About Walden University

Walden University's Heritage

For more than 35 years, Walden University has been guided by a mission to provide career professionals the opportunity to become scholar-practitioners and transform society. This mission was founded upon a commitment to provide broad access to quality higher education regardless of geography. It has brought together a diverse community of extraordinary students and faculty who share a common desire to make a positive impact in the world today.

The concept of Walden University was first shared publicly in 1969 in a journal article that envisioned a university that was focused on the needs of its students. That article, written by Harold "Bud" Hodgkinson, a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley, captured the imagination of two New York-based teachers, Bernie and Rita Turner. From the beginning, their goal was to create a university where working adults could pursue doctoral degrees, combining knowledge, practice, and a commitment to the greater good.

Brought together by a shared vision of a new kind of institution for higher education—one that focused on positive social change and allowed professionals to continue working while earning a degree—the educators named their institution Walden University. In 1972, the university conferred its first doctoral degree.

Today, our student-centered online environment caters to working adults who are balancing the demands of work, life, and family.