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Event date & time:
18.02.2021 at 15:13
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Location
Togher 1
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Category
Business
Diploma Mills
Some people are wary of distance education because of the negative effects of "Diploma Mills".
Diploma mills claim to provide legitimate certificates, diplomas, degrees, etc., which are considered false by most people within and outside the academic community. The problem with diploma mills is that people who are unaware of the dangers sometimes waste time acquiring a diploma that may mean nothing if they try to continue their education building on that degree later. Diploma mills cause people to lose money on useless credentials. Further, employers are unlikely to accept a degree from a diploma mill as legitimate. People that were pursuing education to get a raise or promotion or hoped the employer would offer reimbursement are then disappointed and upset.
Clearly diploma mills can be very harmful, so one of the ways to avoid them would be to check the accreditation status of a school or educational provider prior to applying. Accreditation typically means that an organization has undergone a review to assure it meets certain standards. Unfortunately just as diploma mills have become a business, so have accreditation mills that offer certification to any program that requests it apple store.
However, all of this does not invalidate the legitimate distance education providers.
There are some basic ways of evaluating programs and accrediting bodies to see if they are trying to scam you. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (http://www.chea.org) has provided a set of guidelines and questions to ask to check for diploma or accreditation mills.
Follow this link to find a list of publications by CHEA. Fact Sheet #6 will provide you with a link to download a PDF copy of their information on diploma and accreditation mills. Particularly useful is the list of questions they provide that can help you identify whether a program is in fact a "mill".
Another useful resource was compiled by the State of Oregon's Office of Degree Authorization. Their Student Assistance Commission compiled the following page, http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.html , which also contains a definition of diploma mills and lists many that the state has encountered.
Use this information to avoid bad programs, but also investigate all of the wonderful options that are available from legitimate distance learning providers click here to search our listing of accredited programs . The opportunities are endless. It's just a matter of avoiding the bad ones and learning from the good ones.
