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Return to Article: Detecting Diploma Mills

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  There is alot of available reading on Kennedy-Western University a/k/a Warren National University.

  Some Texans are currently in trouble for use of this so called "degree" - See "When Elected Officials Aren't What They Seem: Texas officials and Pennsylvania cats tout misleading credentials"

  In the report reference here: "Bogus Degrees and Unmet Expectations, Are Taxpayer Dollars Subsidizing Diploma Mills?"

  Kennedy-Western immediately waived 43% of the Engineering master's degree requirements, based on her JOURNALISM degree and some random seminars attended. She even notes that "they asked for no proof or documenation" and "As a note, I have no formal engineering training".

  Of the remaining 5 classes left for a Master's degree, the student knocked off 2 of the 5 classes in a grand total of 16 hours and said that each "course" was an open-book exam where she had to pick terms out of the glossary.

  AVOID!

  James Johan Posted December 3, 2007 12:59 PM
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  Here is the answer to the question regarding converting military training/experience to college credit:

  I worked as a military education counselor for a number of years. There are a number of colleges/universities affiliated with the military for the purpose of making it easier for servicemembers to gain higher education. I never saw one activity that relaxed its academic standards, though they all waived most or all of the normal 'residency' requirements civilian students had to meet. These schools are part of the "Serviceman's Opportunity College (SOC)" network.

  My "Bible" in converting military training and experience to civilian equivalents was the guide published by the American Council on Education (a.k.a "The ACE Guide"). I never saw a school accept a military course that not had been evaluated by the ACE, and some schools did not grant all the credit that was recommended in the ACE Guide.

  This is not the same as the usual "You Pay Me and I'll Give You A Degree With No Study" diploma mill.

  I got my BA through this program and I guarantee I studied and took as many tests as any civilian student! And I did it all in my off-duty hours while raising a family.

  SOC is a very worthwhile program to help active duty military individuals earn college degrees in spite of constantly fluctuating assignments.

  Henry Posted July 26, 2004 2:47 PM
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  According to the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, "legitimate schools also will often require a student to take a test on the relevant material to receive credit for work experience. An investigator for the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee applied to Kennedy-Western as part of the probe and received 43 percent of the credit needed for her degree because of previous work experience." OK, how will the schools that give liberal credit for military education/training come out in these investigations? If you look at the 'educational' record of a number of top military they report degrees that are nothing more than a so called academic institution taking money and giving a sheepskin for 'professional military education.' The individual already has the school attendance on their record, and then for the exchange of some money, they get a Master's degree. It would be very interesting for GovExec.com to contact the Department of Defense, and ask if they all, support, encourage this form of a Diploma Mill.

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 26, 2004 7:54 AM