Walden Student › Questions
Straight answers, in as few words as possible
Thirty-six questions we are actually asked, answered in a sentence or two each. Every figure is Walden’s own published term as read in August 2026. Where an answer needs more than a paragraph, it links to the page that gives it.
Written to be quoted. Each answer names Walden explicitly and stands on its own, so it still makes sense lifted out of this page and dropped somewhere else.
Placement and preceptors
Does Walden find you a preceptor?
Not by default. Walden expects you to find your own preceptor and site. Its Practicum Pledge will match you if that search fails, but only after you meet its eligibility requirements.
What is the Walden Practicum Pledge?
It is Walden's commitment to match an eligible nursing student to a practicum site and preceptor when the student's own search has failed. It applies to BSN, MSN and DNP practicum courses in both course-based and Tempo formats.
How many rejections do you need for the Walden Practicum Pledge?
Five. Walden requires documented denials from at least five qualifying sites or preceptors, on signed letterhead or a work-issued email address. Personal email accounts are not accepted.
How far can Walden send you for a practicum?
Up to 100 miles, according to Walden's stated policy, and further in areas with a low supply of providers. Walden may also split a placement across several sites and preceptors.
Can you refuse a placement Walden offers?
You can, but Walden's obligation under the Practicum Pledge ends if you decline the match. The Pledge provides one match, not a series of options.
How many practicum hours does a Walden MSN require?
640 supervised clinical hours for nurse practitioner specialisations, split across four practicum courses of 160 hours each. The requirement is the same in every NP track.
What is Meditrek?
Meditrek is the system Walden nursing students use to apply for practicum sites and preceptors, track approvals, and log supervised clinical hours. It is separate from Blackboard and from myWalden.
Can you use your own employer as a Walden practicum site?
Often yes, and it is usually the most reliable route. The site still needs an affiliation agreement with Walden and the preceptor still needs to meet Walden's qualification requirements.
States and restrictions
Does Walden approve practicum in every state?
No. Walden's College of Nursing publishes a list of states and countries where it does not approve practicum experiences, covering some programmes in some states and all nursing programmes in others.
Which states does Walden not approve nursing practicum in?
Walden lists Connecticut, New York and North Dakota as restricted for nursing programmes generally, with named programmes restricted in roughly fifteen more states and all NP specialisations restricted in Louisiana.
Can you do a Walden nursing programme in New York?
Walden lists New York as restricted for all nursing programmes, with separate restrictions applying to non-residents. Confirm your own position with Walden in writing before enrolling.
Can you do a Walden practicum outside the United States?
Walden restricts all nurse practitioner specialisations outside the United States and in US territories, with an exception for US citizens on military bases abroad.
Cost and credits
How much does a Walden MSN cost?
Around $28,000 in tuition for the 58-credit Family Nurse Practitioner route at roughly $485 a credit, and around $40,700 for the 84-credit RN-to-MSN bridge, before fees and books.
Why are Walden MSN costs quoted differently?
Because credit totals differ by entry route and by specialisation. Family Nurse Practitioner is about 58 credits on BSN entry while Psychiatric-Mental Health is about 63, and the bridge routes are 84 and 89.
How much does Walden charge per credit?
Roughly $485 a credit for nursing programmes on the course-based route. The rate moves by programme and intake, so confirm the figure for your own catalogue year.
What is Tempo Learning at Walden?
Tempo Learning is Walden's competency-based format, billed as a flat subscription for a three-month period rather than per credit. It awards the same qualifications as the course-based route.
How much does Walden Tempo Learning cost?
Commonly around $3,750 for a three-month subscription period on the MSN, which is roughly $15,000 across four periods and about $30,000 across eight.
How many credits does Walden accept in transfer?
Up to 135 quarter credits toward an undergraduate programme. For master's and doctoral programmes the limit is no more than 50% of the programme's own requirements.
Does Walden use semester hours or quarter credits?
Walden counts in quarter credits, which do not convert one to one with semester hours. Credit totals from other schools should be converted before being compared.
What does a missed term cost at Walden?
About twelve weeks, because graduate courses run eleven weeks and open every twelve, plus roughly $2,900 of tuition that moves later rather than disappearing.
Admission and starting
What GPA do you need for a Walden MSN?
A minimum GPA of 2.5 in bachelor's coursework, or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in master's coursework. Admission also requires a current, active, unrestricted US RN licence.
Does Walden require the GRE?
No. Walden's nursing programmes have no GRE, SAT or ACT requirement, and no admission essay.
What do you need to apply to Walden's nursing programmes?
A completed online application, official transcripts, a current and active US RN licence in good standing through your start date, and Walden's Technical Standards Policy Form.
When can you start at Walden?
Walden offers start dates each quarter, which is typically four intakes a year. That is fewer than schools running monthly starts, so the calendar is worth checking against your own timing.
Do you need an RN licence for a Walden MSN?
Yes. Walden requires a registered nurse licence in the US or its territories that is current, active and in good standing through the start date of the programme.
Accreditation and acceptance
Is Walden University accredited?
Yes. Walden holds institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission, a recognised regional accreditor.
Is Walden's nursing programme CCNE accredited?
Yes. Walden's nursing programmes hold accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and its MSN received a ten-year extension running through 31 December 2030.
Do employers accept a Walden MSN?
Generally yes, because CCNE accreditation is what licensure boards and employers look for. Some employers keep their own approved-provider list for tuition reimbursement, which is worth checking first.
Is Walden University a diploma mill?
No. Walden is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and its nursing programmes hold CCNE accreditation, which is the standard licensure boards and employers require.
Studying at Walden
What learning platform does Walden use?
Walden's classroom runs on Blackboard, holding announcements, the syllabus, discussions, assignments, the gradebook and live meetings. There is also a Blackboard mobile app.
What is myWalden?
myWalden is Walden's student portal for administrative matters: registration, financial aid, records, advising and residency sign-up. It is separate from the Blackboard classroom.
Do Walden courses have discussion posts?
Yes. Each weekly discussion requires one initial posting plus at least two responses to colleagues, and all of them are graded against a published rubric.
How long are Walden courses?
Graduate courses run eleven weeks and open every twelve weeks, so the programme advances on a fixed quarterly cycle rather than continuously.
Can you work full time while studying at Walden?
Most Walden nursing students do. Coursework terms carry three fixed weekly deadlines; practicum terms add about 14.5 supervised clinical hours a week, which is the harder period to combine with full-time work.
What is the Form and Style Review at Walden?
It is a required review of a Walden doctoral study against the university's formatting and APA standards, conducted separately from the student's committee.
What is a scholar-practitioner at Walden?
Scholar-practitioner is Walden's own term for the graduate it aims to produce: a practitioner who integrates scholarly research with professional practice. The phrase shapes how assignments are framed and marked.
If your question is not here
The three that come up most on the phone are not really general questions at all, which is why they are not on this page: is my state restricted, what is my transcript worth, and is there a preceptor near me. Each depends on facts about you.
Ask and we will answer them. It is free, there is nothing to sign, and if the answer is that Walden is the wrong school we will say so.