Looking for information on Walden University

I got several brochures in the mail from DL PhD programs and Walden University’s PhD in Applied Management and Decision Sciences caught my eye. Has anyone here gone through that program or Walden University and would like to share their DL experience from them? I’m interested in the overall experience and what you got from it.

Thanks

 

I think this has been asked before and I think we did not have anyone who was a graduate or currently attending. You can search the archives and see.

North

 

Isn't the esteemed Maxine Asher's doctorate from Walden?

Scott

 

I asked the same question some time ago & I found it odd that nobody had any experience with Walden. I also found that emailing the university doesn't help; little or no information is ever given. That caused the red warning flags to go up in my opinion. They may be RA, but they give every appearance of not being so, and expect someone to commit to a very costly program with little up-front details.

 

Walden is indeed accredited. They were originally located in Florida, but moved to Minnesota. This put them under a state's jurisdiction who was known for its rigor in licensing schools. It also put them under the jurisdiction of a regional accreditor known for being open-minded about DL. (Union and IGS were already candidates; Walden, Jones Int'l, Capella, and others have gone on to become accredited by NCA).

However, Walden has always been run by traditional academics in a very traditional fashion. Their students tend to be those that would attend a local program if one was available, chosing Walden not for the DL aspects--or even the flexible learning options--but as a substitute. Plus they're very expensive. All this was very true even before they were accredited.

Rich Douglas

 

Actually, it isn't correct that Walden was originally located in Florida, but moved to Minnesota. In fact, as I have been informed by the school's administrators, it is still located in Florida. That is where the school's financial and admissions offices are located, according to people at the Minnesota offices. So what is the point of even having Minnesota offices? I imagine that this is a bit of legal legerdemain.

 

They moved the academic offices in order to come under the NCA instead of SACS. I thought I made that clear. Yes, it was the academic offices, but most of the activity involving students comes from there. Sorry about the shortcut.

As for "legal legerdemain," I don't know. It's certainly not comparable to an unaccredited school moving from California to South Dakota because California got a little tough. In the early 80's it was pretty clear that some regional acccreditors were going to be disproportionately difficult when it came to DL. NCU had already shown its openness. Don't you prefer to do business with people who are more cooperative?

Rich Douglas

 

Rich,

Would you recommend Walden or would you recommend another school? I would prefer to attend a state school but that option is closed since I will be working and can only attend class at night or from my computer.

JSD

 

While I've never attended Walden, I have spoken with a few people who have; they invariably express their respect for the academic standards maintained and the community of scholars they feel they're a part of. But, boy, do they bemoan the cost!

While I was working in a prison in D.C., one of my colleagues ran the mental health department. He was going through the doctoral program at Walden to earn both the degree and an opportunity for licensure as a psychologist. He spoke highly of his experience. He took courses, not KAMs, and really looked forward to the residential periods.

Rich Douglas

 

Worth mentioning: I've been a regular in AED since 1997ish and have seen quite a few messages, public and private, from Walden students and graduates. I remember reading a lot of positive comments and very, very few negative ones (all of them having to do with either the cost or the residencies being restrictive).


Peace,

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Tom Head
www.tomhead.net