Best Aestheticlly Pleasing Diploma

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by AlK11, Aug 4, 2016.

Loading...
  1. AlK11

    AlK11 Active Member

    Getting that degree is a huge milestone in anyone's life. Whether it is an associate's, a bachelor's, or a third doctorate, it is a great accomplishment and be celebrated. Displaying diplomas is one way to celebrate your accomplishment. Obviously when being displayed, you want the diploma to be as aestheticlly pleasing as possible. What schools out there offer the best looking diplomas? This thread is also pretty useless without pictures so please post then if you have them.
     
  2. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    No one except you or whoever sees it on a wall are likely to see your diploma, much less care about it. Other schools and employers (if they have their s*** together) will want sealed transcripts. I've never seen one, but I've heard that the world's worst diploma mill, Columbia State University, sold very impressive diplomas.

    On the other hand, I've seen pictures of diplomas from very prestigious UK schools that were, to US eyes, facing the "wrong" way (vertical instead of horizontal) and looked like they were filled out with a typewriter.

    Please, base your school choices on the school itself and how their programs suit you, not how the piece of parchment they give you afterwards looks.
     
  3. AlK11

    AlK11 Active Member

    Thanks, but you told me everything I already know. I just thought it would be a nice thread to be able to see some nice looking diplomas. And even some ugly ones if people have them.
     
  4. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Of the three diplomas I have, Scranton is the nicest. But it is hardly extraordinary. CTU's isn't bad and is a close second. They are both fairly generic.

    scranton offers multiple options and the full size Latin diploma is pretty handsome. I just never felt like shelling out the extra bucks for an associate's diploma. Maybe when I get the MBA...

    Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the slick Latin one because I don't have it.

    I'm also a fan of the portrait oriented (vertical) diplomas.

    It is a personal pet peeve of mine but I have encountered a fair number of HR people whose only means of educational verification is a photocopy of the actual diploma without requiring transcripts. Then again, most places that sell diplomas will also sell fake transcripts so maybe it doesn't really matter.
     
  5. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    The nicest-looking diplomas usually come from diploma mills.
     
  6. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Here's an example of the one I'm aimed at (UofL-Birkbeck). Some people think it's plain looking. I'm sure I'll love mine when it happens.

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Steve Levicoff

    Steve Levicoff Well-Known Member

    Actually, I've found that diploma mill "diplomas" usually look the most fake. They tend to be printed on paper used for stock certificates, available from any paper supply house, generally 8-1/2" x 11" and with a gold foil seal which has been embossed by the equivalent of a notary's seal.

    The University of London diploma, incidentally, looks fake as hell. At least the institutional name on a diploma is generally in "Olde English" typeface, is larger than the other print, and is spread out better than the sample printed above. Moreover, the seal on a real diploma is generally in raised gold, it is not merely embossed. The one pictured looks like it was simply put through a computer printer by someone who doesn't know how to adjust font sizes or types.

    For what it's worth, my vote for the best (and one that partially influenced me in the beginning) - the Norwich University diplomas. They're larger than most diplomas, the gold seal is surrounded by a burgundy circle, and there is a phantom background drawing of one of the campus buildings. (I'm not sure which building they use on the main campus at Northfield, but when I graduated the building pictured in the background was College Hall on the Vermont College campus. In those days, the diplomas said "Norwich University" in large Olde English at the top, then the same of the individual college under it - at the time, the Military College of Vermont or Vermont College.)
     
  8. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    You're right. It at least looks like they didn't try too hard. But Oxford's is not much better. Maybe it's just a British thing.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    The fake diploma I have from Buxton University is not really what I'd call the worst quality. They used a raised foil seal so it's not too far off of the British diplomas (but looks crappier than the embossing that my real degrees have).

    I would say that when you graduate from Oxford they could probably print your diploma on a napkin and it wouldn't matter; you just graduated from freaking Oxford.
     
  10. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    My Quincy College diploma is of surprisingly good quality, especially considering it's from a small city-run community college. It is much smaller than the others by comparison, sort of in-between a HS diploma and a traditional size college diploma. My Curry diploma is okay, kind of generic and nothing spectacular. My UMass is probably my favorite, it's very well done and looks professional. The MSPP diploma is huge, if it was a tray you could serve a round of drinks on it. Again, nothing spectacular.
     
  11. apriltrainer

    apriltrainer New Member

    It's just my practical nursing diploma from the army but I love it. My Excelsior diploma is pretty boring looking.
    [​IMG][/IMG]
     
  12. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    Well, I immodestly think the best one ever was the one my wife designed for the phony Millard Fillmore Institute in 1968 or thereabouts. A murky copy can be seen at Fillmore - JOHN BEAR

    The wording is: "By virtue of powers which we have invented, the Millard Fillmore Institute hereby awards the honorary and meretricious title of Doctor of Humane Letters to (name), Magna Cum Grano Salis, together with all rights and privileges thereto appertaining." Magna cum grano salis, of course, means "with a big grain of salt." We couldn't find a picture of Fillmore at the time, so we used one of Martin Luther. The motto that runs along the top is in Latin, and translates colloquially, as "You may think you're hot stuff, but we know you, Charlie."

    Fillmore, our noble 13th president, was chosen for this Institute because he was the only US president, from Washington to Obama, who had a firm policy of rejecting all offers of honorary degrees.

    --John Bear, PhD (Michigan State University)
    Co-founder, The Millard Fillmore Institute
     
  13. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    In the UK, one can design ones own diploma

    Or at least you could. During the 9 years that I did marketing in the US for Heriot-Watt University (Royal Chartered Scottish university established 1821), many of the thousands of US students complained about the plain diploma issued which, as Bruce points out, had the name typed in.

    When we asked if change was possible, the University told us that in the UK, diplomas, like number (license) plates on cars, were unofficial things, that had no official design. Anyone can paint their own license plate or buy stick-on letters and numbers at the hardware store. And similarly, they said, anyone can produce their own diploma in any size, shape, or design they want, as long as it has the mandated wording. Who knew? Of course we immediately proposed the notion of creating a truly impressive Heriot-Watt diploma, or perhaps a whole array of them to choose from . . . but we never got around to it by the time we sold our business. I have no idea if this policy is still in place.

    --John Bear, M.J., Ph.D.
    US/Canadian marketing agent for the MBA of Heriot-Watt University (Edinburgh Business School), 1991-1999
     
  14. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Well, if you think about it, what would happen to anyone if they redesigned their own diploma?

    What if I just went to a printer and had them make the most beautiful UMT MSM in the world? I still have an MSM from UMT. The diploma is just a visible symbol of the degree that I earned. If someone else with a degree from UMT became suspicious they could still verify my degree through the school. I, in the meantime, could have a sweet certificate in my wall.

    Veterans do it all the time with jazzed up discharge certificates or commemorative medals. Sadly, fakers sometimes use those to lie about having served (much like how some people abuse custom diplomas).
     
  15. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    From a "British Thing," the HEDD site. Says to look out for "Gothic script – very popular with fake universities – rarely if ever used by real UK HE providers."
    That explains it, I guess.

    Whole thing here: http://cdn.prospects.ac.uk/pdf/HEDD%20degree%20fraud.pdf

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 6, 2016
  16. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    My children are both proud alums of Millard Fillmore. The diplomas are indeed impressive, the scan doesn't do it justice.
     
  17. curtisc83

    curtisc83 New Member

    I like my LU one just because of the size of it. Not sure if the pic attached to this message but the stuff around it is normal sized awards.

    image.jpg image.jpg
     
  18. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    I REALLY like that! That's cool looking. :smile:
     
  19. AlK11

    AlK11 Active Member

    Here's the history of the Harvard diploma with pictures at the bottom. I personally really like the current one. Simple and clean, while still distinguished from other diplomas out there.

    History by degrees | Harvard Gazette
     
  20. Lagu88

    Lagu88 Member

    But on the other hand, students paying usually a few thousands shld hv at least acceptable good looking "receipt".

    Hanging cert on walls is very subjective, some hang on office like doctors is to show clients they have the skills. You can argue that some people hang it because they felt insecurity also. Some people, on the other hand, hang their certs in their room so that they can find motivations from there thru memories when their current life is low. Education degrees are challenging and hardwork are needed, unless you free sail through everything, hence won't understand the memories.
     

Share This Page