How authentic are online diplomas?

Answer 1

As long as the school awarding the online diploma is accredited, as we, in the US, understand that term (or is equivalently credible by whatever other equivalent term which other countries use), then an online certificate, diploma or degree is just as credible as any other.

The trick, though, is to ensure that the school awarding it really and truly is credible and legitimate (and is not a degree or diploma mill)...

...and the easiest way to ensure that any school is legitimate and credible is to ensure that it's accredited (or whatever equivalent terms the country in which the school is located uses to mean essentially the same thing).

First, the country in which the school is located must have an observable and verifiable culture of academic integrity, as evidenced, in part, by that said country has a governmentally-overseen validation, accreditation or educational quality assurance framework; and,

Second, the certificates, diplomas and degrees the school awards must be useful in its own country for purposes of employment and professional licensure.

As long as those two things are true about the country in which the school is physically located; and as long as the country's governmentally-overseen educational quality assurance framework approves/validates/accredits the school, then its certificate, diploma or degree -- regardless whether the school is online or in-classroom -- will be authentic.

In most countries, whatever is the quality assurance framework system will usually have a website where schools may be quickly looked-up to ensure that they're validated, accredited or otherwise approved.

Always look-up any school in which you're considering enrolling -- regardless whether said school is of the online or in-classroom type -- on the website of its country's governmentally-overseen educational quality assurance framework system's website. Never believe what any school says about its credibility or accreditation on its own website. Always, always, always look it up and verify.

In the US, at the K-12 level, the school must be accredited by one of the six big "regional" accreditors approved by the US Department of Education (USDE).

In the US, at the post-secondary level, the school must be accredited by any agency approved by USDE, or the USDE-sanctioned Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Most other countries have other similar systems.

That said, there are some countries which are inherently corrupt right up to the highest governmental levels; and so even their governmentally-overseen educational quality assurance framework systems may not be trusted; and such countries are typically havens for diploma/degree mills. Liberia, for example, is such a corrupt and untrustworthy country.