Robert Cavelier University Journey

[Sagan]

It is the very basis of shenanigans like proprio and diploma mills. They prosper because they work.

That statement is unfair. Propios are not shenanigans. They are perfectly legitimate programs that are common to a number of countries. There may be some schools that handle them in a way we may not agree with, but the same can be said for some schools and degree programs right here in the United States.

It's very fair. The degrees are inferior. This isn't my opinion; it's a fact.

One goes to a university to get two things and to give two things. One gives one's money and one's academic achievement. One receives an education and a degree.

But if that degree is not acceptable in some situations where a degree at that level and in that subject area is required, then it is inferior.

This isn't just true for propio degrees. It's also true for degrees earned from outfits "renting" a school's identity. Emprasarial University comes to mind.

Degrees from diploma mills ARE inferior, too. Completely. They fail to give the purchaser either an education or a degree. Just a co-conspirator fashioning a lie. Are propio degrees diploma mill products? Of course not. 

Similar concerns arise when discussing DEAC and other non-regionally accredited schools. The degrees are inferior because they do not perform in some situations where an accredited degree is required.

Now, these flaws--proprio degrees and degrees from non-regionally accredited schools--might be irrelevant to someone's present and future needs. A good idea is to try to ensure this by making the best choice possible. But there is leeway here. For example, I suggest non-academics consider professional doctorates from DEAC-accredited schools to advance both their careers and their place in their respective professions. It's not an all-or-nothing thing (like it is with diplom mills--always no). 

It used to get tedious reading posts from people upset with these realities. They came exclusively from people who'd gone those routes and were defending their decisions after the fact.