unaccredited degree use in USA

In what state in USA or states beside Oregon the use of unaccredited degree is illegal?

Thanks for the reply.

 

Illinois Public Act 93-0239: AN ACT regarding higher education


(720 ILCS 5/17-2.5 new)
Sec. 17-2.5. False academic degrees.

(a) It is unlawful for a person to knowingly manufacture or produce for profit or for sale a false academic degree, unless the degree explicitly states "for novelty purposes only".

(b) It is unlawful for a person to knowingly use a false academic degree for the purpose of obtaining employment or admission to an institution of higher learning or admission to an advanced degree program at an institution of higher learning or for the purpose of obtaining a promotion or higher compensation in employment.

(c) Sentence. A person who violates this Section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

(d) In this Section:
"False academic degree" means a certificate, diploma, transcript, or other document purporting to be issued by an institution of higher learning or purporting to indicate that a person has completed an organized academic program of study at an institution of higher learning when the person has not completed the organized academic program of study indicated on the certificate, diploma, transcript, or other document.
"Institution of higher learning" means a public or private college, university, or community college located in the State of Illinois that is authorized by the Board of Higher Education or the Illinois Community College Board to issue post-secondary degrees, or a public or private college, university, or community college located anywhere in the United States that is or has been legally constituted to offer degrees and instruction in its state of origin or incorporation.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

North Dakota - North Dakota Century Code was amended to include language making it unlawful to issue, manufacture or use of false academic credentials 1. It is unlawful for a person to knowingly issue or manufacture a false academic degree. A person that violates this subsection is guilty of a class C felony.

2. a. It is unlawful for an individual to knowingly use or claim to have a false academic degree:

(1) To obtain employment;

(2) To obtain a promotion of higher compensation in employment;

(3) To obtain admission to an institution of higher learning; or

(4) In connection with any business, trade, profession, or occupation.

b. An individual who violates this subsection is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

3. As used in this section, "false academic degree" means a document such as a degree or certification of completion of a degree, coursework, or degree credit, including a transcript, that provides evidence or demonstrates completion of a course of instruction or coursework that results in the attainment of a rank or level of associate or higher which is issued by a person that is not a duly authorized institution of higher learning.

4. As used in this section, "duly authorized institution of higher learning" means an institution that:

a. Has accreditation recognized by the United States secretary of education or has the foreign equivalent of such accreditation;

b. Has an authorization to operate under this chapter;

c. Operates in this state and is exempt from this chapter under section 15-20.4-02;

d. Does not operate in this state and is:

(1) Licensed by the appropriate state agency; and

(2) An active applicant for accreditation by an accrediting body recognized by the United States secretary of education; or

e. Has been found by the state board for career and technical education to meet standards of academic quality comparable to those of an institution located in the United States that has accreditation recognized by the United States secretary of education to offer degrees of the type and level claimed.

 

I do not believe that using an "unaccredited" degree in itself is illegal. It is using an unearned "degree" from a mill that is illegal.

 

I am not a lawyer or expert but from what I understand above, both Illinois and North Dakota have provisions for licensed and State Approved schools, the latter further states that they (the schools) must be on the path to accreditation in addition to being licensed or State Approved.

I see it the same way as Frankie.

 

Florida statute appears to be very clear on the illegal nature of unaccredited degrees:

The 2003 Florida Statutes

Title XLVI
CRIMES

Chapter 817
FRAUDULENT PRACTICES

817.567 Making false claims of academic degree or title.--

(1) No person in the state may claim, either orally or in writing, to possess an academic degree, as defined in s. 1005.02, or the title associated with said degree, unless the person has, in fact, been awarded said degree from an institution that is:

(a) Accredited by a regional or professional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation;

(b) Provided, operated, and supported by a state government or any of its political subdivisions or by the Federal Government;

(c) A school, institute, college, or university chartered outside the United States, the academic degree from which has been validated by an accrediting agency approved by the United States Department of Education as equivalent to the baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States;

(d) Licensed by the [1] State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities pursuant to ss. 1005.01-1005.38 or exempt from licensure pursuant to [2] s. 246.085; or [Repealed]

(e) A religious seminary, institute, college, or university which offers only educational programs that prepare students for a religious vocation, career, occupation, profession, or lifework, and the nomenclature of whose certificates, diplomas, or degrees clearly identifies the religious character of the educational program.

(2) No person awarded a doctorate degree from an institution not listed in subsection (1) shall claim in the state, either orally or in writing, the title "Dr." before the person's name or any mark, appellation, or series of letters, numbers, or words, such as, but not limited to, "Ph.D.," "Ed.D.," "D.N.," or "D.Th.," which signifies, purports, or is generally taken to signify satisfactory completion of the requirements of a doctorate degree, after the person's name.

(3)(a) A person who violates the provisions of subsection (1) or subsection (2) commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(b) In addition to any penalty imposed under paragraph (a), a violator shall be subject to any other penalty provided by law, including, but not limited to, suspension or revocation of the violator's license or certification to practice an occupation or profession.

History.--s. 2, ch. 89-40; s. 32, ch. 94-310; s. 1039, ch. 2002-387.

1Note.--Section 246.031, which created the State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities, was repealed by s. 1058, ch. 2002-387.

2Note.--Repealed by s. 1058, ch. 2002-387. Similar material is now found at s. 1005.32.

Source Link:
http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch0817/ch0817.htm

 

Maybe Florida does hold a standard that unaccredited degrees are illegal period.

However, there are universities that are unaccredited who operate legally. If I am not mistaken Bob Jones University is not accredited and yet it is a legal educational institution to the best of my knowledge.

 

Wasn't this found unworkable because the defined mechanism for approval doesn't exist?

 

Yes, BJU is legal. Their undergrad programs are state-approved and their graduates can receive government certifications (teaching, nursing, etc.). Many elected officials (some are lawyers) in Greenville County have degrees from Bob Jones.

 

Florida and unaccredited degrees

It is simply amazing to me, as a recent transplant to Florida, that they have a statute like this on the books. I'm all for it, but believe me - this is a state that runs on minimal and sometimes NO rules.... You can drive as fast as you want, there are drugs and fast women everywhere, and I-95 between Miami and West Palm Beach has to be the most dangerous stretch of highway in the nation for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that a lot of the motorists are armed!

As I often have commented to my wife - "the way to get used to living in south Florida is to just assume that fully half the population would be in state prison in any other state". Makes it easier to swallow. As for those unaccredited degree users, I think they are probably somewhere near the end of the line of criminal behavior - way behind the multitude of rapists, murderers, drug dealers, and scoundrels of all stripes that roam the streets here freely.

(I'm ducking now as the Florida natives begin to pelt this transplanted snowbird!!!!)

 

Re: Florida and unaccredited degrees

The same thing applies for Palmetto (826) too. I thinnk you know the incident last week about a guy firing on the car for cutting in front of him? You can/should make >75MPH on palmetto (limit is 50MPH) to get by. I have never seen anybody getting a ticket for speeding.

 

Florida allows for the use of unaccredited degrees if the school is exempt from licensure, which is usually the case for religious oriented schools, and also for religious schools using nomenclature which clearly identifies the religious nature of the degree.

So, not all unaccredited degrees are illegal in Florida. It would seem the law has been designed to weed out degree mill credentials.

 

Now I'm wondering if the Universal Life Church degrees are acceptable here - it would not surprise me, given my earlier commentary!!