In English, there is even an expression - Diploma Mill. "Mill" translates into Russian in two ways: "factory" (manufactory) or "mill". The first translation is more correct in this case, but generally both are suitable. According to the third edition of Webster's New International Dictionary, this is the name for a higher education institution that issues either fake or utterly substandard and therefore useless diplomas and certificates.
Just don't exclaim indignantly: "Well, I'm an old hand, I won't fall for that trick!" As Ostap Bender's childhood friend, the Polish beauty Inga Zayonts, used to say, even an old woman can have a mishap. A dishonest educational agent, a representative of a fake university, or the director of a bankrupt language school doesn't have "swindler" written on their forehead. And modern copying and computer technology can work wonders.
"Department of Philanthromathematics"
Imagine: in search of a suitable educational institution, you look through relevant brochures and come across a certain... Well, let's say, the "World University" in the city of Floresville (founders and owners - Jeff Peters and Andrew Tucker). And you like everything: an impressive range of taught subjects, colorful photographs of the campus, thoughtful students with books and at computers, happy graduates in gowns and mortarboards. You like the teaching staff, which includes professors from all over the world, including a couple of Nobel laureates. You like that diplomas and degrees are awarded in a wide variety of specialties, from statistics to interstellar navigation... Internet research leads you to a sprawling website of this educational institution, where all its merits are confirmed. Among other things, there are statistics and testimonials from grateful graduates who quickly found prestigious jobs in their field. In short - the university of your dreams.
The most interesting thing is that almost all of this is true. Well, except that there won't be any Nobel laureates - they have nothing better to do than go to Floresville (or some other "-ville"). And the university exists, it regularly issues diplomas. One small "but": it has no license for educational activities, it is not accredited by either state bodies or professional associations that license private educational institutions. Consequently, it issues diplomas almost illegally, and no sane employer will accept them.
The above is not a fiction (except for the name of the university and the names of the founders - they were invented by O. Henry). This is a classic type of Diploma Mill. True, there can be variations. For example, one like this: the university has the right to issue diplomas only in a limited range of specialties, but it violates those restrictions. Or the university is accredited, but by an organization that does not have the right to issue licenses for educational activities. And you can't find any leads: the organization that accredited this university, "Catsky & Motsky," will declare itself a branch of the "Votsky & Blotsky" association, which in turn is an offshoot of the "Petsky, Lavotsky & Co." holding, and so on ad infinitum. This too is not a fiction (except for the names invented by Edgar Allan Poe), but a typical scheme of the so-called Accreditation Mill.
"Diploma mills" and "accreditation mills," according to foreign press, are very common worldwide, especially in countries like the USA and Canada, where there is no single federal educational program - each state (or province) has its own, and moreover, the number of educational institutions runs into the thousands. And they primarily suffer foreigners, who find it harder than locals to verify information. Nevertheless, experienced people advise: instead of wasting time and money on getting a fake diploma, do some detective work before submitting documents - fortunately, finding a detective agency in Kyiv is not a problem. And most importantly, do this before paying tuition. Unless, of course, you are heading to Harvard, Stanford, or an equally famous university.
People, be vigilant!
So, the main thing is accreditation. Under no circumstances should you be satisfied with information given in small print somewhere at the end of a brochure or in a secluded corner of a website. You must request copies of accreditation documents with the contact details of the organization that issued the license. Don't be too lazy to verify the information by calling the given phone numbers. If only an email address or a post office box is available, if you get passed from one department to another on the phone, if you have even the slightest suspicion about the legitimacy of the accreditation, forget about that educational institution forever.
There are several other signs by which you can identify a "diploma mill." For example: tuition is too expensive or, conversely, too cheap. Or they offer "accelerated programs" - a master's degree is awarded, say, not after a year or two, as it should be, but after five to six months. Or the requirements for applicants are lowered: they admit to a master's program people who do not have a bachelor's degree but only some work experience. And they even offer to obtain a bachelor's or master's degree honoris causa, based on work experience, without study. For money, of course. So in fact, only one degree is awarded "for cumulative merits" - the Higher Doctorate. Everything else is a swindle as an exact science.
It is not difficult to find out whether the stated teachers actually work in the educational institution, whether the departments actually have serious scientific publications... It also helps to know the attendance requirements, what a credit hour is, the number of exams. If students are asked for a minimum, you are either dealing with a very bad university or a "diploma mill."
"An Honest Way to Take Money"
Perhaps the most fraud occurs in the field of postgraduate education (master's degrees, professional retraining, MBAs) and additional education (language schools, all sorts of courses). A couple of years ago, the whole world was abuzz with the story of a certain enterprising foreigner who, under the cover of a language school in Brighton (UK), sold fake student visas to gullible foreigners. The most piquant part was that as soon as he was 'caught red-handed' and the 'school' was closed, the unsinkable swindler soon opened another and started all over again.
Well, these were, so to speak, blatant frauds - even the classes in this gentleman's 'schools' were only nominally held. But there are educational institutions where everything seems to be above board: they don't trade in visas and fake certificates for international exams, they actually conduct classes. But what kind of classes!
'My friend came to a language school. What a disappointment it was when it turned out that the lessons were not even taught by English people, but by foreign students with the same level of English as the listeners! She had to leave the course and return home to Spain...' 'The teachers at the school were students from Germany, Norway, Holland, and the USA. For them, it was excellent practice and a chance to earn extra money, but for us...' Two reviews of two different British language schools located in different cities, but as alike as two peas. What they have in common is the same lack of accreditation. And what the students who chose these particular schools have in common is carelessness - they should have looked into where they were going to study, especially since it's Britain, where all accreditation organizations are right out in the open.
The most amazing thing is that there is no authority over the founders of 'diploma mills'. Their activities are not pursued by law. As long as there is demand for shoddy work, there will be supply. As long as there is supply, there will be consumers. Don't want to be among them? Then trust, but verify.