Rationalizing Phony Degrees From Non-Existent Colleges

from the watch-'em-squirm dept

There have been plenty of articles in the past about the various diploma mills that simply give you a diploma based on how much you're willing to pay, but the following article is the first I've seen that has actually tracked down people who bought their diplomas through such "schools". The diploma mills say they grant degrees based on "life experience", but if you replace "life experience" with "fees paid" it would be more accurate. However, what's really funny is the way people (including someone running for Congress) try to dodge questions about the degrees, or to rationalize why they're legitimate. Since I know plenty of people who actually do have PhDs, I would think that they wouldn't appreciate someone claiming that their paid-for doctorate is okay, because "I've been around. I've paid my dues." The other good quote comes from a master of understatement at the FBI: "If you negotiate for your grade-point average, get a degree backdated and can pay extra for honors, I think your alma mater is of questionable veracity."