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60-607: In June 2011, Serbian private university Megatrend University announced that it would take over the institution's operation. This successor institution also went bankrupt and closed its doors in 2013. Academic degrees granted by IU Vienna within the period of private university accreditation (4 January 2001 through 31 July 2003) are legally recognized in Austria and other EU countries. Any degrees granted outside this period lack accredited status, and their use may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions. The institution stated that it

120-483: A distance learning and diploma mills expert, has written that fake degrees are risky for buyers and consumers: In Australia , it is a criminal offence to call an institution a university, or issue university degrees, without authorisation through an act of federal or state parliaments. Under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 , corporations wishing to use the term "university" require approval from

180-433: A factory . More broadly, it describes any institution that offers qualifications which are not accredited nor based on proper academic assessment. 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 diplomas from unaccredited institutions which may be legal in some states but are generally illegitimate, while

240-452: A master's degree ) without study. The term "diploma mill" may also be used pejoratively to describe a legitimate institution with low academic admission standards and a low job placement rate, such as for-profit schools . Diploma mills share a number of features that differentiate them from respected institutions, although some legitimate institutions may exhibit some of the same characteristics. The most notable feature of diploma mills

300-438: A "diploma mill" issues counterfeit diplomas bearing the names of real universities. Academic diplomas may be legitimately awarded without any study as a recognition of authority or experience. When given extraordinarily, such degrees are called honorary degrees or honoris causa degrees. Also, in some universities, holders of a lower degree (such as a bachelor's degree ) may be routinely awarded honorary higher degrees (such as

360-467: A Finnish degree or equivalent is not claimed. Also, English terms like "Bachelor" or "Doctor" are not protected. In Germany , it is a criminal offense to call an institution a Universität (university) or Fachhochschule , or to issue academic degrees, without authorization through an act of the respective state's Ministry of Education. It is also a misdemeanor to falsely claim a degree in Germany if it

420-479: A Provincial Act or a State Act or an institution deemed to be a University under section 3 or an institution specially empowered by an Act of Parliament to confer or grant degrees." UGC has published a warning dated July 2012 against Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) about the unrecognized status of IIPM. Legitimate higher education qualifications in Ireland are placed on, or formally aligned, with

480-400: A degree mill where diplomas can be obtained for cash." Megatrend University awarded an honorary doctorate to Muammar Gaddafi , the former leader of Libya , in 2007. When asked to comment on this subject, the deputy minister of education, prof. Srbijanka Turajlić said that "this is not a deed of which any University should be proud, but taking into account the quality of the university, it

540-627: A diploma mill is often a postal box, mail forwarding service or suite number. There are legitimate distance learning institutions with limited facilities, however, but legitimate universities make their authority clear. For academics, publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals are important for establishing scientific credentials. However, in diploma mills, the research is either absent, fake or purely self-published without any external review. This may be hard to spot, since fake journals also exist. Faculty pages with bios and research may even be stolen from legitimate universities. Buyers often use

600-535: A diploma mill qualification is legal, passing it off as an accredited one for personal gain is a crime in many jurisdictions. In some cases the diploma mill may itself be guilty of an offense , if it knew or ought to have known that the qualifications it issues are used for fraudulent purposes. Diploma mills could also be guilty of fraud if they mislead customers into believing that the qualifications they issue are accredited or recognized, or make false claims that they will lead to career advancement, and accept money on

660-492: A government appointed notary ". In reality notarization only certifies that the document was signed by the person named. Diploma mills are frequently named to sound confusingly similar to those of prestigious accredited academic institutions. Despite the fact that trademark law is intended to prevent this situation, diploma mills continue to employ various methods to avoid legal recourse . Several diploma mills have adopted British-sounding names, similar but not identical to

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720-437: A per-degree basis rather than by term or by course. Diploma mills are often advertised using e-mail spam or other questionable methods. Legitimate institutions use traditional advertising and high school recruitment. Prospective students are encouraged to "enroll now" before tuition or fees are increased. They may be told that they qualify for a fellowship, scholarship or grant, or offered deals to sign up for multiple degrees at

780-659: A regional level, and there is no federal oversight. For example, in Ontario the Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000 regulates degree-granting authority. Any institution that wishes to offer a degree or use the term "university" must be authorized to do so under an Act of the Legislature or by the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. A list of recognized Canadian higher education institutions

840-414: A role in creating unrecognized accrediting bodies as well. These diploma and degree mills may further confuse matters by claiming to consider work history, professional education, and previous learning, and may even require the submission of a dissertation or thesis in order to give an added appearance of legitimacy. As diploma mills are typically licensed to do business , it is common practice within

900-409: A thesis or dissertation for evaluation to give an appearance of authenticity. Diploma mills are frequently supported by accreditation mills set up for the purpose of providing an appearance of authenticity. Diploma mills are considered a global threat to academic integrity . The term "diploma mill" originally denotes an institution providing diplomas on an intensive and profit-making basis, like

960-419: A yearly list of qualified higher-education institutions. Institutions not on the list cannot admit students or award degrees. Also, no institution may call itself a "university" or "college" without approval by a provincial-level education department. Any institution, public or private, which wishes to name itself after a geographic region larger than a province (e.g. "South China ... University") must go through

1020-469: Is a diploma mill , that it falsely advertised an international university network that does not exist, that its list of lecturers is false, and that it exaggerates its enrollment and other statistics. Megatrend Business School was established in Belgrade in 1989. It was the predecessor of the institutions which comprise the present Megatrend University . In 1991, Megatrend Business School, together with

1080-566: Is a business that sells illegitimate diplomas or academic degrees , respectively. The term diploma mill is also used pejoratively to describe any educational institution with low standards for admission and graduation, low career placement rate, or low average starting salaries of its graduates. The degrees can be fabricated, falsified, or misrepresented. These businesses may claim to give credit for relevant life experience but without actual prior learning assessment programs. They may also claim to evaluate work history or require submission of

1140-592: Is accredited by the Ministry of Education in Mozambique and the Southern African Development Community . All universities and colleges are public institutions; universities are public institutions or foundations, and vocational universities are municipal organs. There are no private higher educational institutions and no legal mechanism to found or accredit any. Universities are explicitly defined in

1200-854: Is available on the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials website. The topic of diploma mills in Canada has been covered by the popular media since the 1970s, including in-depth investigations by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), news coverage by the Canadian Press and other mainstream media. Most, but not all, universities and colleges in the People's Republic of China are public institutions. The Ministry of Education, which has legal authority to regulate college enrollment and degree awarding, publishes

1260-541: Is independently assessed by the Agency for Development of Higher Education and Quality Assurance and formally conferred by the Ministry of Education and Science for each canton , entity or district . Only these institutions are allowed to award academic degrees and diplomas. Illegal use of academic titles or academic degrees and "non-accredited diplomas" may lead to prosecution, conviction, fines or even imprisonment. In Canada education, including higher education, falls under

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1320-481: Is liable to 14 years' imprisonment. Section 76 assigns the same penalty for anyone who makes or possesses machines that create such false documents. The University Grants Commission (UGC) states, in section 22 of the University Grants Commission Act of 1956: "The right of conferring or granting degrees shall be exercised only by a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act,

1380-463: Is not accredited, see de:Missbrauch von Titeln, Berufsbezeichnungen und Abzeichen . Some corporate training programs in Germany use the English term "corporate university". Such use of the term is tolerated since it is widely understood that such programs are not actual universities. Similarly, Fachhochschulen frequently use the English term "university of applied science". Neither are permitted to use

1440-650: Is not surprising that the doctorate was awarded to the dictator." In 2010, the magazine Marianne , commenting on the Bogdanov affair , showed that the Bogdanoff brothers were employed at the Megatrend University as professors in the department of cosmology, and that they used this to increase their credibility with the French public. The magazine commented that this was a mutually beneficial deal between rector Jovanović and

1500-446: Is offered, the professors may themselves hold advanced degrees from the diploma mill itself or from other unaccredited institutions. They may also sport legitimate qualifications that are unrelated to the subject they teach. Doctoral theses and dissertations from the institution will not be available from University Microfilms International , a national repository, or even the institution's own library, if it has one. The address given by

1560-441: Is that they lack accreditation by a nationally recognized accrediting agency. (Note, however, that not all unaccredited institutions of higher learning are diploma mills.) Diploma mills therefore employ various tactics in an attempt to appear more legitimate to potential students. Some diploma mills claim accreditation by an accreditation mill while referring to themselves as being "fully accredited". Accreditation mills based in

1620-596: Is typically restricted. However, enforcement has sometimes been less restrictive, and an .edu domain cannot be taken as verification of school quality or reputation. Some diploma mills use an .ac top-level domain name, which resembles genuine second-level academic domain names like ac.uk but is in fact the ccTLD for Ascension Island . To prevent misuse of their names in this way, some legitimate academic institutions have registered .ac domains. Compared to legitimate institutions, diploma mills tend to have drastically lowered academic requirements, if any at all. Depending on

1680-472: The 39 academic organisations permitted to use the title "university". The use of higher education terms (such as "degree") is protected in state legislation, e.g. Higher Education (Qld) Act 2003. According to the laws on higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina the terms "university", "faculty", "academy" and "university of applied sciences" can be used only by accredited educational institutions. Accreditation

1740-700: The Bogdanoffs: The brothers gained the titles of professors and Megatrend gained two foreign professors on the staff. Alain Riazuelo, an astrophysicist at the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris , showed that Megatrend does not have a department of Cosmology, as the main focus of the university is on economics and management studies. There is no trace of the Bogdanoffs' courses or lecture notes. Rector Jovanovic (owner of Megatrend) published their pseudoscientific book and wrote

1800-580: The German word Universität . Institutions of higher Tertiary education Ανώτατα Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα (ΑΕΙ) (universities and technical universities) and Ανώτατα Τεχνολογικά Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα (ΑΤΕΙ) (technological educational institutes / universities of applied sciences) in Greece are fully self-managed public entities and are the only institutions that can issue university diplomas. Diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions are validated and assessed by

1860-635: The Hellenic National Academic Recognition and Information Center (Hellenic NARIC). It is illegal under Hong Kong laws chapter 320 Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance section 8 to call an organisation a "university" without approval from the Chief Executive in Council. Under Hong Kong laws chapter 200 Crimes Ordinance section 73, anyone who knowingly uses false documents with the intention of inducing somebody to accept them as genuine

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1920-558: The Institutes of Technologies Acts (1992–2006) to use the term "institute of technology" or "regional technology college" without permission. All public and private universities and higher education institutions must be established, or specifically recognized, by decree of the Italian Minister of Education, University and Research ; any other institution or organization is therefore not recognized and unaccredited. Under Article 135 of

1980-477: The Megatrend Council changed the name of the institution to University John Naisbitt The name was changed back to Megatrend University in 2017. As of 2019, Megatrend reported 3,526 enrolled students. In November 2019, Megatrend's founder and owner Mića Jovanović stated that Megatrend was sold for 56.1 million euros to Dejan Đorđević, who leads an undisclosed German fund consortium which Jovanović said he

2040-455: The Ministry of Education. A new regulation forbids any new university or college from being named "national", "of China" or similar names. As of May 2015 , China has 210 diploma mills. Most universities and colleges are public institutions; universities are self-governing, but financed by the state. However, some schools, like Det Nodvendige Seminarium in Tvind provide a degree program that

2100-673: The National Framework of Qualifications. This framework was established by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland in accordance with the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act (1999). It is illegal under the Universities Act (1997) for any body offering higher education services to use the term "university" without the permission of the Minister for Education and Science. It is likewise illegal under

2160-670: The School Education Act, all universities and post-secondary education institutes in Japan require a government-issued licence from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Operating such an institute without a licence from MEXT can result in a fine of ¥100,000 for each offence committed. In addition, the National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education (NIAD-QE) has

2220-629: The Technical Faculty of Bor , introduced a management graduate studies introduction course. This project was financially supported by the European Union TEMPUS Fund for developing business education. In June 2000 the Serbian Ministry of Higher Education approved the formation of the Megatrend University of Applied Sciences in Belgrade. In 2008, Megatrend claimed to have 26,000 enrolled students, which would have made it by far

2280-601: The United States may model their websites after real accrediting agencies overseen by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Another typical ploy is for mills to claim to be internationally recognized by organizations such as UNESCO . UNESCO has no authority to recognize or accredit higher education institutions or agencies, and has published warnings against education organizations that claim UNESCO recognition or affiliation. Some diploma and degree mills have played

2340-453: The Universities Act. Other than universities proper, technical universities (known in Finland as AMK, ammattikorkeakoulu ), officially called "Universities of Applied Sciences" in English, can be established with permission from the cabinet . The degrees are protected by law. The list of AMKs can be viewed from the Ministry of Education website. For purposes of professional qualification,

2400-458: The basis of these claims. Similar to tax havens , diploma mills frequently employ jurisdiction shopping , operating in another country or legal jurisdiction where running diploma mills is legal, standards are lax or prosecution is unlikely. Splitting the business across jurisdictions can be a way to avoid authorities. A school might operate in one jurisdiction but use a mailing address in a different jurisdiction, for example. Author John Bear ,

2460-413: The degree which is awarded. In other cases professors may serve only to write compliments to the student that can be given as references. Since diploma mills provide little in the way of teaching, there is usually no need for teaching facilities. The school tends to have no library, personnel, publications or research. In short, very little that is tangible can be found about the institution. If teaching

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2520-411: The diplomas to claim academic credentials for use in securing employment. For example, a schoolteacher might buy a degree from a diploma mill in order to advance to superintendent . Degrees from a diploma mill can be obtained within a few days, weeks or months from the time of enrollment, and back-dating is possible. Academic credit may be offered for "life experience," a point often featured heavily in

2580-559: The foreword for it, which gave him a kind of prestige in the eyes of the general public in Serbia. On June 1, 2014, a group of Serbian academics based in the UK published an article claiming that parts of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Serbia Nebojša Stefanović 's doctoral dissertation were plagiarized. The controversy escalated further when other academics raised serious doubts as to whether Megatrend's rector and Stefanović's mentor Mića Jovanović

2640-544: The industry to misrepresent their business license as indicating government approval of the institution. Promotional materials may use words denoting a legal status such as "licensed", "state authorized", or "state-approved" to suggest an equivalence to accreditation. Some advertise other indicators of authenticity that are not relevant to academic credentials. For example, the University of Northern Washington advertises that its degrees are "attested and sealed for authenticity by

2700-625: The institution, students may be required to purchase textbooks, take tests, and submit homework, but degrees are commonly conferred after little or no study. Instead of " hard sciences ", where competence is easier to verify, the subjects offered by a diploma mill are often esoteric and may be based on a pseudoscience like astrology or naturopathy . Such subjects are only vaguely defined, making external verification of educational standards difficult. Degree mills typically offer little or no interaction with professors. Even if comments and corrections to coursework are given, they may have no bearing on

2760-412: The jurisdiction of provincial and territorial governments. Many of the public universities are established by provincial legislation which also confers degree granting authority upon the institution. However, private postsecondary institutions are also required to comply with applicable legislation in order to confer degrees and diplomas. Provincial or regional quality assurance bodies oversee education at

2820-698: The most popular private university in Serbia. In 2011, Megatrend purchased the operations of the failed International University Vienna , creating Megatrend International University Vienna, however this did not achieve accreditation before its insolvency in 2013. Megatrend is a member of the Euro-Asia Management Studies Association (EAMSA), which runs annual conferences in Europe and Asia to discuss economic and management issues as well as promoting research and publishing. In 2015, after escalating controversies surrounding Megatrend University,

2880-509: The names of legitimate universities, apparently to take advantage of the United Kingdom's reputation for educational quality in other parts of the world. Some examples of British-sounding names used by diploma mills are "Shaftesbury University", "University of Dunham", "Redding University", and "Suffield University". The school's website may well not have an .edu domain, or other country-specific equivalent, since registration of such names

2940-472: The relevant government minister, the Minister for Education (as of May 2010 ). The corporate regulator Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) places strict controls on corporations wishing to use the term "university" and if the applicant does not intend to provide education services the name must not imply a connection with an existing university. The Corporations Regulations 2001 lists

3000-455: The same time. Promotional literature might contain grammatical and spelling errors, words in Latin, extravagant or pretentious language, and sample diplomas. Some schools' websites may look amateurish or unprofessional, although other diploma mills use appealing websites. Degrees and diplomas issued by diploma mills have been used to obtain employment, raises, or clients. Even if issuing or receiving

3060-405: The selling points of the institution. This should not be confused with legitimate programs offering recognition of prior learning , which allow students to gain academic credit based on past training, experience or independent study. This will usually require a test that the student can fail; in most cases, a diploma mill will grant the degree regardless of results. Tuition and fees are charged on

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3120-496: The true nature of the credentials ... in order to ensure that degrees are genuine and are being used legally". Between January 2001 and July 2003, IU Vienna was accredited as a private university by the accreditation council of the Austrian government. The initial accreditation had been granted only for a period of three years due to concerns on some critical issues (recruitment of scientific staff, research, library). The accreditation

3180-548: The university to somewhat silence its critics who have been accusing it of being a diploma mill . According to Megatrend's representatives, such criticism can not apply to a "University where the prime minister of Serbia had given four lectures in one year, and two ministers of education are employed at it." In an opinion piece in Al Jazeera about problems in Serbian higher education, Zorana Suvakovic described Megatrend as "essentially

3240-403: The use of foreign degree qualifications is regulated: if the name of a degree can be confused with a Finnish degree that requires more academic credit, the confusion must be eliminated. Several diploma mills have operated in Finland, and countermeasures in university admissions have become necessary. There are no laws against conferring unaccredited degrees or degrees accredited abroad, as long as

3300-445: The wake of these findings the ministry called on rector Jovanović to resign. It also called on relevant authorities to determine whether there were elements of criminal offense. Jovanovic resigned the following day. In 2015, he was reported to have left Serbia. Jovanović later returned to Megatrend, and was re-elected its rector in 2019, shortly before it was sold to Đorđević. Diploma mill A diploma mill or degree mill

3360-491: Was ever awarded a doctorate at all. The original story in the Serbian media reported a statement by him that he had obtained his doctorate studying under the "famous professor Stephen Wood of the London School of Economics." Wood confirmed that a dissertation had been submitted but that it had been rejected. On June 12, 2014, the Serbian Ministry of Education confirmed that Megatrend's rector had forged his Ph.D. at LSE. In

3420-520: Was founded in 1989 as the Megatrend Business School , which later became Megatrend University. In 2015, the Council of Megatrend University changed the name of the institution to University John Naisbitt . The name was changed back to Megatrend University in 2017. As of 2022–23 school year, Megatrend has a total of 396 enrolled students. The university has a negative reputation in Serbia for series of controversies, including claims that it

3480-470: Was licensed to operate by the state of Alabama . However, this license expired in November 2010 and is not related to accreditation. The Office of Degree Authorization of Oregon lists International University Vienna as an unaccredited foreign degree supplier and advises "employers, potential students, potential clients and others doing business with users of these degrees" to "take appropriate steps to determine

3540-679: Was not sure actually existed. As of 2022–23 school year, Megatrend has a total of 439 enrolled students, making it a university with the least number of enrolled students in Serbia. As of 2019, Megatrend's website stated it had 8 departments, a virtual campus, and 4 outposts in other cities: The university is said to have a relatively low reputation in the eyes of the Serbian public due to its allegedly dubious programs and low standards, as well as due to its perceived mutually beneficial connections with politicians and government officials who have been awarded Megatrend diplomas. Those connections supposedly ensured its accreditation, which helped

3600-469: Was withdrawn by the council on the 31st of July 2003. In April 2011, bankruptcy proceedings were initiated against IUV. On 6 May 2011, the commercial court of Vienna ordered it shut. Megatrend University Megatrend University ( Serbian : Универзитет Мегатренд , romanized :  Univerzitet Megatrend ) is a private university located in New Belgrade, the city of Belgrade , Serbia. It

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