A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by official educational accrediting bodies. The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree, and the organization is motivated by making a profit. These degrees are often awarded based on construed life experience. Some such organizations claim accreditation by non-recognized/unapproved accrediting bodies set up for the purposes of providing a veneer of authenticity.
While the terms "degree mill" and "diploma mill" are commonly used interchangeably, within the academic community a distinction is sometimes drawn:
- A "degree mill" issues "real" diplomas from unaccredited "universities", which may be legal in some states but are generally illegitimate universities.
- A "diploma mill" issues counterfeit diplomas which bear the names of legitimate universities.
Medical diploma mills have operated, and have been blacklisted, in the United States for over 120 years.
Read more about Diploma Mill: Common Attributes of Diploma Mills, Characteristics, Legal Considerations
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