With about 20 minutes of time spent online, I was able to receive a bachelor’s degree in education and never attended a class or did an hour of homework.
By searching for “degree mills” on Google, I was able to choose from an array of universities (most I had not heard of) that told me how life’s doors would open once I got my degree. I decided on Suffield University to see what this was about.
The application was very straight forward, with questions regarding name, e-mail, mailing address and the time I wanted my degree in the mail.
Once I picked a major, I was asked to list my life experience in this field. Although I do have some background in education, I exaggerated my experience to see if there were any reference checks done by the university.
Once the application was finished, I sent it off for review and waited for Suffield’s response. Within 24 hours, I received an e-mail congratulating me that I was eligible based on life experience to receive my bachelor’s in education. All I had to do was make a payment of $495, and I would receive my complete graduation packet within 10 days.
Confused by the fact I would now have a degree, I contacted Joel Silver, program coordinator to answer a few questions.
Due to the heavy amount of calls Suffield was receiving, I was unable to speak with someone; however, Silver returned my call the following morning.
He explained how the degree works and how they have had great success placing people in jobs. However, if I wanted to work as a “real” teacher in the public school system, this was not the degree for me, he said.
He suggested I buckle down, finish traditional school and earn my credential from a school that would be recognized in my area.