A recent research has estimated that the fake degree industry is worth over Rs. 12,000 crores worldwide. In case of India, the UGC maintains a list of fake universities, but it does not provide you the list of online fakes. We requested Dr. John Bear, the world renowned authority on online degrees, to explain to our readers how to spot a fake degree grading institution. There is no unanimity on what a degree mill is. No one denies that a ‘university’ operating from a mailbox service, selling diplomas to anyone, no questions asked, is a mill. But what if there were a requirement of one month of study and a 10-page thesis? Six months of study, 50 pages? Two years of study and 200 pages? Would it be still a fake university? A survey of dozens of definitions of ‘degree mill’ found five relevant factors in determining school legitimacy: What degree-granting authority has it? Amount of work required; Quality of work required; and Process for awarding credit for prior learning; Credentials of people who make decisions. Thus a degree mill can be defined as an entity in which: Degree-granting authority does not come from a generally-accepted government agency; Procedures for determining the amount and quality work do not meet generally-accepted standards; and People making these decisions do not have relevant credentials, training, or experience.
