Bogus Distance Learning Degrees - How Can You Tell?
By Rose Musyoka, Sat Dec 10th
With the rise in demand for online distance learning degrees,many bogus learning institutions have mushroomed over theinternet with the sole intention of taking advantage of innocentstudents seeking for a genuine degree. These so-called“Colleges” often attract applicants with their attractive degreeprograms which are boasts of easy graduation, low tuition fees,no examinations and credit given for life experience, all ofwhich just sound too good to be true. Some of them even go tothe extent of prospecting for customers by sending out bulkemail citing university degrees for sale.
Therefore, with all the confusion generated, how can studentssieve out the genuine from the bogus? This may be especiallydifficult for distance learning programs when studentspractically make their choices based on what is shown on awebsite. In many cases, especially for international students,it may not be feasible to visit the physical site of a collegebefore enrolling. With this, making choices will really dependon the appearance and content of a website, which sometimes maynot be an accurate judge of the creditability of a college.
One of the qualifying factors that can be utilized by studentsto make correct enrolment decisions is by determining the typeof college accreditation that has been received by their collegeof consideration. If the college vaguely states itself as having“nationwide or worldwide accreditation” without statingspecifically which regional accreditation body it is accreditedwith, then most likely this college does not possess legitimateaccreditation.
In the U.S., college accreditation is awarded by one of thefollowing six accreditation agencies which are all appointed bythe National Board of Education - New England Association ofSchools and Colleges (NEASC), North Central Association ofSchools and Colleges (NCA), Middle States Association of Schoolsand Colleges (MSA), Southern Association of Schools and Colleges(SACS), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) andthe Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWCCU). Eachagency has been allocated responsibility for providingaccreditation for schools in specific states. Therefore, itwould be best to run checks on a particular online degreeinstitution with the agency offering college accreditation forthe state in which the college is registered in.
Another tell-tale sign of bogus degrees offered is when theuniversity advertises itself through mass-mailing emailfeaturing university degrees for sale. Many bogus distancelearning institutions prey on people who are desperate for adegree, but don’t have the time and money to go for propereducation. That is why these colleges boast of degrees withoutany examinations, classes, studying or even waiting. There areeven websites that offer degrees for just a few hundred dollarswhich can be ordered and received within 7 days. Furthermore,some of them also have dubious URLs, stating accreditation fromagencies which are not any one of the six listed above.Additionally, they offer fixed prices for their Master’s,Bachelor’s, and even Doctorate Degrees. Their justification forawarding degrees will be for giving credit to life experiencessuch as any type of work experience, any educational background,any workshops or community services attended as well as travelexperience, hobbies and even on the number of books that aperson has read!
In conclusion, as the awareness on bogus degrees increasesamongst prospective employers, degrees obtained through alegitimate avenue of education can sometimes be mistaken forbogus degrees too. Therefore, the best approach to select acollege would ideally be based on legitimate collegeaccreditation awarded by the appointed authorities to therespective colleges.
About the author:Rose Musyoka is the editor of http://www.distance-learning-college-guide.com where you find answers,information and advice on distance learning colleges, accreditedonline degrees and online courses.
