Formal diploma and degree programs
are not the only goal of an online
education. There is something for
everyone, including courses for
general enjoyment, developing career
skills, and just about any purpose
that you can imagine. What motivates
students to take classes online?
Some reasons include working at your
own pace, no commuting, and general
flexibility with your working
location. In addition, taking
classes online may be less expensive
than taking classes on campus.
However, if you would like to pursue
a degree, you should beware of
degree mills and online diplomas!
A degree mill is a fake university
that sells college degrees without
requiring the education to earn it.
As you can imagine, fake degrees
have become big business on the
Internet. Vicky Phillips, CEO of
www.GetEducated.com, LLC states,
"Prestigious unaccredited
university? No such creature. Not
online...Accreditation is the
highest mark of academic quality.
Without accreditation a bogus online
university can begin awarding
degrees overnight. More than thirty
bogus universities currently sell
online degrees in the United States
and Canada." How do you know if an
online degree program is genuine?
Online Degree Mills: 10 Warning
Signs of a Bogus Program
1. The U.S. or Canadian online
program is not accredited. An
accredited program will state it on
the website. The website looks
flashy, but doesn't mention
accreditation.
2. The online program claims to be
accredited, but not by an agency
recognized by the Council on Higher
Education Accreditation (http://www.chea.org).
Bogus degree mills will claim
accreditation, but only CHEA has the
names of valid accreditors. The U.S.
Department of Education Higher
Learning Commission recognizes the
following as national accreditation
agencies:
*Middle States' Association of
Schools and Colleges
*New England Association of Schools
and Colleges
*North Central Association of
Schools and Colleges
*Northwest Association of Schools
and Colleges
*Southern Association of Schools and
Colleges
*Western Association of Schools and
Colleges
3. To be admitted to a bogus
program, you are only asked for your
credit card. Your academic records,
GPA (grade point average), and test
scores are not requested.
4. A degree is offered based on your
resume, granting class credit for
"life experience." Accredited
colleges do offer some course credit
(up to 30 credits) for career
experience, but no accredited
college will give a degree for life
experience only. Check accreditation
closely if you find an online
graduate school advertising degrees
based only on life experience. You
are almost certainly dealing with an
online degree mill. Fake colleges
that print worthless paper degrees
are considered degree
mills...students each year."
(Source: "College Credit for Career
Experience" by Vicky Phillips, CEO,
GetEducated.com, LLC) There is one
exception to this. Thomas Edison
State College of New Jersey, USA
does award an associate or
bachelor's degree based on career
experience, military service,
corporate training, and course
challenge exams. To earn a degree,
you must carefully document and
validate all your experience.
5. You are promised a degree (i.e.;
a piece of paper) within thirty days
of application regardless of your
background. Usually, you are not
required to take any classes or
tests.
6. You are promised a degree for a
specific cost, such as $2,000 for a
bachelor's or $3,000 for a graduate
degree. Accredited colleges do not
do this; they charge per credit.
7. The program you are considering
has many complaints on the Better
Business Bureau website: http://www.bbb.org.
8. An employee of the college swears
that online colleges can't be
accredited by the CHEA or any
agency.
9. The college has no faculty or
lists professors who have attended
colleges that are not officially
accredited by the CHEA.
10. The college is located in a
foreign country with no
accreditation agencies, and offers
degrees to anyone.
If you are considering entering a
U.S. online degree program,
accreditation by the CHEA should be
checked carefully to avoid
worthless, online degree mills!
