| The answer in one word is: "NO!". | | | | no pension, no severance pay and a bad reputation. |
| You see a catchy ad or article title and you look, | | | | Try to sell that to your next employer! |
| saying to yourself: "Maybe, just maybe, this is for real | | | | I've actually seen a situation where a supervisor |
| ...". | | | | wanted to hire a bright young subcontractor as a |
| I've got news for you: it's not! You can buy a "degree" | | | | permanent employee in her department. The problem |
| in less than a week , but you won't have earned it! | | | | was that the position called for a college degree. He |
| Most of those ads are for companies called degree | | | | was self-taught and had never been to college |
| mills whose only purpose is to sell phony degrees | | | | although he was very competent and could surely |
| online. They usually have an official-sounding name, the | | | | have done the work. The supervisor suggested he |
| package they sell may be quite elaborate in its details | | | | buy a degree of some sort in order for her to be able |
| but it's all basically fake. | | | | to hire him. She assured him she'd never check-up on |
| That's not to say that all online degrees are phony. | | | | his qualifications. Sounds good! But, when that |
| There are many degree-granting institutions that | | | | supervisor is no longer around or it's time for a |
| operate online. And there will be many more in the | | | | promotion the jig will be up, as they say. |
| years to come. Those are almost always accredited | | | | If you're in the market for online education, here are a |
| by the governing body in the area where they operate. | | | | few of the warning signs that you are dealing with a |
| It is usually possible to verify the accreditation of the | | | | degree mill: |
| institution by going to the appropriate government. See | | | | - You don't have to wait! Get your degree in a few |
| below for US accreditation. | | | | days! |
| What you're buying online when you go to one of | | | | - You pay a set amount for the degree. There are no |
| those degree mills is not a degree, it's a piece of paper. | | | | fees per course or per credit. All you have to do is |
| A degree is the certification by an educational | | | | sign the check! |
| institution that you've attained competence in a field of | | | | - There are no exams, no tests. |
| knowledge, usually as the result of hard work. A piece | | | | - There are no courses. Your "life experiences" are |
| of paper looks good when framed and hung on the | | | | evaluated and credited towards your degree. |
| wall. A degree looks good in your | | | | - You will get a complete transcript, with high marks, of |
| résumé, when it's legitimate. | | | | courses that have been credited. |
| Leaving aside all the ethical questions raised - they are | | | | If you're hiring someone with a degree that you are not |
| so numerous they could fill a book - you have to | | | | sure of, here are a few tips: |
| consider the practical aspects. | | | | - Check the timing. If the person has a work history for |
| Having a piece of paper in a frame that says you've | | | | the same period as the education, ask how the |
| got a Ph.D. in Psychology does not automatically put | | | | courses were done. There are several reasonable |
| you in the same league as Dr. Phil. If all you want is to | | | | explanations of how a continuing-education degree |
| impress clients, just print the degree yourself. Why | | | | was earned, including night school, correspondence |
| spend thousands of dollars on a package of | | | | education, online training, etc. |
| credentials that nobody will fall for anyway? | | | | - Look at the time taken to attain the degree. It should |
| When you look at what these organizations are | | | | be at least two or three years. |
| offering for a few thousand dollars, you may be | | | | - Look at the sequence of degrees. The applicant has |
| impressed. You get a professional-looking diploma but | | | | to have attained a Bachelor's before a Master's, etc. |
| you also get a marks transcript covering several | | | | - Google the school's name. If the name of the |
| years, letters of attestation from Professors, course | | | | institution is similar to that of a well-known college, but |
| abstracts, etc. In other words, a whole college history, | | | | not quite the same (Princetown University, for |
| all fake. | | | | example), that's a dead give-away. An Internet search |
| And it may even work, for a while. You may happen | | | | would come back with: "Did you mean Princeton?". |
| upon a supervisor who's too busy or too incompetent | | | | There are many legitimate online degree institutions. |
| to check things out and your fake B.Sc. goes through. | | | | What you have to do before you register, or before |
| But what happens in six months or a year when | | | | you hire a graduate if you're an employer, is check-out |
| someone does get around to checking credentials? | | | | the validity of the college. |
| You get tossed-out on your ear with no references, | | | | |