CHICAGO – July 7, 2022 – Walden University celebrated more than 3,000 graduates1 who earned either bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees in fields like nursing, counseling, and social work, education, and management, among others. There were five ceremonies:
- The 67th Commencement Ceremony in San Antonio celebrated more than 1,900 graduates.2
- A virtual commencement ceremony celebrated nearly 1,000 graduates.3
These graduates will join a network of more than 169,000 Walden alumni around the world who are helping to fuel the healthcare workforce, transforming themselves into scholar-practitioners so they can effect positive social change in their communities and beyond.
Summer 2022 commencement featured Walden PhD in Management alum, Myriam E. Seay, chief of information technology at Headquarters Air Force Continuity of Operations Division at the Washington Air Force District of Washington (AFDW), as the keynote speaker. She is a decorated Air Force veteran and serves as chair of the AFDW Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Cultural Champion Working Group, which focuses on cultivating a diverse, inclusive, and resilient AFDW workforce.
“Walden is committed to helping provide access to communities who have been excluded from traditional educational pathways, and the class of 2022 reflects this,” said Sue Subocz, PhD, Walden associate president and provost. “Our flexible, online degree and certificate programs provide opportunities for a diverse community of adult learners that meets their needs, especially those pursuing healthcare education and looking to advance positive social change to create healthier communities. We are pleased Walden continues to graduate more nurses with advanced degrees than any other university, which contributes to addressing the critical shortage of nurses the country is facing.”
Walden has a diverse student population, with women making up more than three-quarters, while minorities make up more than half of Walden’s students. Walden has ranked first by the U.S. Department of Education among 380 accredited U.S. institutions for awarding doctorates to African American students4. Walden’s master’s and doctoral programs, in fields including public health, health professions, nursing, public administration, mental health and social services, psychology, management, and education, were ranked among the top five in multiple categories in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education’s 2020 Top 100 Producers of Minority Graduate Degrees.5
Walden is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, hlcommission.org.
13,122 is the number of conferred graduates as stated by the Registrar’s office which includes some graduates from earlier graduating classes who may or may not attend the commencement ceremony.
2The in-person ceremony included graduates with degrees conferred between December 15, 2021, and May 4, 2022 (class of 2022 graduates).
3Virtual graduates were made up all summer 2022 graduates.
4Survey of Earned Doctorates, National Science Foundation, “Table 9: Top 20 doctorate-granting institutions ranked by number of minority U.S. citizen and permanent resident doctorate recipients, by ethnicity and race of recipient: 5-year total, 2015–19,” https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf21308/data-tables
5https://top100.diverseeducation.com/. The data in the article is from IPEDS and ranking charts are contained within the article.
About Walden University
More than 50 years ago, Walden University was founded to support adult learners in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and communities. Students from across the U.S. and more than 120 countries are pursuing a certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree online at Walden. The university offers more than 80 degree programs, with over 250 specializations and concentrations. Walden University has a total enrollment of more than 52,000 students as of December 31, 2021. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, hlcommission.org. For more information, please visit WaldenU.edu.
About Adtalem Global Education
Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE) is a leading healthcare educator and provider of professional talent to the healthcare industry. With a dedicated focus on driving strong outcomes that increase workforce preparedness, Adtalem empowers a diverse learner population to achieve their goals and make inspiring contributions to their communities. Adtalem is the parent organization of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Chamberlain University, Ross University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Walden. Adtalem and its institutions have more than 10,000 employees and a network of more than 275,000 alumni. Adtalem was named one of America’s Most Responsible Companies 2021 and 2022 by Newsweek, and one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity in 2021 and 2022 by Forbes. Follow Adtalem on Twitter @adtalemglobal, on LinkedIn, or visit Adtalem.com for more information.