Ed. D. Educational Leadership

reading teacher March 4, 2008 at 8:13 p.m.

I am seriously considering this program. How does that match up to a traditional university PhD program? Any comments?

Blessed December 18, 2008 at 5:06 p.m.

I am a student at Walden. The classes are hard and as you progress they will get harder but the knowledge gain is great. I think the world is going to catch up with online degrees. However, we will just have to wait. I am concerned my degree will not hold water in my state of Texas. Can someone comment on this for me? Do you think that my Doctoral Degree in Education will be valid in Texas?

Educational Leadership Student January 1, 2009 at 8:11 a.m.

Overall the educational leadership program at the doctoral level (the EdD program) is actually very good. I met the person who set up the Ed D program and that lady was incredible. The program is great for teachers. I am probably a mismatch because I'm more of a corporate trainer than a teacher. The materials seem well suited to education. In general - and this is NOT Walden specific - too much emphasis is given to traditional learning materials - mostly books and monographs. The online resources are not the best - especially journals - which are lacking. My state library offered a better version of EBSCO than Walden does - and that disappointed me. The technology implementation is very, very disappointing. The classrooms are not set up well. The course curricula are not laid out all that well - it's often very confusing. The course objectives are somewhat broad and there is not a tight tie between the objectives and the strands within the program - the assignments, the readi1ngs, etc. The discussions are often so broad and encompass so much reading material that they're difficult to complete on time. The instructors are very good - and yes they're often not as compassionate as I would like. But wow - what incredibly knowledgeable people. These are seasoned professionals with lots of experience. I feel for them because the program is very large - in terms of student population - and frankly I'm not impressed with the student to professor ratios. At the graduate level - and with the amount students pay - they have a right to more personal relationships with the instructors in the courses. Not every instructor gave you feedback on discussion boards. Assignments featured well structured comments. Honestly the best instructor I had was the first one because she gave you great feedback, she was compassionate, relaxed, didn't pressure you but made sure you stayed on track and met her expectations. You can make difficult material easy, challenge students and still create a relaxed, fun and cooperative atmosphere. Overall Walden is a very good school - but BOY do they need to improve the technology. Very immature technologically.

Such a scam April 10, 2009 at 6:42 a.m.

What a horrendous experience! Walden prevents you from graduating because too many people graduating would devalue their doctoral degrees. Instructors ill advise you and you work for months in the wrong direction, if they advise you at all.Every time there's a director appointed, policies and procedures change for enrolled students, regardless how much time and money it sets you back. You can't appeal anything and they tell you so. So many of us worked hard toward the finish line , but Walden kept moving and hiding that finish line. They know how to keep you in there until they've extracted all the money they can from you, and you have no choice but to quit, even when you're so close. They will hold you there at close to finishing indefinitely until they win out. This is not just sour grapes. Walden is so unethical.So corrupt. Go somewhere else!

Walden Trap June 5, 2009 at 11:24 p.m.

The worst educational experience of my life. Dont get caught in this trap. Go to a real school in a real class room setting with live people and have a professor you meet face to face.
Walden is a SCAM!

Joe H. August 7, 2009 at 7:22 p.m.

The comments about Walden range from excellent to the faculty stalls students to make more tuition money for the university. As a doctoral student entering the dissertation phase my observation is that Walden is rigorous. The graduation rate is low, but not because faculty are stalling. It is low because Walden has an open enrollment. Anyone who has a masters degree from an accredited university can get into Walden. Realize, however, that most masters degree are from small state colleges and there is a big difference between the quality of those students and the quality of a student from a major university.

Having graduated in engineering from a Big Ten school, and having taught in such, it is very clear to me that at least 50% of the students who begin at Walden have no business being in a doctoral program. Another 30% are questionable and the remainder have potential. Of those, half are extremely talented. By the time we get to the dissertation phase we are generally commingling with a very intelligent group of students.

Nevertheless, there are those who do reach the dissertation phase who are marginal. Those are the ones who get their dissertation material rejected many times. One Walden faculty member who is a Walden graduate said he had to completely rewrite his dissertaion five times. He actually admitted that he was in the 14th percentile of the GRE. That adds up. Still, he is a bright man and his perseverence paid off.

Some of the ex-Walden students who had negative comments about not being able to find committee members are likely those that have been struggling. Word gets around and faculty do not want substandard students. They are a tremendous amount of work.

On the other hand, quality students have to turn away faculty who want to be committee members. At residency this summer I sat next to a woman who is doing cutting edge medical device research. She had to turn away faculty who wanted to be on her committee. I have had to do the same. Bottom line - This is a serious program that is very forgiving to substandard students. Every effort is made to help them. In the final analysis, however, incapable students will fall by the wayside and it is an expensive failure.

Not sure September 5, 2009 at 3:26 p.m.

I'm not so sure about my "Walden experience". I've not yet decided if it's a good program or not. I have made it to the final class before beginning research on my study. I feel as though I've been led into a topic that I'm not so sure I want to pursue but that's beside the point because I am allowed to change it. I encountered one lost instructor but other than that the instructors do not degrade you even if your assignments are way off base. I've been in left field a few times and they gently brought me back to where I was supposed to be through probing questions. So that was excellent for me. I am probably one of those students considered to be "substandard" but all I know is, I had a dream as a child of receiving a doctorate. Walden is providing me with this opportunity and I'm doing this to the best of my ability. I turn in my work on time. I participate in discussions. I have done what they have required of me. I have been very successful grade wise and feel that I am more knowledgeable as result. Would I recommend this school? Yes, I would! I'm very proud of my accomplishments and I'm sure you will be as well. You just have to be dedicated and committed to achieving your goals.