"Buy" a Masters Diploma

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

So. There is an awarding body under the umbrella of the "igppa" guild. To do right by them, you must complete a lengthy course and then get awarded a certificate - in my case, an iGHyp certificate. You are expected to do the legwork, as you rightfully should.

The sad thing is, you can go on the internet and "buy" a certificate either monthly or as a one-off payment. You'll get the certificate, as well as the right to post-nominal letters associated with the course.

For people like me, who have done the legwork, this is highly annoying. I have the RIGHT to display the ribbon and display the certificate. Others just buy into it, no learning done. This in turn means that, proud as I am of my achievement, I cannot display the ribbon (see bellow) on my website or literature as potential clients may see it, look it up and decide that I'd just bought the ribbon. It's a pity

Just to prove a point, I bought a CBT award. I did no learning. I paid for the first monthly instalment then cancelled it. They gave me a certificate, post-nominal letters and other campaign stuff, like badges. Obviously I won't be displaying THAT certificate in my room!

Just to be clear, I display my igppa badge with pride on the DIS in my sig as I HAVE done the work to earn it. I have extensive learning in Hypnotherapy, NLP studies and, in the next month or so, Life Coaching too.

 

[Karin1984]

Have you ever googled stories about people requesting MBAs for their pets, which were granted by online institutions?

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Have you ever googled stories about people requesting MBAs for their pets, which were granted by online institutions?

I haven't!

 

[tvguy]

I don't know what the igppa guild is. So I Googled it. I would be less concerned about fake certificates than I would be about the fact that the igppa guild website has been suspended. Assuming this is the same organization you are talking about.

https://igppa.co.uk/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I don't know what the igppa guild is. So I Googled it. I would be less concerned about fake certificates that I would be about the fact that the igppa guild website has been suspended. Assuming this is the same organization you are talking about.

https://igppa.co.uk/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi

I just noticed that. Either they didn't pay their bills or something's caught up with them. You can still get the certificates and I believe many courses are still hosted on udemy.com

 

[tvguy]

I just noticed that. Either they didn't pay their bills or something's caught up with them. You can still get the certificates and I believe many courses are still hosted on udemy.com

To me, the ability to independently verify a certification is more important than a physical certificate for the very reasons you have stated. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that some organization's record keeping has not been good over the years. I got two certifications in the late 1970's and for fun I checked with the issuing organizations. Neither has a record of me. Practically speaking, I would have to start the process over from scratch with one. The other looked at my documents and found them to be legit, and the person who certified me is still alive and vouches for that, but the standards have changed since then. If they had the records, I would be Grandfathered. They do have a process for reissuing certification because their record keeping has been sooo poor, but I have no need for the certificate so it would be a waste of time.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

This is the certificate I was referring to. I have altogether no experience in the field of CBT. Yet I have bought this certificate with the post-nominal letters miGCBT.

 

[sam_gordon]

This is the certificate I was referring to. I have altogether no experience in the field of CBT. Yet I have bought this certificate with the post-nominal letters miGCBT.

View attachment 883988

That just looks like a "membership card". Doesn't say anything about being a "diploma".

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

That just looks like a "membership card". Doesn't say anything about being a "diploma".

What can I say? It's certificate sized and was advertised as a "diploma".

 

[dizneegirl]

I don't think it's worth the paper you might print it on...

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I don't think it's worth the paper you might print it on...

That's just it. If you do the work, take the tests, it means something to you. To an inquisitive client, it looks VERY fishy. And people abuse it.

Or did.

As a PP pointed out, the awarding body, igppa seems to have gone offline. You can still buy the certificates and take the tests, but it's less obvious now.

[ETA] Even the alliterative site is now dead. You can no longer get the certificates, prima facie.

https://mattbarnett.ladesk.com/432343-What-is-the-iGPPA

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

From following along with your last couple threads about this I'd say its a scam.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

From following along with your last couple threads about this I'd say its a scam.

Oh, I'm sure it is (was?). The very fact that you could get accredited WITHOUT doing ANY learning or tests cries foul. I did the tests for me. I won't be advertising them anywhere on my literature.

 

[sam_gordon]

Oh, I'm sure it is (was?). The very fact that you could get accredited WITHOUT doing ANY learning or tests cries foul. I did the tests for me. I won't be advertising them anywhere on my literature.

It's NOT a "accredidation" certificate. Its a certificate to say the person is a MEMBER of a guild.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

It's NOT a "accredidation" certificate. Its a certificate to say the person is a MEMBER of a guild.

You got it as an award for taking a course and passing an exam. The scam is that you can get certificated without doing the footwork. Which makes advertising the qualification an exercise in futility. If you look it up (or had done so in the past), you'd get a nasty surprise, rendering it useless as a qualification. All it serves as is a prize to those who did the footwork. Which is why I proudly display the badge here on the DIS. I DID do the work, so I feel deserving of the ribbon.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

It's moot now anyway as all the certificating bodies have been struck off and disabled. Some of the exams are still available, for what it's worth, on Udemy.