A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is a company or organization that claims to be a higher education institution but provides illegitimate
academic degree
An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including unde ...
s and
diploma
A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...
s for a fee. The degrees can be fabricated (made-up), falsified (fake), or misrepresented (practically useless). These degrees may claim to give credit for relevant life experience, but should not be confused with legitimate prior learning assessment programs. They may also claim to evaluate work history or require submission of a thesis or dissertation for evaluation to give an appearance of authenticity. Diploma mills are frequently supported by
accreditation mill
An accreditation mill is an organization that purports to award educational accreditation to higher education institutions without having government authority or recognition from mainstream academia to operate as an accreditor. Implicit in the term ...
The term "diploma mill" originally denotes an institution providing diplomas on an intensive and profit-making basis, like a
factory
A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. T ...
. More broadly, it describes any institution that offers qualifications which are not accredited nor based on proper academic assessment.
While the terms "degree mill" and "diploma mill" are commonly used interchangeably, within the academic community a distinction is sometimes drawn. A "degree mill" issues diplomas from unaccredited institutions which may be legal in some states but are generally illegitimate, while a "diploma mill" issues counterfeit diplomas bearing the names of real universities.
Academic diplomas may be legitimately awarded without any study as a recognition of authority or experience. When given extraordinarily, such degrees are called
honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
s or ''honoris causa'' degrees. Also, in some universities, holders of a lower degree (such as a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
) may be routinely awarded honorary higher degrees (such as a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
) without study.
The term "diploma mill" may also be used pejoratively to describe a legitimate institution with low academic admission standards and a low job placement rate, such as
for-profit school
For-profit education (also known as the education services industry or proprietary education) refers to educational institutions operated by private, profit-seeking businesses. For-profit education is common in many parts of the world, making up m ...
s.
Related practices are direct
document forgery
A false document is a technique by which an author aims to increase verisimilitude in a work of fiction by inventing and inserting or mentioning documents that appear to be factual. The goal of a false document is to convince an audience that what ...
of certificates and corrupt buying of degrees from otherwise legitimate universities, although neither require a separate "mill".
Characteristics
Diploma mills share a number of features that differentiate them from respected institutions, although some legitimate institutions may exhibit some of the same characteristics.
Accreditation and authenticity
The most notable feature of diploma mills is that they lack
accreditation
Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
by a nationally recognized accrediting agency. (Note, however, that not all
unaccredited institutions of higher learning
Unaccredited institutions of higher education are colleges, trade schools, seminaries, and universities which do not have formal educational accreditation.
Educational institutions may not be legally required to obtain independent accreditation, d ...
are diploma mills.) Diploma mills therefore employ various tactics in an attempt to appear more legitimate to potential students.
Some diploma mills claim accreditation by an accreditation mill while referring to themselves as being "fully accredited". Accreditation mills based in the United States may model their websites after real accrediting agencies overseen by the
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a United States organization of degree-granting colleges and universities. It identifies its purpose as providing national advocacy for academic quality through accreditation in order t ...
(CHEA). Another typical ploy is for mills to claim to be internationally recognized by organizations such as
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. UNESCO has no authority to recognize or accredit higher education institutions or agencies, and has published warnings against education organizations that claim UNESCO recognition or affiliation.
Some diploma and degree mills have played a role in creating unrecognized accrediting bodies as well. These diploma and degree mills may further confuse matters by claiming to consider work history, professional education, and previous learning, and may even require the submission of a dissertation or
thesis
A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...
in order to give an added appearance of legitimacy.
As diploma mills are typically licensed to do business, it is common practice within the industry to misrepresent their business license as indicating government approval of the institution. Promotional materials may use words denoting a legal status such as "licensed", "state authorized", or "state-approved" to suggest an equivalence to accreditation.
Some advertise other indicators of authenticity that are not relevant to academic credentials. For example, the University of Northern Washington advertises that its degrees are "attested and sealed for authenticity by a government appointed
notary
A notary is a person authorised to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents. The form that the notarial profession takes varies with local legal systems.
A notary, while a legal professional, is disti ...
". In reality notarization only certifies that the document was signed by the person named.
Diploma mills are frequently named to sound confusingly similar to those of prestigious
accredited
Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
News Corp
News Corporation, stylized as News Corp, is an American mass media and publishing company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The second incarnation of the News Corporation (1980–2013), original News Corporation, it was formed ...
. Retrieved 2010-07-01. Despite the fact that
trademark law
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others. ...
is intended to prevent this situation, diploma mills continue to employ various methods to avoid
legal recourse
A legal recourse is an action that can be taken by an individual or a corporation to attempt to remedy a legal difficulty.
* A lawsuit if the issue is a matter of civil law
* Contracts that require mediation or arbitration before a dispute can go ...
. Several diploma mills have adopted British-sounding names, similar but not identical to the names of legitimate universities, apparently to take advantage of the United Kingdom's reputation for educational quality in other parts of the world.Melanie Newman Degree mills bank on allure of UK names ''
Times Higher Education
''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education.
Ownership
TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...
'', 20 April 2007 Some examples of British-sounding names used by diploma mills are "Shaftesbury University", "University of Dunham", "Redding University", and "Suffield University".
The school's website may well not have an
.edu
The domain name .edu is a sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) in the Domain Name System of the Internet. The domain was implemented in 1985 for the purpose of creating a domain name hierarchy for organizations with a focus on education, even abl ...
domain, or other country-specific equivalent, since registration of such names is typically restricted. However, enforcement has sometimes been less restrictive, and an .edu domain cannot be taken as verification of school quality or reputation. Some diploma mills use an
.ac
The .ac top-level domain is the Internet country code (ccTLD) for Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, used primarily for Ascension Island (Saint Helena has its own ccTLD, .sh). It is administered by NIC.AC, a subsidiary of the Inter ...
top-level domain name, which resembles genuine second-level academic domain names like
ac.uk
.uk is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the United Kingdom. It was first registered in July 1985, seven months after the original generic top-level domains such as .com and the first country code after .us.
, it is the fifth ...
but is in fact the
ccTLD
A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, sovereign state, or dependent territory identified with a country code. All ASCII ccTLD identifiers are two letters long, and all t ...
for
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory o ...
. To prevent misuse of their names in this way, some legitimate academic institutions have registered .ac domains.
Teaching
Compared to legitimate institutions, diploma mills tend to have drastically lowered academic requirements, if any at all. Depending on the institution, students may be required to purchase textbooks, take tests, and submit homework, but degrees are commonly conferred after little or no study.
Instead of "
hard sciences
Hard science and soft science are colloquialism, colloquial terms used to compare scientific fields on the basis of perceived Scientific method, methodological rigor, exactitude, and objectivity. Roughly speaking, the formal sciences & natural sci ...
", where competence is easier to verify, the subjects offered by a diploma mill are often
esoteric
Western esotericism, also known as esotericism, esoterism, and sometimes the Western mystery tradition, is a term scholars use to categorise a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas a ...
and may be based on a
pseudoscience
Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or falsifiability, unfa ...
like
astrology
Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of Celestial o ...
or
naturopathy
Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of pseudoscientific practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturop ...
. Such subjects are only vaguely defined, making external verification of educational standards difficult.
Degree mills typically offer little or no interaction with professors. Even if comments and corrections to coursework are given, they may have no bearing on the degree which is awarded. In other cases professors may serve only to write compliments to the student that can be given as references.
Facilities
Since diploma mills provide little in the way of teaching, there is usually no need for teaching facilities. The school tends to have no library, personnel, publications or research. In short, very little that is tangible can be found about the institution. If teaching is offered, the professors may themselves hold advanced degrees from the diploma mill itself or from other unaccredited institutions. They may also sport legitimate qualifications that are unrelated to the subject they teach.
Doctoral theses and dissertations from the institution will not be available from
University Microfilms International
ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, providi ...
, a national repository, or even the institution's own library, if it has one. The address given by a diploma mill is often a postal box, mail forwarding service or suite number. There are legitimate distance learning institutions with limited facilities, however, but legitimate universities make their authority clear. For academics, publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals are important for establishing scientific credentials. However, in diploma mills, the research is either absent, fake or purely self-published without any external review. This may be unfortunately hard to spot, since fake journals also exist. Faculty pages with bios and research may even be stolen from legitimate universities.
Promotion and fees
Buyers often use the diplomas to claim academic credentials for use in securing employment. For example, a
schoolteacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. wh ...
might buy a degree from a diploma mill in order to advance to
superintendent
Superintendent may refer to:
*Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank
*Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator
*Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...
. Degrees from a diploma mill can be obtained within a few days, weeks or months from the time of enrollment, and back-dating is possible. Academic credit may be offered for "life experience," a point often featured heavily in the selling points of the institution. This should not be confused with legitimate programs offering recognition of prior learning, which allow students to gain academic credit based on past training, experience or independent study. This will usually require a test that the student can fail; in most cases, a diploma mill will grant the degree regardless of results.
Tuition and fees are charged on a per-degree basis rather than by term or by course. Diploma mills are often advertised using
e-mail spam
Email spam, also referred to as junk email, spam mail, or simply spam, is unsolicited messages sent in bulk by email (spamming).
The name comes from a Monty Python sketch in which the name of the canned pork product Spam is ubiquitous, unavoida ...
or other questionable methods. Legitimate institutions use traditional advertising and high school recruitment. Prospective students are encouraged to "enroll now" before tuition or fees are increased. They may be told that they qualify for a fellowship, scholarship or grant, or offered deals to sign up for multiple degrees at the same time. Promotional literature might contain grammatical and spelling errors, words in Latin, extravagant or pretentious language, and sample diplomas. Some schools' websites may look amateurish or unprofessional, although other diploma mills use appealing websites.
Legal considerations
Degrees and diplomas issued by diploma mills have been used to obtain employment, raises, or clients. Even if issuing or receiving a diploma mill qualification is legal, passing it off as an accredited one for personal gain is a
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...
in many jurisdictions. In some cases the diploma mill may itself be guilty of an offense, if it knew or ought to have known that the qualifications it issues are used for fraudulent purposes. Diploma mills could also be guilty of
fraud
In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compens ...
if they mislead customers into believing that the qualifications they issue are accredited or recognized, or make false claims that they will lead to career advancement, and accept money on the basis of these claims.
Similar to
tax havens
A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...
, diploma mills frequently employ
jurisdiction shopping
Jurisdictional arbitrage is the practice of taking advantage of discrepancies between competing legal jurisdictions. It takes its name from arbitrage, the practice in finance of purchasing a good at a lower price in one market and selling it at a h ...
, operating in another country or legal jurisdiction where running diploma mills is legal, standards are lax or prosecution is unlikely. Splitting the business across jurisdictions can be a way to avoid authorities. A school might operate in one jurisdiction but use a mailing address in a different jurisdiction, for example.
Author John Bear, a
distance learning
Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...
and diploma mills expert, has written that fake degrees are risky for buyers and consumers:
:It is like putting a time bomb in your résumé. It could go off at any time, with dire consequences. The people who sell fake degrees will probably never suffer at all, but the people who buy them often suffer mightily. And – particularly if their "degree" is health-related – their clients may be seriously harmed.
Australia
In
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, it is a criminal offence to call an institution a university, or issue university degrees, without authorisation through an act of federal or state parliaments.
Under the
Higher Education Support Act 2003
The ''Higher Education Support Act 2003'' (Cth) (HESA) is an Act of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia which governs funding for universities in Australia. The Act determines categories of providers eligible for public funding, estab ...
, corporations wishing to use the term "university" require approval from the relevant government minister, the Minister for Education ().
The corporate regulator
Australian Securities and Investments Commission
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is an independent commission of the Australian Government tasked as the national corporate regulator. ASIC's role is to regulate company and financial services and enforce laws to pro ...
(ASIC) places strict controls on corporations wishing to use the term "university" and if the applicant does not intend to provide education services the name must not imply a connection with an existing university.
The Corporations Regulations 2001 lists the 39 academic organisations permitted to use the title "university".
The use of higher education terms (such as "degree") is protected in state legislation, e.g. Higher Education (Qld) Act 2003.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
According to the laws on higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina the terms "university", "faculty", "academy" and "university of applied sciences" can be used only by accredited educational institutions. Accreditation is independently assessed by the Agency for Development of Higher Education and Quality Assurance and formally conferred by the Ministry of Education and Science for each canton,
entity
An entity is something that exists as itself, as a subject or as an object, actually or potentially, concretely or abstractly, physically or not. It need not be of material existence. In particular, abstractions and legal fictions are usually ...
or
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
. Only these institutions are allowed to award academic degrees and diplomas.
Illegal use of academic titles or academic degrees and "non-accredited diplomas" may lead to prosecution, conviction, fines or even imprisonment.
Canada
In Canada all universities and colleges are under the direct supervision of the provincial and territorial governments, and there are no accreditation authorities, so the problem of degree mills is relatively rare. Many of the public universities are established by provincial legislation which also confers degree granting authority upon the institution. However, private postsecondary institutions are also required to comply with applicable legislation in order to confer degrees and diplomas. For example, in Ontario the ''Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000'' regulates degree-granting authority. Any institution that wishes to offer a degree or use the term "university" must be authorized to do so under an Act of the Legislature or by the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.
A list of recognized Canadian higher education institutions is available on the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials website.
China
Most, but not all, universities and colleges in the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
are public institutions. The Ministry of Education, which has legal authority to regulate college enrollment and degree awarding, publishes a yearly list of qualified higher-education institutions. Institutions not on the list cannot admit students or award degrees.
Also, no institution may call itself a "university" or "college" without approval by a provincial-level education department. Any institution, public or private, which wishes to name itself after a geographic region larger than a province (e.g. "South China ... University") must go through the Ministry of Education. A new regulation forbids any new university or college from being named "national", "of China" or similar names.
, China has 210 diploma mills.
Denmark
Most universities and colleges are public institutions; universities are self-governing, but financed by the state. However, some schools, like
Tvind
Tvind is the informal name of a confederation of private schools, humanitarian organizations, and businesses, founded as an alternative education school in Denmark circa 1970. The organization is controversial in Denmark, where it runs a numb ...
's teacher college, provide education which is only accredited outside Denmark.
Finland
All universities and colleges are public institutions; universities are public institutions or foundations, and vocational universities are municipal organs. There are no private higher educational institutions and no legal mechanism to found or accredit any. Universities are explicitly defined in the Universities Act."Yliopistolaki 24.7.2009/558" Finlex. Retrieved 2010-09-30.(in Finnish) Other than universities proper,
technical universities
An institute of technology (also referred to as: technological university, technical university, university of technology, technological educational institute, technical college, polytechnic university or just polytechnic) is an institution of te ...
(known in Finland as AMK,
ammattikorkeakoulu
An ammattikorkeakoulu (yrkeshögskola in Swedish, polytechnic or university of applied sciences in English), abbreviated ''AMK'', is a Finnish institution of higher education.
The term literally means "school of higher vocational education". Alt ...
), officially called "Universities of Applied Sciences" in English, can be established with permission from the
cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
. The degrees are protected by law. The list of AMKs can be viewed from the Ministry of Education website.
For purposes of professional qualification, the use of foreign degree qualifications is regulated: if the name of a degree can be confused with a Finnish degree that requires more academic credit, the confusion must be eliminated. Several diploma mills have operated in Finland, and countermeasures in university admissions have become necessary. There are no laws against conferring unaccredited degrees or degrees accredited abroad, as long as a Finnish degree or equivalent is not claimed. Also, English terms like "Bachelor" or "Doctor" are not protected.
Germany
In
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, it is a criminal offense to call an institution a ''Universität'' (university) or ''
Fachhochschule
A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied arts ...
'', or to issue academic degrees, without authorization through an act of the respective state's
Ministry
Ministry may refer to:
Government
* Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister
* Ministry (government department), a department of a government
Religion
* Christian ...
of Education. It is also a misdemeanor to falsely claim a degree in Germany if it is not accredited, see '' :de:Missbrauch von Titeln, Berufsbezeichnungen und Abzeichen''.
Some corporate training programs in Germany use the English term "corporate university". Such use of the term is tolerated since it is widely understood that such programs are not actual universities. Similarly, ''Fachhochschulen'' frequently use the English term "university of applied science". Neither are permitted to use the German word ''Universität''.
Greece
Institutions of higher
Tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...
''Ανώτατα Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα (ΑΕΙ)'' (universities and technical universities) and ''Ανώτατα Τεχνολογικά Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα (ΑΤΕΙ)'' (technological educational institutes / universities of applied sciences) in Greece are fully self-managed public entities and are the only institutions that can issue university diplomas. Diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions are validated and assessed by the Hellenic National Academic Recognition and Information Center (Hellenic NARIC).
Hong Kong
It is illegal under Hong Kong laws chapter 320 ''Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance'' section 8 to call an organisation a "university" without approval from the Chief Executive in Council.
Under Hong Kong laws chapter 200 ''Crimes Ordinance'' section 73, anyone who knowingly uses false documents with the intention of inducing somebody to accept them as genuine is liable to 14 years' imprisonment. Section 76 assigns the same penalty for anyone who makes or possesses machines that create such false documents.
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
are placed on, or formally aligned, with the National Framework of Qualifications. This framework was established by the
National Qualifications Authority of Ireland
The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland or NQAI (''Údarás Náisiúnta Cáilíochtaí na hÉireann'' in Irish) was set up in 2001 under the Qualifications (Education & Training) Act, 1999 to develop and promote the implementation of a Nat ...
in accordance with the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act (1999). It is illegal under the Universities Act (1997) for any body offering higher education services to use the term "university" without the permission of the Minister for Education and Science. It is likewise illegal under the Institutes of Technologies Acts (1992–2006) to use the term "institute of technology" or "regional technology college" without permission.
Italy
All public and private universities and higher education institutions must be established, or specifically recognized, by
decree
A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...
Under Article 135 of the School Education Act, all universities and post-secondary education institutes in Japan require a government-issued licence from the
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
The , also known as MEXT or Monka-shō, is one of the eleven Ministries of Japan that composes part of the executive branch of the Government of Japan. Its goal is to improve the development of Japan in relation with the international community ...
(MEXT). Operating such an institute without a licence from MEXT can result in a fine of ¥100,000 for each offence committed. In addition, the
(NIAD-QE) has the sole authority to accredit all university and post-secondary qualifications in Japan, as per Article 104 of the School Education Act.
The " Patent University" ( ja:特許大学) was an example of a Japanese diploma mill which operated from 1964 until it was shut down in 1980, and which sold fraudulent doctorates for sums ranging between ¥300,000 and ¥5 million. In 2007, MEXT revealed that it had discovered 48 people with suspected falsified qualifications who were successfully hired to teach in 43 universities and post-secondary education institutes throughout Japan between 2004 and 2006.
Malaysia
In
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, the Education Act 1996 protects the status of the terms "university", "university college" and "branch campus". Only institutions with this status may award academic degrees.
The Private Higher Education Institutions act also places restrictions on the creation and operation of any private higher education institution that conducts any course of study or training programme for which a certificate, diploma or degree is awarded.
Furthermore, all legitimate higher education qualifications are placed on or formally affiliated with the
Malaysian Qualifications Framework
The Malaysian Qualifications Framework ( ms, Kerangka Kelayakan Malaysia) or the MQF is a unified system of post secondary qualifications offered on a national basis in Malaysia. It is administered by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), a s ...
under the provisions of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act 2007. Limited exemptions are however granted to organizations and institutions "where the teaching is confined exclusively to the teaching of any religion" or "any place declared by the Minister by notification in the Gazette not to be an educational institution" under the Education Act 1996.
Mexico
In Mexico, Under the Education Act the official recognition of studies (RVOE) educational programs offered by private institutions may be granted by the federal education authority, by state education authorities or by both. There are also public institutions of higher education, which are mandated to incorporate programs of these institutions according to its own rules. As of July 10, 2000, the Ministry applied for the granting of RVOE the guidelines established in the "Secretarial Agreement No. 279 establishing the processes and procedures related to the recognition of official validity of studies The
Secretariat of Public Education
The Mexican Secretariat of Public Education ( in Spanish ''Secretaría de Educación Pública'', ''SEP'') is a federal government authority with cabinet representation and the responsibility for overseeing the development and implementation of ...
(SEP) lists several institutions that are unaccredited in Mexico.
In August 2010, the
Secretariat
Secretariat may refer to:
* Secretariat (administrative office)
* Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the ninth winne ...
said 22 federal health officials were arrested after their medical and psychology licenses turned out to be fakes from a diploma mill according to the newspaper '' El Universal''. They included the technical director of the National Center for Blood Transfusions and the chief medical officer of the National Commission for Medical Arbitration, which rules on cases of malpractice.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands it is illegal for non-accredited, non-recognized institutes to bestow any legally protected academic title. The
NVAO The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders ( nl, Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatieorganisatie; NVAO) is the independent educational accreditation organisation for higher education institutions in the Netherlands and Flanders. It wa ...
is the only agency allowed to accredit courses. Since the implementation of the Bologna process, Dutch universities have started to bestow the English titles MSc and PhD instead of their Dutch equivalents. These English versions of the title are not protected under Dutch law. A diploma mill may thus bestow someone with a PhD title without violating Dutch law, but the recipient will not be allowed to use the protected titles "doctor" or "dr."
Partnerships with foreign educational institutions are possible. This is called the "U-bocht construction". In this case, the curricula are neither accredited by NVAO nor recognized by the Dutch Department of Education. Graduates receive a foreign diploma issued by the educational institution which has a partnership with a Dutch educational institution. The status of such a diploma depends upon the laws and accreditation system of the country where the diploma is granted.
Diplomas from accredited universities are accepted in the Netherlands since the Bologna protocol. Diploma's from non EU institutions must be screened and validated first before they are accepted for appointments requiring a validated starting level (e.g. entering a health profession).
New Zealand
The New Zealand Education Act prohibits use of the terms "degree" and "university" by institutions other than the country's eight accredited universities. In 2004 authorities announced their intention to take action against unaccredited schools using the words "degree" and "university," including the University of Newlands, an unaccredited distance-learning provider based in the
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
suburb of
Newlands
Newlands may refer to:
Places Australia
* Newlands, Queensland, a locality in the Whitsunday Region
New Zealand
* Newlands, Wellington, a suburb of Wellington
South Africa
* Newlands, Cape Town, a suburb of Cape Town
* Newlands, Johannesbur ...
. Other unaccredited New Zealand institutions reported to be using the word "university" included the New Zealand University of Golf in Auckland, the online Tawa-Linden and Tauranga Universities of the Third Age, and the Southern University of New Zealand. Newlands owner Rochelle M. Forrester said she would consider removing the word "university" from the name of her institution in order to comply with the law.
Nigeria
The National University Commission (NUC) was formed in 1999 to clamp down on diploma mill activity in the country. A concentrated effort by the NUC has resulted in a significant drop in diploma mill activity in Nigeria."Clipping the Wings of Degree Mills in Nigeria" (PDF). Peter Okebukola, The Boston College Center for International Higher Education,
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
, Fall 2008 An International Higher Education article states, "Attainment of the Nigerian vision of being one of the top 20 economies by 2020 will be compromised by the injection of such poor-quality graduates into the economy. Herein lies the distaste for and the ''raison d'être'' for the government's clampdown on degree mills."
In Nigeria, online degrees from unaccredited institutions are banned and should not be accepted by employers."Degree Mills: The Impact on Students and Society" (PDF). Judith S. Eaton and Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic, The Boston College Center for International Higher Education,
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
, Fall 2008
Norway
Accreditation of universities and other institutions of higher education ("Universitet", "Høyskole(Høgskole)"), is governed by the state institution NOKUT, Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education. There have been cases where people submitting diplomas from a "Diploma Mill" to this agency for convalidation, have been prosecuted for fraud.
Pakistan
The government-established Higher Education Commission (HEC) is responsible for all matters related to the accreditation of universities in Pakistan. All recognized universities in Pakistan are listed on the HEC website. However, the
Axact
Axact ( ur, ) is a Pakistan software company that runs numerous websites selling fraudulent academic degrees. The company also owns the media company BOL Network.
History
Axact was founded by Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh, who serves as its chairman ...
company, based in Karachi, was the subject of a 2015 investigation by the ''New York Times'', which found it was committing fraud in other countries, by granting fake degrees and diplomas.
Philippines
Title IV (Crimes Against Public Interest), section V articles 174 and 175 of the
Revised Penal Code of the Philippines
The Revised Penal Code contains the general penal laws of the Philippines. First enacted in 1930, it remains in effect today, despite several amendments thereto. It does not comprise a comprehensive compendium of all Philippine penal laws. The ...
criminalize the falsification of medical certificates, certificates of merit or service and the like. Article 174 imposes a penalty on anyone who produces such certificates and article 175 on anyone who knowingly procures and uses such a certificate. Despite this, news and magazine articles appear from time to time reporting businesses operating along Claro M. Recto Avenue in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
which offer fake documents for sale.
Portugal
In Portugal according to Base Law of Educative System from 197 Lei n.º 5/73 ( Lei de Bases do Sistema Educativo) the diploma mill is impossible. To award higher studies degrees, all higher studies institutions require a governmental issued licence provided by the
Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education ( pt, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior or ''MCTES'') is a Portuguese government ministry.
See also
* Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia
* Arquivo Histórico Ultram ...
and published in the Government Journal (
Diário da República
The ''Diário da República'' (DR) is the official gazette of Portugal. Between 1869 and 1976, it was called the ''Diário do Governo''.
It is published by the National Printing House and comprises two series. Laws, decree-laws, decisions by th ...
) and communicate to the High Studies General Board (Direção Geral do Ensino Superior - DGES) all record of grades and degree awarded by students. Acting otherwise is punishable by law. Previously to 2007, in the process of opening a new institution or new curriculum to be lectured, it was required to provide the degree content by science branch and the list of PhD, MSc and BSc professors that lecture that specific course, thus getting a licence without expiration date, mandatory professors or contents revision date. This created a series of controversial scandals and severe lack quality in some private and public institutions as evidentiated by the 2007 state run inspection at the hands of A3ES, resulting in their compulsory closure and transfer of students to other institutions. Created by governmental rule to ensure the quality in higher studies along the Bologna Process implementation, this entity has a specific and rigorous agenda to control all public and private institutions of higher studies and its content. Its job is to perform inspections every 1, 2, 3 or 5 years about the academic crew scientific quality, current and new curriculum in all degrees, assure that these are up to date, and control the BSc, MSc and PhD available degrees in Portugal, by closure or approval of new courses as the Bologna Process demands.
Romania
The Romanian newspaper ''Gândul'' has reported that the
Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University
Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University ( ro, Universitatea Creștină "Dimitrie Cantemir") is a private university in Bucharest. The university was founded in 1990 by Momcilo Luburici and Corina-Adriana Dumitrescu as the Dimitrie Cantemir Indepen ...
Corina Dumitrescu
Corina Dumitrescu is a Romanian politician, member of the Social Democratic Party and since 2007 rector of Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University from Bucharest. She is also Advisory Board of the journal ''Cogito''.
She was nominated Education ...
, the law has a loophole, since it uses a continuous present for institutional evaluation, which is uncharacteristic of the Romanian language. She says that in her opinion institutional evaluation (required by law) may also happen after the curricula have been taught. The actual wording in Romanian is "universitate acreditată supusă periodic evaluării instituționale", and Dumitrescu argues that "care se supun" means that an accredited institution can be evaluated "today, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow" (and presumably, any time), not that it needs to have been evaluated in the past. For the study year 2010-2011, 16 Master's curricula from nine of its faculties are listed as accredited in Order no. 4630/2010 of the Department of Education.
Russia
Apart from the graduate level diploma mills, in Russia a significant number of leading institutions have "degree mills" within their departments (typically humanities and economics). According to the civic initiative
Dissernet
Dissernet (russian: Диссернет) is a volunteer community network working to clean Russian science of plagiarism. The core activity of the community is conducting examinations of doctoral and habilitation (higher doctorate) theses defended ...
such institutions are providing the Russian elite (heads of universities, members of parliament and government officials) with degrees based on plagiarised and falsified Kandidat nauk (Ph.D Candidate) and Doktor nauk (full Ph.D) theses.
South Korea
It is illegal to falsely claim a degree in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
if it is not accredited. In March 2006 prosecutors in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
were reported to have broken up a crime ring selling bogus music diplomas from Russia, which helped many land university jobs and seats in orchestras. People who falsely used these degrees were criminally charged.
In early 2007,
Shin Jeong-ah
Shin Jeong-ah (born 28 April 1972) is a South Korean woman who lied about her academic background to become an assistant art professor at Dongguk University and chief curator at Sungkok Art Museum. She created an international scandal shortly a ...
(신정아) was criminally charged for forging and misusing a degree from
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
. The case had a far-reaching impact as she was a professor at
Dongguk University
Dongguk University (Korean: 동국대학교, Hanja: 東國大學校) is a private, coeducational university in South Korea, fundamentally based on Buddhism. Established in 1906 as Myeongjin School (명진학교; 明進學校) by Buddhist pioneers ...
and also held a position at an art gallery known to have ties with economical and political figures.
academic rank
Academic rank (also scientific rank) is the rank of a scientist or teacher in a college, high school, university or research establishment. The academic ranks indicate relative importance and power of individuals in academia.
The academic rank ...
, a professor must have their curriculum accredited for said rank by this agency.
Sri Lanka
Until 1999 only state universities could grant degrees, but amendments to the Universities Act now allow private institutions to be granted degree-awarding status by the University Grants Commission. Universities can also be established by an
act of parliament
Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...
.
Sweden
In June 2007, the Swedish Minister for Employment,
Sven-Otto Littorin
Sven Otto Julius Littorin (born 1966) is a Swedish former politician and architect of major structural reforms. As Minister for Employment in the cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt, he was in charge of the major overhaul of Swedish labor policies between ...
, was discovered to have an MBA degree from
Fairfax University
Fairfax University was an unaccreditedSeOregon Office of Degree Authorization List of Unaccredited colleges anInstitutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas distance-learning institution established in Louisiana in 1986 and discontinued in ...
. Though aware that claiming an MBA from this diploma mill would be illegal in many states in the US, Littorin tried to convince the Swedish media and people of the legitimacy of his qualification. He was eventually forced to remove the reference from his official CV, but he remained in office.
Switzerland
Qualifications, diplomas and titles earned from Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (
ETH Zurich
(colloquially)
, former_name = eidgenössische polytechnische Schule
, image = ETHZ.JPG
, image_size =
, established =
, type = Public
, budget = CHF 1.896 billion (2021)
, rector = Günther Dissertori
, president = Joël Mesot
, ac ...
universities
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, from private universities recognized by state authorities, and from
Fachhochschule
A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied arts ...
-institutions (Universities of Applied Sciences run or recognized by official authorities, federal and cantonal) are protected. Accreditation is conferred by the Conference of University Rectors of Switzerland (CRUS) and the Swiss Center of Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (OAQ). Under Swiss law, it is a criminal offense, under
unfair competition
Unfair may refer to:
* Double Taz and Double LeBron James in multiverses ''fair''; unfairness or injustice
* ''Unfair'' (drama), Japanese television series
* '' Unfair: The Movie''
* Unfair (song), a song by South Korean boy group EXO
Diploma
A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...