On October 29, 2007, I wrote a post on my blog about “Diploma Mills.” I run across more students, even family members and friends, who have fallen into the trap of receiving degrees from schools, many of which are online, that are not properly accredited. I even see it becoming more prevalent in religious or seminary circles where well intentioned pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders are tempted to take short cuts in their educational pursuits.
If you are a prospective student, make sure you do your due diligence. Here are some Diploma Mill “warning signs” that I have run across:
1. The school claims to be accredited (fully, nationally, internationally) but its accreditation or accrediting body is actually not approved by the Department of Education.
2. Promotional literature focuses heavily on credit for life experience.
3. The school’s address is a P.O. Box.
4. The school’s name is very similar to the name of a recognized, accredited institution.
5. A majority of the school’s administration and faculty have degrees from the school itself or other non-accredited institutions.
6. Degrees are awarded in a very short period of time — from a few weeks to a few months.