What are diploma mills?

What are diploma mills?

When looking for an online school, one thing students must be aware of is what diploma mills are. A diploma mill is an organization that will award a degree, but it is an unaccredited program and is either a very poor education experience or not an education at all. These diplomas, while they hang on the wall and look impressive, are usually expensive, always useless, and can be a major liability.

Diploma mills are a billion dollar industry, and there are thousands of so-called schools involved. The vast majority of them are one of two kinds.

The first kind of diploma mill will sell a degree for cash, the degree being the sheepskin declaring that so-and-so has had such-and-such a degree conferred upon them by this-or-that educational institution. The sellers are quite up front with their buyers and both parties know the degrees are not legitimate. For a certain sum of cash, the purchaser can select the name of the school they want their degree to be from, and the degree they want to have “earned.”

Other diploma mills put up the pretense of being real schools and offering real degrees. These organizations can be more dangerous to the unsuspecting. Credit is offered for life experience, or fast-track learning accomplishes most of the “academic” work. The students may do some actual reading and testing, but there is no campus time required. The degree is rewarded in a very brief time, like only a couple weeks or months. It is possible for students to think that they have graduated from a real school and earned a true degree. The truth is that they have been separated from a significant amount of money and gotten nothing of value in return.

The problem with a fake degree from a fake school is that graduates remain untrained and possibly completely unsuited for the careers they are seeking. It’s true that most employers place a great deal of emphasis on their employees having an appropriate education, sometimes when the educated prospects are far less worthy candidates than those who have learned their trade in the trenches. The piece of paper hanging in the frame might be convincing, but if the employer were to determine that a degree is questionable, the candidate will likely be rejected. If they were hired on the basis of that degree, the employee would likely be terminated.

Diploma mills vs. unaccredited programs
When looking around for an online degree, be aware of diploma mills with unaccredited programs. Find a school that is accredited by a recognized organization that grants accreditation to schools or degree programs. Every state’s department of education can provide a list of accredited schools in the state.

Keep in mind, however, that not all unaccredited schools are diploma mills. There are new schools that are going through the long process required to be granted accreditation. There are other completely legitimate schools that have chosen not to seek formal accreditation with any recognized accrediting body, either because they do not want to adhere to certain regulations or because they do not believe accreditation is necessary, for a variety of reasons. The International Christian College and Seminary at www.iccsonlinebiblecollege.com is an example of a top online Bible school that remains unaccredited by the most widely recognized accrediting bodies.

There are other factors that contribute to what diploma mills are, but the major warning sign is that a degree is awarded with little or no work requirements. Please visit www.iccsonlinebiblecollege.com for an example of a top online Bible school that has chosen not to pursue accreditation