An MBA for only $155… too good to be true?

It is interesting... after my post on an MBA, I was doing some general web browsing and found an interesting site called InstantDegrees.com where you can get an "accredited college degree in just five days!"

"Wow," I thought. "I can't believe I spent so many hours writing so many papers and sleeping so little when I could have just paid $155 for my MBA."

Here's how it works. There are, evidentially, legal loopholes in the law that allow certain institutions to simply print your degree and additional credentials for a fee. Here is something I found interesting:

It is probable (although not guaranteed) that your degree will come from a country other than the country of your residence. If you feel that the degree you seek must come from a location near you or that you cannot explain your degree thru distance programs (which by definition mean that physical attendance at the institution is not required) then you should not apply.

So, basically, if I can't successfully lie to my employer or potential employer effectively, then I shouldn't apply.

Here is my favorite line from their FAQ page:

You must not forget that your degree is obtained by exploiting legal loopholes.

We are often asked what this means and the best definition, that neatly encapsulates the concept, is that an institution is legally formed and operating in such a way that it makes the granting of a degree legal, whereas this would otherwise be illegal.

So, to be clear. This should be illegal, but we have found a way to circumvent the law. Not only that, but the likelihood is that the school is not, never has been nor ever will be a school teaching any subject whatsoever. It is an organization created for the sole purpose of creating fraudulent documents.

Okay... I really don't care that they are circumventing the law. What I care about is the idiot that thinks this is a valid way to get a degree. I am not sure that I would want to work for anyone that would be stupid enough to consider me as a valid employee if I could get through an interview with no education to speak of.

Here's the deal. If I ever were to interview someone who had a degree from somewhere over the ocean or from a university that I had never heard of, I would ask a few questions about their college experience. If it was pertinent to the position, I would want to talk about the classes they took. I would want to know exactly what their experience was like.

If it wasn't pertinent to the position, then there would be no purpose for me to see the degree in the first place.

Bottom line: There may be some legal gray area that allows this, but if an employer found out, he would be a fool not to fire the person. If I knew of anyone that used a service like this, I would make it a point to ensure that person's employer knew.

Even with the legal gray area... there is no ethical gray area. It is ethically just wrong.