Diploma mill

As degree mills (English diploma mill or degree mill ) are devices called that give to the payment of fees to the payer records, seem like recognized degrees, but not accompanied by a scientific training.

Generally

Degree mills have either bogus diplomas directly to the purchase or specify in advertisements to forgive degrees for life experience, so gullible buyers to be convinced of the alleged legality of the award. There are also degree mills prior to work - with the model of theses or dissertations - should be submitted and an actual exam is simulated. Here, the required services usually bear no relation to the relevant performance requirements of recognized universities. For example, ( generally not recognized ) will be awarded a Bachelor's or Master's degrees by correspondence courses of a few weeks or months, and work to meet the requirements of a dissertation, have a circumference of a few pages.

In many countries, such as in many states in the United States, the word ' university ' and the names of academic degrees is not protected by law. In the U.S., accreditation of each university (eg universities in the Carnegie list) crucial, with many American degree mills themselves even setting the Credentials Committee, of which they can be accredited.

The financial statements of degree mills are not recognized in most countries of the world, depending on local law, the management of such pseudo title is even punishable. In Germany, only the leadership of hired at a state-recognized university in the country of origin after a period of probationary actually studying foreign academic, governmental or ecclesiastical degrees, indicating the awarding educational institution is permitted. Degrees from countries of the European Union can be done without additional origin. Who conducts of non-state- recognized universities conferred and in particular acquired title by purchase academic, government, or religious degrees in Germany, according to § 132a of the Criminal Code makes punishable ( Abuse of titles, job titles and badges ). The guiding fantasy doctoral degrees (eg, Doctor of Metaphysics, Doctor of motivation) actually recognized as a church in the U.S. Universal Life Church in Germany is also a crime, because it is not is academic degrees, but by names, the academic degrees are confusingly similar.

Accreditation of degree mills

Since even degree mills without accreditation seemingly no longer wish to get by, the International Commission on Academic Accreditation, Inc. ( ICAAI ) founded in Rogers (Arkansas ), which has, for example, accredits the below mentioned Mave University.

According to its own website, the ICAAI specializes in Bible schools, institutions, seminars and other educational institutions. However, the ICAAI is not recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Countries

Germany

In Germany, the names, college 'and' university 'and' college ' protected by law, so pure title mills or educational institutions that occur without state recognition as universities, there can not act legally unmolested.

Well, in Germany by many institutions of vocational training consciously academic sounding phrases like, study ',' Diploma ',' intermediate examination ' and, at the university level ' are used. This is legal, as long as not to give the appearance that it was actually a university degree. As a parody of this behavior, the Academy of Science in Berlin was established in 1997, for example on the Malayan Tapir awarded a so-called science diploma after attending seminars lasting several days.

Because there is no separate guide permits for foreign degrees and no more legal basis for their content assessment by applicable law on the part of ministries of education, is anyone who leads a foreign academic degree, responsible for the review of the legality of the guide and must any civil and criminal penalties for unlawful guide wear.

Viewing the so-called degree mills appear regularly in the German media as Business Week or career and misled by the seriousness of the magazines to recognize the institution as a mentally reputable.

Austria

Also in Austria, the intentional use of " the domestic or foreign higher education peculiar name" and the unauthorized ceremony, presentation and management of domestic or foreign academic degrees with an administrative penalty of up to 15,000 euros threatened (University Act 2002, § 116, page 99 ). For the prosecution, the district administrative authorities. The reaction is not very effective. In autumn 2005 the Austrian Accreditation, the International University Vienna indicated because of the unlawful use of the word University ' with the competent authority. The penal order was issued only on 21 October 2008, which is why the subsequent appeal was not completed in time and the statute of limitations ( the statute of limitations is three years ) had to be discontinued. As an offense is committed continuously during the proceedings, is considered continuous offense, the offender can be prosecuted now possibly with further commit a crime anymore.

Switzerland

• The Free University of depths was a private sector institution was founded in Switzerland in 1985, which counted to the distance education institutions. It was this is a diploma mill, according to the Swiss University Assistance Act ( UFG ) Articles 2 and 12 do not "recognized Swiss university " was non-doctorate granting possessed and could not award diplomas or Bachelor-/Master-/Doktorgrade. She has ceased operations as of December 31, 2009. The conferred degree must not be run according to current German case law in Germany. The former website now refers to a European Academy ( " EURACA " ), which offers similar services.

• EURACA organized his business recently in a way that " dissertations " on the website grin.com be posted online at the " Department of Economics network EURACA Instituto Superior de Educación a Distancia SL Malaga / Kharkov National University VN To have been Karazin Kharkov submitted ". The work is written in German and were supposed to acquire the degree Dr. rer. oec. lead. Both the " kandydat nauk " and the " doctor nauk " from the Ukraine allowed in Germany, however. Rather than Dr. or Dr. rer oec. be performed. This degree may - if it should be genuine because - only be conducted in the form in which it was awarded, giving the conferring university. Here, the shape imparted to transfer at foreign fonts into the Latin alphabet ( transliterated ) and be out the legal in the country or generally accepted abbreviation and a literal translation will be added in parentheses.

• The Free University of train has an almost identical offer as the Free University depths. Probably it is an offshoot of this institution.

• For over twenty years, the Freie Universität Herisau awards respective degrees.

In Switzerland, the federal Title (ETH Zurich, EPF Lausanne ) and those of the colleges are protected by federal law. Furthermore, the mere possess or carry such a title is in federal law of unfair competition with " incorrect titles or job titles " are punishable, but not. The cantonal law, according to the Swiss canton

• Are any titles and awards protected
• Are academic / university titles protected
• Are only titles of the canton own universities protected (for example diplomas of the College of Education Graubünden)
• Are not protected title

In 2005, laws were designed to protect the title " psychologist ," " psychotherapist " and those of medical professions, in consultation.

Other countries

• In the U.S., now closed Californian Columbia Pacific University on the part of California's judiciary has been called "a diploma mill". A similar reputation have Clayton University in St. Louis
• Academia Scientia Church
• Cosmopolitan University
• Grand Union University
• American World University

• The Open International University for Alternative Medicine in Kolkata offers distance learning a master's degree alternative medicine [MD (AM) ] for 750 U.S. dollars, the doctor of philosophy of alternative medicine [ Ph. D. (AM) ] for $ 850 as well as a Doctor of Natural Sciences for alternative medicine [ D. Sc. ( A.M. ) ] of $ 900. For the Master degree five exam papers will be sent by post and must be returned answered. For the doctorate at least 300 pages long shall be sent, guided by a person or institution that has previously been accredited by the Open International University for Alternative Medicine.
• In the British Virgin Islands, the University has established Mave. It provides against an appropriate fee also to academic degrees.
• A special case is the University of the Duchy of New Zealand (NZL ) (English State University of New Sealand David Duke - SuDoNS ), since this self-proclaimed Duchy has no territory of their own, but resides on a ship. This so-called Duchy, a so-called micro- nation is not to be confused with the Principality of Sealand.