Psychology Reviews

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly (oops that's me!)

By: jpaulshirley (In Progress) on July 11, 2008

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 	Emotions run so hot both ways on this topic that I'm hard-pressed to say anything I think will matter to anyone.  Is Walden rigorous?  Without a doubt.  Are there good faculty?  I have met faculty who have my utmost respect and personal affection.  Are there bad faculty?  You would not believe my first professor there, except that several of us with professional experience in Addictions Counseling suspected that instructor of TUI -- "Teaching Under the Influence."  It was as bad as it could possibly get.  In my experience, that one rotten apple was fortunately an exception to the rule of good faculty.  Are there others who are a tad temperamental, touchy, and who react emotionally, making it fairly clear there are students who can do no wrong, and others who can do no right?  I'd have to say yeah, but not noticeably more so than were in my traditional B.A. or masters programs, at two different state universities.  
 	I hate to say this, but as much good as I have to say about Walden, I recently recommended two individuals to steer clear of it.  One is a male with disabilities, like me.  The Disability Office took 4 months to process my application and “lost” countless emails, phone calls, and faxes in the process- some containing sensitive personal medical information.  If I told the whole story, the Believers here would probably accuse me of being an Infidel and lying about it.  I recently saw a different forum that described Walden in terms of "academic excellence" but "administrative incompetence."  I am not so worried about the incompetence.  What worries me is the denial, coverups, and bullying that take place when I try to work through the problems.  An administrator, admonishing me about my "attitude?"  Nope, sorry, that's outa line, that's the purview of a behavioral health consultant, if I choose to hire one.  Walden administrators are supposed to handle paperwork, and any who lecture me about my "attitude" or otherwise attempt to get overly personal with me in any other way, are engaging in harassment.  The problem with harassment?  It's slightly illegal in 2008, and that's because it is so destructive.  
 	That's my best effort at being objective.  There is opportunity at Walden.  There are also things at Walden that can damage a person.  You can to walk through a minefield in hopes of getting awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor after it's all over.  Just don't go there with your eyes closed assuming you'll be OK because Sergeant Audie Murphy did it.

BUYER BEWARE

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on June 19, 2008

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I cannot express how much you should not attend this school. Anyone who says that this school is better than merely good enough either works there (remember it is a for profit school and the admissions people or like salesmen) or has never been to a school where students are treated with respect and given a curriculum that is actually set in place to assist them in the future. I have talked to fellow students in the psychology program. Many of them are worried about licensure in their states as Walden U cannot make the guarantee that you will be licensed after graduation. The advising....well let's say they too act as sales people who constantly give students the run around and incorrect information. The professors are not held up to any kind of standard and after meeting a few of them I wonder how they graduated and are employed. BUYER BEWARE. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY OR TIME. I know traditional schools are inconvenient but as far as education is concerned you will get your money's worth. Take this from a PhD student who has been to both types of school.

Walden is a great expensive experience

By: carpengo (In Progress) on June 10, 2008

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Walden is a great way to pursue an advanced degree. If you are studying to get a license you need to check first if your degree will be accepted for license in your state. Walden's Psychology degrees are accepted by more than 25 states. However, there are at least 18 states and 3 territories that will not even allow online learners to take their licensure exams.  One thing that you can see of the Walden alumni and is that they are already employed as psychologists, or doing similar work. Some are working in other areas and study a PhD just to obtain more knowledge or to have another diploma on their wall. There are few students like me that would like to obtain a PhD in Psychology to be licensed and practice this profession, without previous or current employment or training  in the area or similar area. I live in Texas, where state and private agencies are recruiting psychologists; even doctoral students of Psychology in their last year! And they have enough time to finish their degrees and get licensed. And their  salaries and incentives are not bad at all.
Walden is my opportunity to make a difference, obtain a doctoral degree and work as a psychologists. This journey is expensive, and sometimes demoralizing. You find many obstacles(low grades, family problems, financial problems, academic progress problem, etc), but overpass them and continue to the finish line. Walden's costs of study are still  low compared to a traditional campus based PhD!

Ph.D. Clinical Psychology

By: rtrkrswfe (In Progress) on June 2, 2008

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First of all, Walden (nor any other online school) is for everyone.  If you are unmotivated and waiting for someone to "hand you" something, you will not do well.  I have just finished my last academic class at Walden and will be starting my practicum in Clinical Psychology soon.  I am doing my practicum and internship at a very prestigous medical school and feel that Walden prepared me for my upcoming duties as an intern.  I have enjoyed the support that I have received from professors and administrators.  As for licensure, there has never been any secret that Walden is not APA-approved.  They highly stress that potential students check with their individual states regarding licensure requirements before they enter the program and before it is too late to make changes.  Engaging in an online program is the only way that I could have obtained a Ph.D. since I worked full-time as a teacher.  There are no Ph.D. programs available in my town (one was just added in the Educational Field but....) and I could not uproot my family and relocate to an area that offered a program, not to mention quit my job for 6 years to attend school full-time.  I will be very happy to display my Walden Ph.D. and feel that the education I have received is just as good, if not better, than any brick and mortar school!

Deceptive Enrollment

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on May 2, 2008

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Please be very careful when choosing this school for the clinical PhD in applied psychology if you have any hope of becoming licensed to practice. Note: Walden is NOT APA accredited.

During consultation with the enrollment counselor, I was given a list of approximately 12 states that I was told "look favorably" at Walden graduates and permit students to take licensure exams, including two which I am interested in, namely Florida and New Jersey. I was even told that NJ State Board of Psychological Examiners was “highly impressed” with the quality of Walden graduates.

First a little background information about what you can expect from the time you inquire online. You WILL receive a phone call in 24 hours. You WILL have a difficult time making direct calls back. You WILL be contacted several times a week, for at least two weeks. Once you submit your application you WILL be pressured to enroll at the next quarter.

Part of the sales methodology of Walden is to push a person to commit to beginning studies quickly. The process from time of first consultation to when they first asked for a commitment, in my case, was two weeks. The enrollment "advisory" personnel will NOT provide any information about faculty, research interests, or allow any form of contact outside of the sales department. Also, they like to speak in terms of states ultimately "having" to accept online learning schools credentials, citing a lack of human services professionals in the future. 

I wrote to two State Licensing Boards and received the following responses:

Florida Department of Health writes, "I am unaware of any instance in which the Board has looked favorably upon an applicant, outside of the above exceptions, who did not graduate from an APA-accredited program." The exceptions are listed on the website and do not pertain to Walden University.

The Executive Director of the NJ State Board writes, "to be honest, very few graduates of Walden University have obtained a license to practice psychology in the State of New Jersey." I shared with the Executive Director my intention to STAY AWAY from Walden and was given the following response, “I'm glad you have been so diligent in exploring the possibilities. Would that others had been so careful.” Although the door is not closed to Walden students, it is not exactly common, or even likely. 

Don't even get me started on what I was able to uncover about the faculty turnover at Walden.

Great experience

By: john.fueston (In Progress) on April 28, 2008

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I am one year into my PhD in clinical psych. Walden is extraordinarily up-front with regard to the process of licensure. One of our first assignments was to go through our state licensure requirements step-by-step and show how the Walden program met or didn't meet state requirements. No surprises. The teachers have been great, if a little brutal. The rigor of the program is about the same as law school. My only real complaint is with the bursar's office. Working with them is like working with a lump of rock.

I do feel I was soft-sold with regard to the number of hours per week I would have to devote to the program. Plan on a minimum of 30 if you want to succeed. 

The response of professionals in my geographical has been generally good. I know many therapists and psychologists from my days of practicing law. One of them recommended me to the program.

Walden Is Beyond Bad!

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on April 2, 2008

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I started at Walden hoping to complete a PhD. I have been constantly disappointed with my professors. Over half of my professors have been hard nosed, arrogant, wanna be intellectuals who have no ability to teach and no interpersonal skills. The students who provide little to no intelligent work earn high marks, while others who attempt to be innovative (or God forbid inspirational) get attacked. It is an incredible thing to behold. The good professors are excellent and make you wonder why they can't get a better job. The bad professors are the worst, and most of them are Walden alum. 

Academic Advising is a joke, there is none. You are not even assigned a personal academic adviser. If you need to ask a question your email goes into a general box and it is a crap shoot about who will answer and what kind of information you will receive.

Now I am stuck with half a degree in a non-accredited program and about $45,000 in student loan debt to show for my effort. By-the-way, be sure to check the programs. Neither the Masters or the PhD program in Psychology meet most state licensing requirements in coursework. If you follow the degree plan without first knowing your state's course requirements, you will not get licensed when you are finished. 

Walden is totally all about making money with no thought for the welfare of the students. The services and the professors SUCK (for lack of a better word). The only thing good to say is the online classroom form is better than others I have seen.

Some Advice for Would-Be Learners

By: awilber3 (In Progress) on March 16, 2008

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I have utilized online education to obtain all of my degrees and have to say that I completely disagree with the assessment of some of the naysayers who have written sardonic reviews.  I have always enjoyed complimentary reviews and comments from potential employers toward my online degrees.  They are accredited, so why wouldn't they be?

And while we are on the topic of accreditation, lets address a problem which seems to be running rampant through these reviews.  Walden has it plastered all over their website that their Psychology programs are not accredited for licensure.   So, if the state of Florida demands that you be licensed and you you expect that from your program, then transfer to a Florida-based school.  They will probably take most, if not all of your credits.  The classes and courses are accredited through one of the six accrediting authorities which are accepted worldwide, so guess what?  They are, kind of, obliged to, in general terms.  So, you may have to take an extra course or two...big deal.  At least you will be licensed upon graduation, right?

Here's some unsolicited advice for the would-be online learner: self-discipline is the key.  If you are a person who has great self-discipline and can subject themselves to the rigors of an online program, then great!  Online learning may be just the thing for you!  However, if you are a procrastinator who has trouble with deadlines, cheated your way through high school, or even college, to some extent, then guess what?  You are probably going to waste your time and money.

Online learning takes a constructivist approach, whereby the learner acts as their own agent in constructing their own learning.  You will get out of learning, whatever you put into it.  If you apply yourself and give it your all, you will be the benefactor for it.  If you give it a half-hearted effort, you'll be quickly discovered and exploited for your efforts.  Not publicly, as ethical practices would encourage you to do better.  But, the grades you received will be emblematic of the effort that you provide.

Walden Ph.D Clinical Psychology track

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on February 10, 2008

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A very disciplined and outlined framework for achieving a doctorate. A full time student can expect to spend roughly 30 hours a week on research and papers. 

There are Walden professors teaching at other top university sites as well as campuses in the United States. My classmates sometimes originate as far away as Iran, China, and Africa to name a few. 

We are all coordinated on mountain standard time. I would suggest any other institution if you cannot put your best effort into this university. I am telling you, it takes some work...and you will never look at someone on the naster's or doctorate level the same after being in this program a couple of years.

There is a difference.

Accreditation at Walden

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on November 14, 2007

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From time to time I have read various posts about concerns about Walden’s accreditation.  

For Psychology students the biggest confusion centers on accreditation with The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association and accreditation with American Psychological Association (APA) or designation by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards/National Register (ASPPB/NR).  These last two are requirements for licensure in some states, but not all.  There is a history at Walden of the decisions around pursuing APA accreditation or not.  This does not make Walden a “bad school”. Not all schools, and not all Psychology specializations within a school, will have these accreditations.  Walden makes it explicitly clear in several places on their website and in the program guides what accreditations it holds and what it does not.  I realize that this is easy to get confused about at the beginning of a program, but come on – this is grad school, and by now you really should be able to ask questions.  It really is up to you to understand the licensing requirements for your state before you enroll anywhere.  There are several practicing, licensed psychologists from Walden – again, depending on the state.   Walden’s general psych program is geared either to the educational arena or research.  If you want to be a counselor don’t pick this program.

I am almost finished with my doctoral program at Walden and have to say that overall it has been a good experience.  Many people like myself, with full time jobs and life demands could never pursue higher education if we were limited to traveling to and from a regular institution.  So many traditional universities are now offering several courses online, if not full degree programs.  Being among the first to tap into technology at the accredited graduate school level, does not make Walden a diploma mill, nor make the degrees awarded useless.

Not Satisfied

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on November 9, 2007

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I am currently completing my thesis to obtain a MS in Psychology.  I agree with recent reviews, Walden uses the term "accredidated" very loosely.  Although the psychology program is accredited, the MS in Psych is basically a generic degree.  You cannot use this degree toward getting any type of licenses in the Psychology field.  Basically, I would need to do another program that is geared toward licensure.  Also, I have found the staff to be lack-luster and the program to be thesis based.  I wish I would have taken my money to a traditional university that would grant me a more respected degree.

Not A Diploma Mill

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on October 26, 2007

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I am working on my PhD in psychology and have found the program to be wonderful.  The instructors are top notch and the support is very good.  I attended a traditional college for my BA and MS and find the level of work and interaction comparable if not superior to my brick and mortar experience.  In online education you must participate, you cannot sit in the back of the classroom quietly.  At Walden the expectation is to be a scholar practitioner.  The only caution I can advise is to be sure that you are dedicated to learning and excellence as the expectations of the university are higher than one would presume.

Recommended

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on October 26, 2006

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I am a Walden PhD student in the Psychology program and can not say enough good things about the school. The professors are great and knowledgable. (Having attended Capella and UoP, I can not say the same).

I would and do recommend Walden to anyone and eCollege is a standand learning environment much like BlackBoard or WebCT. All of which UoP and Capella do not use, while other Brick and Mortar Colleges/Universities do.

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