"This "school" is the poster child for a predatory, unethical online school. To begin with, the instructors will vary of course as is typical with any academic institution. Some are very engaged and proactive whereas with others, you are lucky if they post two or three times in the course over the entire term. Where this school truly fails is in reference to the dissertation "courses". As part of your dissertation if you are pursuing a doctoral degree, you will be placed in a series of never-ending dissertation "classes" in which you are required to work towards your dissertation. Note, these "classes" are supposed to be monitored by an instructor however this is not the case. They market the program in such a manner as to tell students that you will work productively with a dissertation committee in an expeditious fashion towards your research. I am currently in my tenth "class" with no end in sight. The instructor is simply non-existent. Students continually post in the questions for instructor forum and in the discussion forums to no avail. The class as a whole has repeatedly complained regarding the lack of any guidance whatsoever but without any resolution. Walden will also charge you $3,000.00 per each of these "classes". Because of the lack of available instructors to serve on dissertation committees, you are forced to work with whoever is left over. The lack of communication is absolutely appalling. I once waited 9 weeks...yes WEEKS for a reply to an email. Feedback of any kind on your dissertation drafts will take MONTHS thus the justification to keep you locked into these classes indefinitely. It is repulsive how this school can continue to get away with this completely unethical (and let's face it illegal) business practice. Once you are done with your required coursework and begin the dissertation process, you are essentially stuck. You can either withdraw with no degree to show plus a mountain of debt or continue to process with the false hope of one day finishing....plus an even bigger mountain of debt. Enrolling in this school was unquestionably, unequivocally, the worst decision that I ever made. This school absolutely needs to be investigated for false business practices."

MELODIE TURNER

Reviewed: 1/22/2015
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2016

"A pro and con is the program is offered online. This is a pro because of the convenience for the adult learner; however, it is also a con because once you reach dissertation it would be able to go and "sit" with your chair as opposed to online communication. Additionally, the financial aid/tuition assistance aspect is subpar for students in behavioral sciences in comparison to students in the business program. My best friend and I are attending Walden University. I actually recommended she transfer to Walden from her university. Her DBA program offers a $5,000 grant and other scholarships for students in their program; however, students pursuing their Ph.D. in any psychology program are not afforded the same opportunity."

Selina Bell

Reviewed: 1/16/2015
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2017

"I got my MS in psychology through Walden and loved the program so much I went on to work on my PhD for psychology there. The programs are challenging at times with a full work load of school and a job. The advisers, and instructors are wonderful."

Kathryn Perez

Reviewed: 10/25/2014
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2018

"Walden University is a great online university with a lot of opportunity. Unfortunately there is not as much support for students who are not of a minority demographic. In addition, there is no encouragement to supply presentations for conferences that are required for specific programs, such as licensure programs for psychology. The professors and school in general advocate for effecting social change, they look at change rather than improvement, but do not really utilize their forum for proper positive thoughts of those who are not of those minority demographics. I believe that some resource choices are biased and do not enhance the education of all students due to some animosity being directed toward them. The biggest issue is the lack of support for research opportunities for students to gain experience. As mentioned before, many doctoral students are enthusiastic about such opportunities to present at conferences but do not get invitation or support from professors or the school."

John Mohl

Reviewed: 8/24/2014
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2014

"I enrolled at Walden because, as a teacher, there were very few brick & mortar schools with doctoral programs that could accommodate to the schedule of a teacher, and none in my major. At the time (2008), I was ambivalent given that it was "online" as people might think that it was an easy program. Since then, many large schools in this country now have developed online programs, though doctoral programs, as far as I can tell, are still only offered by online schools (e.g., Walden). The courses were certainly not easy (one exception was the very first course, which was an introduction to online learning - I found that to be a terrible waste of time and money). Some were very good and taught me quite a bit, others were simply fair. There was certainly a large range when it came to the quality of the instructor: some were great, some were good, some were bad, and some were REALLY bad. Not surprisingly, the most dedicated ones were those who were employed full-time and/or held more important positions in the school (whether they were more dedicated because they held higher status or held higher status because they were dedicated is anyone’s guess). Walden employs many part timers (but then, that's a growing trend among many colleges, online or otherwise), and some treat it as a part-time gig, but then there were part timers who served performed their instructional duties magnificently. As I mentioned before, the courses were not relaxed, and the workload was more than I expected (taking two courses while working full-time was one of the most difficult and stressful things I have ever done, and that was before I had children). However, given the online format, there was a great deal of flexibility, and I could complete my work at my own pace so long as it met the assigned deadlines (which were often weekly). Doing well in these course was not a Herculean task so long as one was dedicated to studying and completing coursework in a timely fashion. I will say that there were some classmates who probably should not have enrolled in the program as they were not likely ready for doctoral level work, as I would see a number of them eventually drop out for a variety of reasons. Did I have difficulties with certain faculty and processes? Yes. One hangup came from the IRB (the group that reviews a study for its ethical qualities before a study can commence). I reckon that a number of people who have posted complaints about this process probably had a proposal that was beset with potential ethical problems. For example, there are some students who work in prisons or other settings that have what are called vulnerable populations (e.g. children, members of the military, etc.). To conduct a study using these for a dissertation is possible, but many safeguards need to be put in place so that ethical codes are not violated. Based on my experiences, many get slowed down (and even halted) by the IRB in these cases. Other studies involve procedures that might pose risks that are greater than the risks experienced by everyday life. My dissertation involved the use of hypnosis, which made for a much more challenging IRB review (at least two to three months, whereas other projects that involve secondary data analysis might take a week or two). In the end, I was approved (and the study went without a hitch), and the wait resulted in a dissertation of which I am quite proud. Nevertheless, that process was a pain in the neck. Like others who have posted comments, I did have issues with finding a chair. Students are left almost completely on their own to find their chair and and build their committee. This can be quite challenging, as many of the best faculty members have reached their permitted maximum (which is understandable, as having too many students to attend to results in less than stellar supervision). When I did finally find a chair, he sat on my draft for two quarters and provided no feedback (but plenty of excuses). To make a long story short, I was advised to change chairs and, by a stroke of dumb luck, found the one wanted to have initially but was previously unavailable, and I never had an issue again. I think it’s important that students know their rights, no matter where they go to school. In my situation, I faced a problem that many other students have experienced (lack of feedback), as some others have posted about. One thing that many do not realize is that if a faculty member does not follow the school’s policy (such as meeting deadlines when returning drafts of a dissertation), then the student can file a tuition appeal. I did this twice, one for the situation above and another due to a lack of communication between departments that needlessly delayed me from finishing my degree. Both were successful. Walden values its accreditation, and they need to have and follow these policies and procedures in order to keep it. If they are forced to take action that costs them tuition as a result of students going through the proper channels, then they will be sure to retain good faculty and let go of those who are not up to snuff. I cannot compare Walden’s doctoral program to that of a regular brick & mortar program as I did not attend the latter. Still, based on observation of my peers at other schools, I have noticed some things. Perhaps the biggest difference is the focus of the program. Walden’s goal is getting students to develop and complete their dissertations. Many who attend traditional schools, on the other hand, are often part of a team of other doctoral students who work on a variety of projects, not just the dissertation, which lead to being part of several published works, which in turn bulk up one’s CV. Given that Walden caters to those who are already employed (which is hardly a secret), they are not too concerned about this aspect of professional development (though it appears that they are starting to have a paradigm shift in this realm). On the other hand, you are less likely to have to deal with department politics and other quarrels that have been known to stall students’ progress. In the end though, I think that the hassles one might have at Walden or any online school are going to be found at brick & mortar schools, and vice versa. The doctoral degree, no matter where it is earned, is a process, full of frustrations and challenges, but very rewarding. Bottom line is this: If you are considering Walden, you need to be flexible, dedicated, and informed of your expectations. There is no hand-holding. You are fully responsible for your progress. You need a good chair (and finding that person takes time and patience) and a plan of how you finish your degree (e.g., dissertation topic, time frame, etc.). Ask yourself why you want your PhD (or whatever degree it might be). If it is more than just to get the title or letters to follow your name, then ask what you value most. If it is autonomy and flexibility, then Walden is likely a good fit. If not, consider other options."

Kathleen

Reviewed: 5/11/2014
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2017

"I am a second- time around student at Walden University, having already received my Masters in Higher Education. I am now a doctoral student. I find the negative comments interesting, as I have my dislikes about certain aspects of Walden, but I did when I attended a F-2-F college for my Associates degree and my Bachelors as well. I never believed in myself until I was 50 years old. I wanted more in life, and I made the decision to do something. I had never heard of Online education, but found myself hunting for a new experience where I could finally make something of myself. See, that's one of the keys, you have to want it bad enough. You believe in yourself, your self-worth and you make your success happen. Walden University does not particularly hold students hands. You are there to learn. Each assignment builds on the next, so if you have an issue with having to do a final project, you have missed the point of the course. The learning outcomes are spelled out at Walden. You are expected to be a critical thinker and reader. It does not happen overnight and no one teaches this or hands it to you on a silver platter along with a pacifier. When I have had issues with an instructor, I have gone to the Department Chairman. That person can get things done advising cannot. Granted some of the faculty are there for a paycheck nothing more., That exists at virtually any college or university, online or not. I had a dean from a prestigious college who even had an award named after him--he was a lousy instructor. The class put him in his place after his lack of interest in the course, it was 8 weeks, because this was in my masters program. Anyone can get through 8 weeks if you are invested in your education. Walden, gives you the tolls, as a student you are expected to use them in order to not only succeed in your program, but succeed in your life. If you are willing to chuck it all, with only three classes left to graduation, then you cannot be invested in your life and knocking Walden and the education you have received obviously there is more to the story told in the review here. Walden is not for quitters. One sure sign of a student who hates Walden is in how they write their review. If someone writes a bad review and the review is written with anything but an educated voice, you know the person reviewing Walden, obviously is not there for a reason. Trash talk is cheap, getting a good education is not. Walden is a good education. Nothing in life is perfect, not all my experiences have been, but as a responsible adult, I do not think sounding off negatively in a review will get them fixed."

Anonymous

Reviewed: 11/15/2013
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year:

"I would heartily discourage anyone from enrolling in Walden University. It is an academic and financial black hole. I enrolled in the mid 90's. My first "mentor" seldom answered my phone calls (sometimes taking over 6 weeks to return my calls, even though I left messages every few days). When he did speak with me his communication skills were so poor (rambling incoherently) that it was essentially a waste of my time. Despite a strong academic background at the undergraduate, master's and doctorate level in traditional schools, as well as a long history of successful independent study in my previous schools, I could not get my "mentor" to approve my proposal nor to clarify his expectations. I finally asked for another mentor. The second one was even worse than the first. My calls to the school's administration to discuss this issue were woefully disappointing. After four or five months of this I finally threw in the towel. While this school might be fine for a few people, it is a huge and expensive risk. Overall, the staff, "mentors," and administration were extraordinarily unprofessional."

Kathy Hall

Reviewed: 10/20/2013
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year:

"In 2008 I was looking to complete my doctorate in psychology. I graduated with a bachelors degree from Clark University in 1998 cum laude, and earned my masters degree from Assumption college in 2002. Both of these schools are highly respected. When seeking options for my doctorate I found only one "brick and mortar" school in my area which would accept my masters credits after 4 years post graduate, but it was over an hour drive from my home. After the disappointment subsided I researched online universities. Walden is accredited and is entirely online. They also enjoy a reasonable ranking compared with other exclusively online programs, and location based schools. I enrolled in the Health Psychology doctorate program in 2009. The first couple classes were not very rigorous, but this is to be expected when beginning a degree program. After more than a dozen more classes I was pleased to see the work was demanding, and I learned a lot, much of which I have already began to apply to my private practice as a psychotherapist. I find most of the professors to be experts in their fields, engaged, and accessible. All the professors I have had received doctorates from location based colleges and universities, save one Walden doctorate. I am presently halfway through my dissertation. I have spent 4 quarters on this already. The process is demanding, and not for the faint of heart. Both my Chair, and Committee member are excellent mentors with high skill sets. I find that if one is planning to pursue an online degree know there is assistance when you need it but there is no "hand-holding". Like any college or university, you get out of your education what you put into it. People often distrust what is new. Online education has been utilized up by scores of location based colleges and universities, many with high rankings. Anyone who may believe Walden is inferior to other web-based learning would do well to do some research. The classwork, and papers are at least as demanding as any I have written in the past. This is the only school I know of that require referenced citations for in class comments and postings. I recommend Walden to those who have good study and computer skills, and can work well independently with online support when needed."

Cherri Brown

Reviewed: 8/14/2013
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2014

"The PhD program in psychology is online and as rigorous as my undergraduate program at Mount Holyoke College. Excellent support systems available for students within website and social media, as well as F2F residencies throughout United States and Eastern Europe."

Joshua Garrin

Reviewed: 4/29/2013
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2013

"My Ph.D. experience at Walden has been exceptional—from coursework (completed in May 2012) through the current dissertation process. The quality of curriculum; student-teacher interaction; and peer review has embellished the overall level of scholarship of the experience. There are no noteworthy "cons" to report—the respect for individual learning curves and integration of divergent perspectives makes Walden a very unique academic institution."

Nicole Mitchell

Reviewed: 1/30/2013
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2017

"The best part of my Ph.D. program at Walden University is that I get the best of both worlds: I can attend class online, allowing a flexible schedule to log on for discussions and complete my work, and then I also have conferences a couple times a year to actually meet my professor and classmates face-to-face. I can learn by the means that best fit my style, AND get hands-on experience. The professors, academic advisors, and fellow students are also very helpful an a pleasure to interact with. At Walden, you are really treated as a valuable student and person, it just a name and number."

Anonymous

Reviewed: 12/27/2012
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2013

"I transferred into Walden after attending an APA accredited clinical psychology Ph.D. that was very hard to get into (2% acceptance rate) and earning my master's en route to the Ph.D. I have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.5 at a research extensive university, undergraduate research experience, and a 700 on the quantitative section of the GRE. I left my first program in good standing to try to find something else that was a better fit with what I was looking for. I ultimately arrived at working full-time in research and education and later attending Walden in a non-clinical specialization area.The courses at Walden are no walk in the park, and this is coming from a student who was already used to hard work and being top of the class, etc. I have a 3.7 cumulative GPA at my first Ph.D. program with 45 ph.d. credit hours. There are only a few reasons why you should go to Walden rather than a traditional program 1) You need to work full-time or part-time and most traditional programs will not allow you to do this or your chair at your program will not allow you to do so 2)You have finished all your course work at your current institution, but you cannot graduate because your dissertation chair has no allies in the department and the committee members will not pass you because they hate your chair, 3)Your dissertation chair has left the University and the other faculty won't pick you up, because you started with another faculty member, 4)Your chair at the traditional university has asked you to do something unethical or is milking the heck out of you and working you 50 hours a week to get his research done and you can't get any of your own stuff done. Walden will allow you transfer in up to half of the course work you need for the ph.d. (9 classes of 18, excluding dissertation) Since being a student some of the roles I've had include being a full-time college instructor and being an assistant professor at regionally accredited colleges. Some of my colleagues at these institutions have turned up their noses and others have been cautiously optimistic.Ultimately, it's about the work that you produce. I have been nominated for professor of the year several times and am working to publish peer-reviewed articles before and after I graduate. It is easy to get into Walden, but it is hard to graduate. The courses are rigorous and require a LOT of work. Also, there is no hand holding. You will have to motivate yourself or get a dissertation coach and maybe both. If a student actually graduates from Walden with a Ph.D. in psychology, that degree means something. In no way is it possible to skate through. I have learned more at Walden than at the APA accredited program I attended. That's probably because more is required, and so I have put in a lot more effort. The professors are unlikely to give you a lot of feedback. However, isn't it about independent learning anyway? If you can think critically at a high level, you will not have a problem. If you can't, don't go to Walden.I do not agree with Walden's marketing schemes and I think that some of their policies are problematic. However, overall, for a non-licensure track specialization in psychology, the Ph.D. program is a good choice. By the way, because of my work experience and being just a few months away from graduation, I was able to obtain a full-time position at a non-profit regionally accredited institution teaching for a master's program in psychology. I don't think my experience is typical, but it shows that it is possible. I have been upset with Walden policies a few times, but I appreciate that the politics that exist at other institutions are counterbalanced with the purchasing power of the student. If you do not like your dissertation chair, you can fire him. If you have a professor who sucks, you can drop the class and take another professor without retribution. Again, Walden's not for everyone, but for those who start AND finish, it is a good choice."