What is a diploma mill ?

Any non-recognized institution is a diploma mill ? If there is some institution, who provides courses and exams, but is not accrediated is also a diploma mill ?

Look at this link please and is it also a diploma mill :

http://www.mustuniversity.com/

 

Why do you call it is Diploma Mill, but I don't see any DONKEY at MUST University?

 

Few metrics to identify mills are:

- School requires no work or substantially less work to earn a degree than traditional school. According to their
web site "You can complete your University degree in less than a year or even lesser!" so this point is satisfied.


- Most mills grant credits based on life experience, they state "Get credits of your prior learning for
Your work / life experience
Your trainings
And more"


- Most mills claim accreditation by an unrecognized agency, MU claims accreditation by
"Accredited by International Accreditation Organization (IAO)."

If it looks like a duck, smells like a duck and walks like a duck, it must be a duck!

 

When you do a google image search for should university, must university appears as a sponsored link.

 

Their website is hilarious... I like the woman that walks out and talks to you though...

 

Looks legit to me. Sign me up for the summer term.

 

This looks like an unaccredited school claiming accreditation from a bogus accrediting agency. They list actual courses, but how much work is involved? If they make it so easy that anybody could study with them and get a degree just by "phoning it in", then it isn't much better than a mill. I'd stay away.

Too bad. They have a few programs that actually look interesting to me.

Some of the red flags with this school:

They have a TON of schools and majors.

They claim accreditation from a phony accrediting agency (The International Accreditation Organization! )

Where they heck are they located? They don't say.

They award a lot of credits per course...six credits for each graduate course.

 

I prefer to keep the definition simple, which is this.

A degree mill is any school whose diploma and use of said degree and/or degree title is illegal in the majority of US states, and territories.

MUST University doesn't count in my simple definition I suspect.

 

As of this Wednesday afternoon, their "24/7" phone number is not connected. And they have blocked access to their website registration information. Oh, and they have 71 majors but no listed faculty. And zero hits on Google other than their own site.

But their chat line was in fact answered by "Curtis Knight" (they put it in quotes, not me). He asked if I was ready to enroll. I asked him where his university was located. He said that I was rude, and terminated the call.

 

I went once again to the 24/7 chat room. This time, I was answered by "Ken Baker" (quotation marks theirs, not mine).

This time, I explained that I am the co-author of a book on degree mills, and long-time degree-mill consultant to the FBI, and asked where they were located. That was 20 minutes ago. No reply from "Ken" -- but not cut off either. Perhaps he is frantically trying to get in touch with their Conseiller Juridique.

 

For newer posters, here's an article on how to spot a degree mill on our not-really-live-but-accessible articles section (we're redoing it, so a lot of stuff there is outdated, but this article is still pretty current.)

http://articles.degreeinfo.com/article20_1.html

 

I got a laugh out of their disclaimer on the "Case Study" page.
http://www.mustuniversity.com/Must/CS/CS-htm/CaseStudy_career.htm

They're admitting that they are full of it...

 

The "accrediting" organization's website is quite comical as well - be sure to read the fine print:

http://www.internationalaccreditation.org/include/popup/cs2.html

Shawn

 

info: Please wait for a site operator to respond.
info: You are now chatting with 'Glen Smith'
Glen Smith: Ready to enroll?

Rodney: I have a few questions first:

Glen Smith: sure please do ask?

Rodney: 1. Where is the physical address of the school?; 2) When you go to the IAO accreditation website, why is MUST University the only school listed?

Glen Smith: There is not a physical address, due to being a online school. Yes, some do have address since they might also be a campus
Glen Smith: at must its completely online and self pace

Rodney: There needs to be some type of physical address for the adminstrative offices.

Rodney: You also did not answer the question concerning IAO accreditation - is MUST University the only IAO accredited school?

Glen Smith: Yes there are nuemrous administrative offices in various parts of Us

Glen Smith: IAO is the accrediting body which we found on top of being recognized

Rodney: I am also interested in obtaining the qualifications of the faculty in my field - could you provide me a link?

Glen Smith: i udnerstand the only school is Must

Glen Smith: faculty access, alumni access, are accessable only to students

Glen Smith: this is a self pace online school so it does not require much faculty area to be concentrated on

Glen Smith: its a complete normal online school

Rodney: That sounds fishy - I can go to any legitimate school and find their faculty listing - what are you trying to hide?

Glen Smith: Firstly there is nothing to hide

Rodney: Then provide me a link to the faculty and administration of MUST university

Glen Smith: and i would love to see that area

Rodney: Let me give you an example...

Glen Smith: can you show me the link?

Glen Smith: sure

Rodney: http://www.byui.edu/Accounting/

Glen Smith: sorry my internet is down now

Glen Smith: i will need to check this out

Rodney: http://www.svu.edu/academics/catalog/faculty.aspx

Glen Smith: but so far must did not have any problems

Glen Smith: if you need to do you research please continue to do that

Glen Smith: otherwise the Must university. would still not be able to provide the education services.

Rodney: Again, you have no phyical address that you are willing to share; your accrediation is bogus IMHO, and you are not able to provide the listing of faculty as is common practice with legitimate educational institutions - what say you?

Glen Smith: there is not a physical address as mentioned above its complete online school

Rodney: Surely there must be an administrative office of some type...

Glen Smith: there are
Glen Smith: only students are given that

Rodney: OK - what is the address

Glen Smith: for filling paper works
Glen Smith: not that easy?
Glen Smith: you have to be a student

Rodney: I'm sorry as I am ROTFLMAO - you are not going to provide me a physical address because I am not a student? Come on now...

Glen Smith: sorry
Glen Smith: rules are rules
Glen Smith: are you even wanting to enroll
Glen Smith: may i get your number?
Glen Smith: your email address
Glen Smith: which you did not mentioned upon starting a live chat?

Rodney: OK - let me tell you what I plan to do...it is quite obvious that you are a substandard school.

Glen Smith: Rodney?

Rodney: This chat just verifies this for me. I am a teacher at another higher education instituition - and it is quite obvious that IMHO, you are a degree mill.
Rodney: Have a good day.

 

info: Please wait for a site operator to respond.
info: You are now chatting with 'Glen Smith'
Bert: Hi, where is MUST University located?
Glen Smith: We have many admin offices in various parts of Us and International countries
Bert: Where is the main office?
Glen Smith: we many different states
Glen Smith: In* many different states
Bert: If I wanted to send a letter to the president, what is his mailing address?
Glen Smith: Well only students can avail this chance.
Glen Smith: but you can chat with me
Glen Smith: as to what you want to talk about to the president
Glen Smith: maybe i can pass the message?
Bert: I'd like to know where the physical presence of the school is located.
Glen Smith: sorry we only provide those to the students.
Glen Smith: are you intrested in studying with Must?
Bert: I was, until I got this secretive double-talk.
Glen Smith: meaning?
Bert: Anyone can setup a website and ask for money in return for a piece of paper that looks like a diploma. I don't think a legitimate school would be this secretive about where it's located.
Bert: Can I see a list of faculty and their credentials?
Glen Smith: you seem to have only one concern on your mind
Glen Smith: where is the location
Glen Smith: i did just answered that
Bert: No, you didn't. You said only students can know that information.
Bert: The one thing on my mind is avoiding being ripped off.
Glen Smith: ripped
Glen Smith: how?
Glen Smith: please explain
Glen Smith: can you tell me which state are you in?
Bert: How do I know this school is legitimate when you won't tell me where it's located, or supply a list of faculty?
Glen Smith: its a online school
Glen Smith: there is no campus
Glen Smith: there of there isnt any address
Glen Smith: its simple
Bert: Where are the administrative offices?
Glen Smith: not that easy again
Glen Smith: please one you are a student
Glen Smith: i be glad to give it to you

At that point, I gave up and terminated the chat.

 

I tried to start a live chat, but:

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I got this instead. My internet is fine.

 

They MUST be joking.

 

Perhaps everyone missed the fact that IAO uses a patent pending accreditation process that uses lots of different colored boxes with numbers in them!

BTW, thank you for posting the copies of the chats. They were laugh out loud funny.