Distance Education in Nutrition

One deceptive practice in the world of distance education is diploma mills. There are several characteristics common to diploma mills. First, many of the online degree-issuing mills have named themselves to sound deceptively similar to their accredited, legitimate counterparts.

Further, they often claim to be accredited by dummy agencies that when researched are found to not exist. Other diploma mills also falsely claim to be affiliated with international organizations in other countries, making them more difficult to trace.

If you are thinking about getting an online nutrition degree, there are several warning signs you can use to spot a possible diploma mill.

A diploma mill may not have any teaching facilities at all – mail is sent to a PO Box or a mail forwarding service.
Next, diploma mills may limit (or not require at all) and ‘seat time’ or online requirements.

You might only to be asked to pay on a per degree basis, as opposed to by credit hour or course.

The biggest red flag? Diploma mills may offer credit for life experience, and offer degrees in as little as a few days or weeks. They might even offer to backdate your degree for an additional fee. When getting your online nutrition degree, watch out for these warning signs to avoid falling victim to a diploma mill.