1

How can I check whether a person who puts DSc after their name is in fact entitled to do so?

Is it possible to find out where this person was allegedly confirmed as a DSc?

Stephen Williams
  • 19
  • 1
  • 1
    Are you HR? Are you interviewing them? – Solar Mike Sep 09 '18 at 18:11
  • 2
    You could ask them about where they got the degree and then called the university that purportedly awarded them the degree and ask. – Stella Biderman Sep 09 '18 at 18:14
  • Ask for their diploma. –  Sep 09 '18 at 18:28
  • It's hard to answer this about more details, like your reason for checking this, or what information you already have. However, what you want to do is often called degree verification, and there are a few questions on the same theme on this site, such as How do employers verify that job applicants have the degree(s) they claim?. – Anyon Sep 09 '18 at 18:29
  • The only official way to find out is to contact the university that supposedly conferred the degree. – Thomas Sep 09 '18 at 18:45
  • If the person is applying for a job, and their DSc was relatively recent, one of their recommendations should be from their advisor, who should say that they were their student. If their advisor refuses to write them a recommendation, this is a big red flag (whether or not they have a real DSc). If you're not hiring them, this may be harder. – Peter Shor Sep 09 '18 at 19:10
  • In the US, depending on whether or not the person has requested confidentiality, the University might or might not be able to confirm that the degree was granted. You can normally call the registrar and ask. If the individual has made thier "directory information" open under FERPA, then the university will typically confirm with something like "John Doe received the degree of DSc on May 15, 2012." If the person has requested confidentiality then you'll get a non-informative answer like "I can neither confirm nor deny that." – Brian Borchers Sep 09 '18 at 19:47
  • 1
    Ask some intelligent questions about the subjects they say to have worked on. – Louic Sep 09 '18 at 20:43
  • A decent, active academic after 10 or more years of tenure (sometimes sooner) will have a publication record that normally satisfies the requirements for the DSc. Which is why few bother to actually go get the degree, and even fewer will be much impressed if a person has one. – Deipatrous Oct 24 '21 at 15:25

0 Answers0