How to verify a master's degree, and the signs it came from a diploma mill

Two CVs, one bet

Say two CVs reach your shortlist. Here are their education lines:

CV one: MEng Mechanical Engineering, [University], four years.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​⁠

CV two: BA Business, [University]. Then, after some years at work: MBA, [Institute], "internationally accredited".⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​⁠

The first has no bachelor's degree at all. The second is textbook, right down to a confident crest on the certificate.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​⁠

Bet on which one is fake and you would probably pick the first.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​⁠

You would even have official backing: a US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guide for hiring managers calls a master's with no bachelor's "a red flag", and a US Department of Defense checklist for vetting education claims lists it too.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​⁠

Hold that bet: the table and the four steps will settle it.

Odd, or alarming? A triage table

Find the detail that caught your eye, then follow the move for its group. The odd-looking rows draw on the UK Quality Assurance Agency's Characteristics Statement for master's degrees.

Those three stops are the signs that matter most for a mill. A forged certificate from a real university trips none of them, which is why step three always comes next.

Found CV one in the table yet? Hold the thought until the end.

How to verify a master's degree in four steps

Steps two and three work for any degree. Steps one and four are where master's checks go wrong.

1. Ask for the award exactly as conferred

   Before you send anything, get three details a master's check depends on:

   • The award as conferred. MSc, MRes or PgDip; one integrated MEng rather than "BEng and MEng".
   • The name at graduation, if it has changed since.
   • The awarding body, which may not be the college that taught the course.

   Titles matter. The QAA notes there are no nationally agreed definitions of UK master's titles, and "MRes" can mean a Master of Research or a Master by Research, which are different degrees.

2. Check the awarding body is recognised

   In the UK, GOV.UK shows where to look for each nation; for England, the main check is the Office for Students Register.

   In the US, the Department of Education doesn't accredit universities itself: it recognises the independent agencies that do, and its DAPIP database lists both. GOV.UK and DAPIP each cover one country; for a degree from abroad, see how a foreign degree gets checked.

3. Ask the record, with the graduate's consent

   Get written consent first (wording in our employers' guide). Then ask the record: Hedd in the UK, the National Student Clearinghouse in the US, My eQuals in Australia and New Zealand, the registrar elsewhere. Find each route yourself, never from the certificate.

   Each answers from records the awarding university holds or supplies, which is why it can come back with a PgDip where the CV says MSc. The ten-minute routine for employers walks through each request.

4. Read the answer for master's traps

   A reply about a master's comes back in one of three shapes. Match yours:

   • Confirmed as claimed. Note where and when you checked, and you're done.
   • Confirmed, but a different award. A PgDip where the CV says MSc is a smaller award. If the CV listed a BEng and an MEng and the record shows one integrated MEng, that is exactly right. Go by the record, and ask about any gap.
   • No record. Before you conclude anything, check the name they studied under and the awarding body, then ask them to contact the university.

When the answer is smaller than the claim

A PgDip where the CV said MSc, or no record at all, is a fact, not yet a verdict on the person. Put it to them in writing, in words like these:

"Thank you for your application. The university's record confirms a Postgraduate Diploma in [subject] rather than the MSc on your CV. Could you tell us more about the award, in case we have the wrong record?"

Some people were sold a master's by a mill dressed as a university, and find out at this exact moment.

If step two finds the awarding body on no official list, follow your own process, starting with what to do if you find a fake. What a fake degree can cost sets out the stakes.

Back to the bet

Time to settle it.

The MEng. "MEng" and "four years" put it in the first row of the table: an integrated master's, one continuous course that folds bachelor's and master's study together. The QAA says these are common in science, mathematics and engineering.

Steps two and three confirm one award from a recognised university. A false alarm: the FTC's red flag doesn't travel.

The MBA. It stalls at step two. "[Institute]" is on no country's official register, and "internationally accredited" names no recognised accreditor, on DAPIP's list or anywhere else. The certificate also offers its own "verification" website.

Two of the stop rows applied, and step two settled it before anyone needed consent. The crest never came into it.

Your next step: take the master's line from the CV in front of you and run step two now. To screen the whole education line first, try the CV education check.

Sources

• QAA: Master's Degree Characteristics Statement (PDF), also linked from its landing page: integrated master's, medical degrees, entry on experience, distance learning, PgDip, and titles such as MRes and MA (Hons)
• FTC: Avoid Fake-Degree Burns by Researching Academic Credentials: warning signs of diploma mills and invented accreditors, and CHEA's list
• US Department of Defense (DCPAS): Legitimacy and accreditation of educational institutions checklist: diploma-mill "red flags"
• EQAR: Accreditation and diploma mills: life-experience credit and accreditation mills
• GOV.UK: Check if your university or college can award a degree: where to check in each UK nation
• Office for Students: The OfS Register: higher education providers in England
• CHEA: Find accredited higher education institutions and programs
• US Department of Education: DAPIP: accredited US institutions, and current and former recognised accrediting agencies
• Hedd: UK degree verification, with proof of consent
• National Student Clearinghouse: Verify Now: verification and self-verification
• My eQuals: official credentials from Australian and New Zealand universities

Also worth reading

• Buying a master's degree online costs more than the price tag

#DegreeVerification #MastersDegree #DiplomaMills #HiringTips #BackgroundChecks