Walden University

Walden University
online college degree

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Minnesota-based for-profit university. For the defunct university in Tennessee, see Walden University (Tennessee). For the fictional Walden College, see Doonesbury.
Walden University Walden Seal Color 200px.png
Seal of Walden University
Motto     A higher degree. A higher purpose.
Established     1970
Type     Private, Public Benefit Corporation
Students     48,982 [1]
Location     Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA United States
Campus     Online
Website     www.waldenu.edu
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Walden University is a private for-profit institution of higher education. Headquartered in the Mill District in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Walden University offers Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Health, Ed.S. (Education Specialist), Ed.D. (Doctor of Education), D.B.A. (Doctor of Business Administration), and PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degrees in a number of academic fields.

Walden is a part of a network of campus- and online-based for-profit universities owned by Laureate Education Inc.[2]
Contents

    1 History
    2 Accreditation
        2.1 Professional accreditation
    3 Academic
    4 Publications
    5 References
    6 External links

History
Walden University's headquarters in the Mill District of Minneapolis.

Walden was established in 1970 by two New York teachers, Bernie and Rita Turner, who created a program for working adults to pursue doctoral degrees. In the summer of 1971, the first classes took place in Naples, Florida, focusing primarily on school administrators. These initial classes were to allow the students to form dissertation topics with their faculty partners before returning home to work at their respective schools while also working on their dissertations. In 1972, Walden conferred its first degrees: 46 PhDs and 24 Ed.D.s at its first commencement in Naples, Florida.

In 1979, the Minnesota Higher Education Coordinating Board licensed Walden to grant Ph.D.s and Ed.D.s in the state and in 1982 the school moved its headquarters to Minneapolis. In 1990, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools accredited the University. In 1995, the school expanded its offering with the nation's first fully online master's program in education, offering a Master's in Educational Change and Technology Innovation.

Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc., purchased 41 percent of Walden University in 2001, gaining a controlling interest in 2002. In 2004, Sylvan Learning Systems became Laureate Education, Inc. Former President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States, was until 2015, an Honorary Chancellor of Laureate International Universities.[3] President Clinton was the keynote speaker at Walden University’s commencement on July 30, 2011.

In 2010, Walden reported 76.4 percent of revenue from Federal financial aid programs.[4] However, this amount does not include revenue received from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs education programs. Department of Defense Tuition Assistance and post-9/11 GI bill funds accounted for approximately 1.4 percent of Walden’s revenue, or $6.2 million. With these funds included, an estimated 77.8 percent of Walden’s total revenue was federal education funds.[5]

During hearings in 2013, Sen. Tom Harkin, the Iowa Democrat who has been a fierce antagonist of for-profits, grudgingly praised the organization stating that graduates of Walden’s master and doctoral programs were faring well, due largely to the fact that many of these students entered their programs possessing significant experience in their fields. Moreover, Harkin went on to report that the percentage of Walden students who default on their loans within three years of entering repayment ranged from 1.7 to 3 percent from 2005 to 2008, a rate that was dramatically lower than the average not only for-profit universities (17.1-22.6 percent) but also for all U.S. colleges (8.4 to 12.3 percent).
Accreditation

Walden University has been regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, a regional accreditation agency, since 1990.[6]
Professional accreditation

Walden's Richard W. Riley School of Education and Leadership is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)[7][8]

A number of Walden's degree programs are also individually accredited. The M.S. in Mental Health Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).[9][10] Walden University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs are all accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), a national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Walden University's B.S in Business Administration, Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Executive M.B.A., Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), and Ph.D. in Management programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Walden’s M.S. in Project Management program is accredited by the PMI Global Accreditation Center (GAC) for Project Management Education Programs. Walden’s B.S. in Information Technology is one of only a few online programs accredited by ABET, the internationally recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.[11]

Walden University’s Ph.D. specializations in Clinical Psychology and Counseling Psychology are not accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and have not received designation by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards/National Register (ASPPB/NR), which are requirements for licensure in some states. The M.S. and six other Ph.D. in psychology specializations offered by Walden are not governed by APA.[12]

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