Degree and Diploma Mills

The term “degree mill” (also called “diploma mills”) refers to a school that is simply looking to crank out as many students with “college degrees” to their name as possible.

Generally, this usually means that students receive a poor quality education where little learning in terms of preparation for real life and career training has taken place – in exchange for a piece of paper.

Probably the main reason that people buy into the promises of a degree mill is because of the lure of fast college degrees. That is, a degree mill enables students to complete your college degree in much shorter time than you could with a more professional school.

If a college allows you to get “life credits,” or if it can help you greatly reduce the time it takes to get a degree, then it is probably a degree mill. There are no real shortcuts to a quality education. If you are only looking for a piece of paper to hang on your wall, then a degree mill will do – along with the fake degrees they give you.

On the other hand, if you want a college degree (or graduate degree) that makes an employer take notice of you and your potential, then it is going to take some work from a college that won’t let you get by with barely studying. Remember that something that is really worth having – like a quality university degree – is going to cost you – but it is worth more in the long run.            

You can get a quality education through either traditional classes, or through online distance learning. Both methods can have equal value and lead to an accredited college degree.

Colleges and universities that have been around for a long time will generally give you quality college degrees.

Another essential quality to check for is accreditation through the proper channels. A college offering a fake university degree may even have its own accreditation agency. Don’t be fooled. You can check on colleges by looking through their requirements and making sure of their accreditation at the Federal Department of Education’s website. In addition, you can discover which colleges are not up to par by asking about the intended college at the professional associations – they can tell you.

If you take your courses through a distance learning program, do not think that it will necessarily be any easier. In fact, it may be harder because there is apt to be a heavier emphasis on writing papers – since you will have little or no classroom interaction. Your study will often be independent but the teacher wants you to still be able to get the same amount of information.