How to Spot a Diploma Mill |
|
What is a Diploma Mill? |
|
| A diploma mill is a university that sells a diploma, not an education. The university offers a piece of paper rather than the experience and education. Since a college degree opens the door to higher earning potential and since a degree is the second most expensive item a person buys in their lifetime, the practice of selling diplomas is on the rise. Employers are increasingly on the lookout for these fake diplomas and will generally reject an applicant who uses deception in this way. | |
The university is accredited! |
|
| These universities are usually accredited, but not by any accreditation body recognized by the Council on Higher Education and Accreditation (http://www.chea.org) | |
Diploma is based on "life experience" |
|
| Any university that grants a degree based solely on life experience is not worth associating with. A university should be offering an education. What a university should be charging for is the learning experience. Certainly some amount of credit can be offered for "life experience", however these diploma mills are just attempting to make the applicant feel good about getting a diploma without working for it, or learning anything. Accredited universities may offer up to 30 hours credit for life experience in an undergraduate degree program for life experience (about 1 year out of a 4 year program). | |
No studying or tests |
|
| I am looking at junk email that offers "Consider a prosperous future, No tests, study, coursework, or interviews required." Any university that offers a diploma for no test, study or coursework is just selling paper. Any diploma that requires no work is worthless. | |
Admission requirements are a Visa card |
|
| Diploma mills will require only a Visa card for admission. No need to verify a high-school diploma. No need to demonstrate that "live experience." Payment will always be required up-front. | |
GPA is negotiable |
|
| Any university that will negotiate your GPA is a diploma mill. What real university would sell a GPA? | |
The university has a familiar sounding name |
|
| Often diploma mills will use a name that sounds similar to a real accredited university. The state of Louisiana shutdown the notorious diploma mill, Columbia State University in 1999. That sounds like a familiar and official university, and two Clinton Whitehouse staffers had those degrees. | |
The university is overseas |
|
| Often diploma mills are overseas, in a country that has no system for academic accreditation. They will market to US citizens exclusively. | |
Have your degree in 30 days or less |
|
| Degree mills are in the business of selling nice looking paper, therefore they will ship you paper as quickly as possible, after all, that's what their customers are paying for. Often they will offer a nice laminated copy of your diploma in a wallet size for those who are vain. | |
The university has no website or faculty listed |
|
| The university, if it has a website, lists no faculty. If is does list faculty, they all have degrees from strange universities or unaccredited ones. | |
Tuition is negotiable |
|
| What real university will negotiate your tuition? "This is a one-time offer, if you don't take it today, the price will go up!" | |
It is easy to be fooled by online degree and diploma mills, since they offer something that is very desirable and easier to obtain than other universities. Many of them maintain impressive and inviting web sites and they all advertise heavily. Look beyond easy access for the name of the school’s accreditation agency. Verify their accreditation by an agency that is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.