This school appears in our ranking of Top 10 Best Colleges for a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Informatics.
Key Takeaways:
- Walden University offers online health degrees from certificate to doctoral levels.
- Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ensuring eligibility for federal aid.
- Provides a range of healthcare programs including public health and healthcare administration.
- Known for a large online public health program and a globally accessible education network.
Walden University offers several online health degrees ranging from the certificate level to the doctoral level. The university describes its degrees as “highly relevant” and helpful for students interested in gaining a combination of academic theory and firsthand knowledge. The university developed its degree in healthcare administration with the assistance of leading healthcare associations. Its graduate degrees and doctoral degrees in public health offer one of the largest online degree programs on that subject anywhere in the world. Faculty members providing instruction in healthcare feature a variety of researchers, scholars, and professors with experience in the public and private sectors.
Online Health Degrees at Walden University
The program at Walden University that is available at the certificate level is a Graduate Certificate in Public Health. Healthcare bachelor’s degrees at Walden University include a BS in Health Studies, BS in Healthcare Management, and a BS in Public Health. Masters degrees include an MS in Health Education & Promotion, a Master of Public Health (MPH), a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA), and a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) with a Tempo Learning option. Doctoral programs at Walden include a Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA), Ph.D. in Public Health – Completion Program, Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), Ph.D. in Public Health, a Ph.D. in Health Education and Promotion, and a Ph.D. in Health Services.
Admissions to the Graduate Certificate in Public Health are based on rolling admissions. Students may transfer up to 15 credits when earning this certificate. Courses in the program include Perspectives on Health and the Developing Scholar-Practitioner, SPSS Revealed, Public Health Administration & Leadership, and Environmental Health: Local to Global. Students will also take Epidemiology: Decoding the Science of Public Health, Interpretation and Application of Public Health, and Socio-ecological Perspectives on Health. The program requires 31 total quarter credits. Students may choose to move on to a master’s program after earning their certificate.
At the bachelor’s degree level, Walden’s BS in Healthcare Management is appropriate for students interested in advancing their healthcare careers with knowledge of complex healthcare systems. The program is designed to provide several learning outcomes like the ability to conduct financial management and fiscal evaluation of healthcare environments and the ability to analyze the pros and cons of a particular healthcare delivery system. The curriculum requires 181 quarter credit that includes a selection of general education courses, core courses, elective courses, and a capstone course. Healthcare-related courses in the program include:
- Health Informatics
- Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare
- Current Issues in Healthcare Policy and Practice
- Aging Across the Lifespan
At the graduate level, Walden University’s Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program will help public health professionals confront the challenges of the modern healthcare environment. The program features the five core areas of public health that include biostatistics, social & behavioral sciences, epidemiology, public health administration, and environmental health. During the program, students will engage in research activities to advance the profession and undertake a curriculum that helps prepare them to offer positive contributions to public health. Courses taken for this degree program include:
- Biological Foundations of Public Health
- Interpretation and Application of Public Health Data
- Epidemiology: Decoding the Science of Public Health
About Walden University
More than 50,000 students attend Walden University, which is a for-profit school located in Minneapolis. The school is part of a global education network that offers classes in almost 30 countries around the world. The university was established in 1970 by a pair of teachers from New York. The school’s original purpose was to provide education in the form of doctoral degrees to teachers. The first classes were held in Naples, Florida. Over the years, the school underwent changes in venue, name, and size. It would move to Minneapolis in 1990 and become accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in 1995.
Recommended: Top 10 Best Colleges for a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Informatics
Walden University Accreditation Details
Walden University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which is one of the regional accrediting bodies responsible for examining schools for the integrity of their programs. Attending an accredited school ensures students are eligible for federal financial aid. In addition to institutional accreditation, there are several programs and departments within the university with accreditation. Those accreditations include the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) for its Master of Social Work (MSW) program and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) for its professional education programs. The university is also accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Walden University Application Requirements
Before applying to Walden University, admissions counselors recommend that students gather their unofficial transcripts for a pre-admission evaluation, official transcripts for the official application, a resume of work history, and a list of former employers and educational institutions attended. To apply to the university, students will create a MyHomepage account, complete a student profile, upload relevant documents, submit their application, and wait for an acceptance offer. Once accepted, students will set up their school email, enroll in their first course, and start the Student Readiness Orientation.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition varies at Walden University depending on the degree a student seeks. For example, the per-credit cost of the Doctor of Public Health – Track 1 – Accelerated Program for Students with an MPH is $575 per quarter hour for coursework credits. The program requires 58 quarter credits overall. For the Bachelor of Science in Public Health, students will pay $325 per credit hour and complete a total of 181 total credit hours. The school offers liberal transfer credit opportunities, so students may have the opportunity to reduce the cost of their degree by several thousand dollars.
Students have a variety of options for financing their education that range from federal student loans to grants and scholarships. Walden University is an accredited school, so students are eligible for federal student aid. In cases where a student’s tuition exceeds that amount offered by the federal government, the student may choose to apply for private student loans. Walden University does have some tuition reduction opportunities, and there are ways to reduce tuition costs by transferring credits from previous education. It’s also recommended that students explore the options for grants and scholarships designed for students seeking online health degrees from Walden University since there are monies available specifically for students in healthcare programs.
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