and you must take it prior to being able to begin DDHA 8426: Advanced Application of Practice-based Research in Health. You will not be able to begin DDHA 8426 or courses beyond DDHA 8426 until you have completed your first residency.
Residency 2 should be completed face-to-face between quarters 6 and 8 (between quarters 4 and 6 if you hold an MHA). You must take it prior to starting DDHA 9100: DHA Research Capstone and will not be able to begin this course until you have completed your second residency.
If you have any concerns about your residency timing, please contact your Student Success Advisor.
How long are my courses?
All the courses in your program are 11 weeks in length. Students taking the foundations course, DDHA 8003: Building a Multidisciplinary Approach to Health, can complete it in 11 or 6 weeks.
Do I need to initiate registration for my courses?
Students in the DHA program are automatically registered for their courses each quarter by our registrations department provided students do not have any holds on their account that may prevent registration. If you are not registered at least 4 weeks prior to the next quarter start, and you do not have a hold on your account, please contact Student Success Advising for assistance in getting registered.
My Degree Audit says a class is “Unavailable” – what does that mean?
When a Degree Audit says that a course is unavailable, it means that course is currently not available for online registration. It does not necessarily mean that registration for that course is not possible. If a course shows as unavailable in your Degree Audit, please send a written request to your Student Success Advisor who can verify the availability of the course and process your request if the course is available.
Do I need to purchase my own books?
You will need to purchase your own textbooks for your courses. Books are usually available for purchase from the Walden bookstore five weeks prior to the start of a course.
How does the DHA differ from the PhD in Health Services?
In a DHA, the focus is more on the application of current and developing in the field while the PhD is more involved with creating original research. If you have additional questions about the difference between the programs, please contact Student Success Advising.
Is there an order in which I should be taking my courses? Can I make any changes to that order?
The courses in your program are to be taken in a pre-determined sequence. This sequence has been outlined for you on your Degree Audit, located on the Registration button menu of your myWalden portal.
If you wish to make changes to this sequence, you will have to petition for program director approval. The petition form is located on the University and Program Forms tab of the Academic Resources page of your myWalden portal. Please know that many courses have prerequisites associated with them, and petition requests may be denied if the required prerequisites have not been met.
How many courses do I take each quarter?
Your program is designed to be taken two per quarter. If you wish to take only one course per quarter, please email your Student Success Advisor to request a drop from the second course.
Students using Financial Aid to pay for their program should contact the Financial Aid office (finaid@mail.waldenu.edu) to discuss the impact of dropping one course on their financial aid award that term.
Do I find my own doctoral study committee?
Your committee will be assigned to you by the Program Director or designee upon completion of a Premise document in PUBH 8246: Advanced Application of Practice-Based Research in Public Health.
To read more about the premise document, please visit the capstone resources site.
Alongside which course should I finalize my doctoral study committee nominations?
Your committee should be assigned midway through PUBH 8246: Advanced Application of Practice-Based Research in Public Health.
When should I take my residency?
Residency 1 should be completed prior to PUBH 8246: Advanced Application of Practice-Based Research in Public Health. You will not be able to take PUBH 8246 until you have completed your first residency and will not be able to move forward in the program.
Your second residency can be taken after you have completed PUBH 8246 but before PUBH 9100.
How long are my courses?
Your courses are 11 weeks in length.
Do I need to initiate registration for my courses?
Students in the DrPH program are automatically registered for their courses each quarter by our registrations department provided students do not have any holds on their account that may prevent registration. If you are not registered at least 4 weeks prior to the next quarter start and you do not have a hold on your account please contact Student Success Advising for assistance in getting registered.
My Degree Audit says a class is “Unavailable” – what does that mean?
When a Degree Audit says that a course is unavailable, it means that course is currently not available for online registration. It does not necessarily mean that registration for that course is not possible. If a course shows as unavailable in your Degree Audit, please send a written request to your Student Success Advisor who can verify the availability of the course and process your request if the course is available.
Do I need to purchase my own books?
You will need to purchase your own textbooks for your courses. Books are usually available for purchase from the Walden bookstore five weeks prior to the start of a course.
What is the difference between DrPH and PhD Public Health?
In a DrPH the focus is more on the application of applied research in a practice based setting while the PhD in Public Health is more involved with conducting original research. If you have additional questions about the difference between the programs please contact Student Success Advising.
What methodology will I need to use in my capstone?
The DrPH is quantitative in nature, and students are expected to use a quantitative methodology, utilizing a secondary data set, as part of their doctoral capstone.
Is there an order in which I should be taking my courses? Can I make any changes to that order?
The courses in your program are to be taken in a pre-determined sequence. This sequence has been outlined for you on your Degree Audit, located on the Registration button menu of your myWalden portal.
If you wish to make changes to this sequence, you will have to petition for program director approval. The petition form is located on the University and Program Forms tab of the Academic Resources page of your myWalden portal. Please know that many courses have prerequisites associated with them, and petition requests may be denied if the required prerequisites have not been met.
How many courses do I take each quarter?
Your program was designed to be taken two courses per quarter. Please contact your advisor for assistance with planning your courses.
Students wishing to take a third class need to petition for approval from the Program Director. Due to prerequisites associated with courses a petition to overload your schedule may not be approved.
Do I find my own dissertation committee?
As of December 1, 2017 students are no longer required to nominate their own dissertation committee for PhD Public Health, PhD Health Services, and PhD Health Education and Promotion programs. They will complete a premise document in the Preparing for Dissertation course, PUBH-8551 or HLTH-8551, and the program director will assign their two committee members.
Alongside which course should I finalize my dissertation committee nominations?
Students will be assigned their committee members (chair/content and methodology experts) after PUBH-8551 or HLTH-8551, depending on program.
Who can I talk to about my licensure?
PhD Health Education and Promotion students (once you have completed the program) may be interested in taking the CHES exam, but you should review your state’s requirements for more information.
How long are my courses?
The foundations course is 6 weeks in length while all other course will be 11 weeks. Note: Writing courses from the Academic Skills Center vary in length. If you are interested in taking one of these courses, please visit their website for more information.
Can I change my specialization?
This program has 3 focus area courses that the students are required to choose, but no specific concentration area is declared, therefore the student does not have an option to change the specialization. Students are not automatically registered for the 3 courses by the registrar, but students can self-register or ask for assistance from Student Success Advising to register them for the courses.
Do I need to initiate registration for my courses?
You will be automatically registered for your courses each quarter by our Registrar’s Office provided you do not have any holds on your account that may prevent registration. If you are not registered at least 4 weeks prior to the next term start and you do not have a hold on your account, please contact Student Success Advising for assistance in getting registered.
My Degree Audit says a class is “Unavailable” – what does that mean?
When a Degree Audit says that a course is unavailable, it means that course is currently not available for online registration. It does not necessarily mean that registration for that course is not possible. If a course shows as unavailable in your Degree Audit, please send a written request to your Student Success Advisor who can verify the availability of the course and process your request if the course is available.
Do I need to purchase my own books?
You will need to purchase your own course materials each term and can do so using the “Buy” link located beneath each of your courses in the Courses and Materials section of your the Academics tab in your myWalden portal.
Is there an order in which I should be taking my courses? Can I make any changes to that order?
The courses in your program are to be taken in a pre-determined sequence. This sequence has been outlined for you on your Degree Audit, located on the Registration button menu of your myWalden portal.
If you wish to make changes to this sequence, you will have to petition for program director approval. The petition form is located on the University and Program Forms tab of the Academic Resources page of your myWalden portal. Please know that many courses have prerequisites associated with them, and petition requests may be denied if the required prerequisites have not been met.
How many courses do I take each quarter?
As a PhD Health Services student, you can take two courses per quarter. Student Success Advising recommends that you mix the type of courses (foundation, core content [30 credit hours], core research, specialization [20 credit hours], electives [2 from any specialization outside your own specialization], advanced research [two], and 8551: Preparing for Dissertation) you take each quarter. Please contact your advisor for assistance with planning your courses.
Students wishing to take a third class in a quarter must petition for approval from their Program Director. Due to prerequisites associated with courses, a petition to overload your schedule may not be approved.
Do I find my own dissertation committee?
As of December 1, 2017 students are no longer required to nominate their own dissertation committee for PhD Public Health, PhD Health Services, and PhD Health Education and Promotion programs. They will complete a premise document in the Preparing for Dissertation course, PUBH-8551 or HLTH-8551, and the program director will assign their two committee members.
Alongside which course should I finalize my dissertation committee nominations?
Students will be assigned their committee members (chair/content and methodology experts) after PUBH-8551 or HLTH-8551, depending on program.
How long are my courses?
Your foundations course is 6 weeks in length while all other required courses in your program will be 11 weeks long. Note: Writing courses from the Academic Skills Center vary in length. If you are interested in taking one of these courses please visit their website for more information.
Can I change my specialization or add a second one?
You may change your specialization; however, Advising recommends doing this prior to taking any of the specialization courses as the courses completed in one specialization may not transfer to your new specialization.
Changing your specialization may lengthen the time before you are able to complete your program. Please contact Financial Aid with any questions you might have related to the length of your program and your aid eligibility.
PhD Health Services students can take the elective courses in another specialization, so you may not need to change your specialization entirely should you wish to study another area.
Do I need to initiate registration for my courses?
You will need to initiate registration each quarter and can do so using the “Register for Courses and/or View Degree Audit” link on the Registration button menu of your myWalden portal. If you have any questions about registration for the next quarter or experience any challenges with the self-registration process, please feel free to contact your Student Success Advisor for assistance.
My Degree Audit says a class is “Unavailable” – what does that mean?
When a Degree Audit says that a course is unavailable, it means that course is currently not available for online registration. It does not necessarily mean that registration for that course is not possible. If a course shows as unavailable in the Degree Audit, please send a request to your Student Success Advisor who can verify the availability of the course and process your request if the course is available.
Do I need to purchase my own books?
You will need to purchase your own course materials each term and can do so using the “Buy” link located beneath each of your courses in the Courses and Materials section of your the Academics tab in your myWalden portal.
Is there an order in which I should be taking my courses? Can I make any changes to that order?
The courses in your program are to be taken in a pre-determined sequence. This sequence has been outlined for you on your Degree Audit, located on the Registration button menu of your myWalden portal.
If you wish to make changes to this sequence, you will have to petition for program director approval. The petition form is located on the University and Program Forms tab of the Academic Resources page of your myWalden portal. Please know that many courses have prerequisites associated with them, and petition requests may be denied if the required prerequisites have not been met.
How many courses do I take each quarter?
Students in the Ph.D. in Public Health can take two courses per quarter. Please contact your advisor for assistance with planning your courses.
If you wish to take a third class in any quarter you will need to petition for approval. Due to prerequisites associated with courses a petition to overload your schedule may not be approved.
Do I find my own dissertation committee?
As of December 1, 2017 students are no longer required to nominate their own dissertation committee for PhD Public Health, PhD Health Services, and PhD Health Education and Promotion programs. They will complete a premise document in the Preparing for Dissertation course, PUBH-8551 or HLTH-8551, and the program director will assign their two committee members.
Alongside which course should I finalize my dissertation committee nominations?
Students will be assigned their committee members (chair/content and methodology experts) after PUBH-8551 or HLTH-8551, depending on program.
How long are my courses?
Your foundations course is 6 weeks in length while all other required courses for your program will be 11 weeks long. Note: Writing courses from the Academic Skills Center vary in length. If you are interested in taking one of these courses, please visit their website for more information.
Can I change my specialization or add a second one?
You may change your specialization but advising recommends doing this prior to taking any of the specialization courses, as the courses completed in one specialization may not transfer to your new specialization.
Adding or changing a specialization may lengthen the time before you are able to complete your program. Please contact Financial Aid with any questions you might have related to the length of your program and your aid eligibility.
Do I need to initiate registration for my courses?
You will be automatically registered for your courses each quarter by our Registrar’s Office provided you do not have any holds on your account that may prevent registration. If you are not registered at least 4 weeks prior to the next term start, and you do not have a hold on your account, please contact Student Success Advising for assistance in getting registered.
My Degree Audit says a class is “Unavailable” – what does that mean?
When a Degree Audit says that a course is unavailable it means that course is currently not available for online registration. It does not necessarily mean that registration for that course is not possible. If a course shows as unavailable in the Degree Audit, please send a request to Student Success Advising who can verify the availability of the course and process your request if the course is available.
Do I need to purchase my own books?
You will need to purchase your own course materials each term and can do so using the “Buy” link located beneath each of your courses in the Courses and Materials section of your the Academics tab in your myWalden portal.
Doctoral Nursing Progarms
Is there an order in which I should be taking my courses? Can I make any changes to that order?
Your courses are outlined in your Degree Audit in the order for which you will be registered. If you wish to change, please email your Student Success Advisor. Not all changes can be approved due to prerequisites.
How many classes do I take each quarter?
For the majority of your program you will take two courses each quarter until you get to your sixth quarter when you will take NURS 8510: Evidence-Based Practice III: Implementation, Evaluation, and Dissemination by itself.
If you did wish to take only one course in a quarter, you may email your Student Success Advisor to request a drop of the second course. If you are using financial aid to pay for your program please contact the Financial Aid (finaid@waldenu.edu) to learn about how adjusting your course load for a term will impact your aid eligibility.
Do I need to find my own practicum site?
You will locate your own practicum site. For more information related to your practicum, please visit the Field Experience website.
Do I need to apply for practicum each quarter?
You will apply for practicum each quarter in which you plan to complete practicum even if you plan to work with the same preceptor.
Do I find my own doctoral study committee?
Your committee will be assigned to you by the program leadership.
Who can I talk to about licensing questions related to my program?
If you have any questions related to licensure, please email nurslicensure@waldenu.edu.
How long are my classes?
Your foundations course will be six weeks in length, but all other courses will be 11 weeks long.
Do I need to initiate registration for my courses?
You will be automatically registered for your courses each quarter by our Registrar’s Office provided you do not have any holds on your account that prevent registration. If you are not registered at least 4 weeks prior to the next term start, and you do not have a hold on your account, please contact Student Success Advising for assistance in getting registered.
My Degree Audit says a class is “Unavailable” – what does that mean?
When a Degree Audit says that a course is unavailable, it means that course is currently not available for online registration. It does not necessarily mean that registration for that course is not possible. If a course shows as unavailable in your Degree Audit, please send a written request to your Student Success Advisor who can verify the availability of the course and process your request if the course is available.
Can I work when I’m completing my practicum?
You can complete your practicum hours while working, but you cannot complete your hours with your direct supervisor, nor can you take a paid practicum to meet your program requirements. Please contact Field Experience for more information.
Can I do more than 3 credits/216 hours of Practicum in one quarter?
If you wish to take more than 216 hours of practicum in one quarter, you must petition for approval first. Please contact your Student Success Advisor for more information regarding the petition process.
How many practicum hours do I need for my DNP program?
The DNP requires a minimum of 1,000 post-B.S. in Nursing practicum hours with at least 500 hours at the DNP level. Students who need more practicum hours to meet this requirement may their practicum course for additional credits (up to six times). Each credit hour is equal to 72 practicum hours to help students reach a total of 1,000 practicum hours
Is there an order in which I should be taking my courses? Can I make any changes to that order?
Your courses are outlined in order on your degree audit, and Student Success Advising recommends that students follow the sequence. If you have any questions about your course sequence, please feel free to schedule an appointment to speak with your Student Success Advisor.
How many classes do I take each quarter?
Your program is designed to be taken two per quarter. If you wish to take only one course per quarter, please email your Student Success Advisor to request a drop from the second course.
Students using Financial Aid to pay for their program should contact the Financial Aid office (finaid@waldenu.edu) to discuss the impact that dropping one of their courses may have on their financial aid award that term.
Do I find my own dissertation committee?
You will need to nominate your own dissertation committee. Please visit the Office of Research and Doctoral Services’s Ph.D. Dissertation Process and Documents page for a copy of the Committee Member Nomination Form and the Dissertation Guidebook.
Alongside which course should I finalize my dissertation committee nominations?
Advising would recommend that students complete their committee nominations alongside NURS 8551: Preparing for Dissertation.
Who can I talk to about licensing questions related to my program?
If you have any questions related to licensure, please email nurslicensure@waldenu.edu.
How long are my classes?
Your foundations class will be six weeks in length while all the other courses in your program will be 11 weeks long.
Can I change my specialization?
If you wish to change your specialization, please contact your Student Success Advisor. Advising recommends students change their specialization prior to starting their specialization courses as not all courses transfer between the different specializations.
How many elective courses do I take for my specialization?
You will take three specialization courses. Some specializations have more than three to select from, but students will still need only three to meet their program requirements.
Do I need to initiate registration for my courses?
You will initiate registration each quarter and can do so using the Register for Courses and/or View Degree Audit link on the Academics tab of your myWalden portal. Typically, registration for the next quarter will open at least six weeks before the next term start. If you have any questions about registration for the next quarter or experience any challenges with the self-registration process, please feel free to contact your Student Success Advisor for assistance.
Please note: All requests to add or drop or withdraw from a course must be submitted in writing. Student Success Advising cannot process registration adjustments over the phone.
My degree audit says a class is “Unavailable” – what does that mean?
When a degree audit says that a course is unavailable, it means that course is currently not available for online registration. It does not necessarily mean that registration for that course is not possible. If a course shows as unavailable in your degree audit, please send a written request to your Student Success Advisor who can verify the availability of the course and process your request if the course is available.
Do I need to purchase my own books?
You will need to purchase your own course materials each term and can do so using the “Buy” link located beneath each of your courses in the Courses and Materials section of your the Academics tab in your myWalden portal.