“Is your degree fake?” | How I Solved My Degree Issue from Osmania University

This is a guest post by Sumesh Muvvala, someone who was facing a lot of issues due to the inefficient processes of Osmania University and his story about how he solved the same. 

Enter Sumesh.

My name is Sumesh Muvvala, and I studied at Vishwa Vishwani School of Business in Thumukunta, Hyderabad, as part of the first batch of a program called Masters in Applied Management (MAM). This integrated course included BBA and MBA, offering multiple exit options:

• Bachelor’s in Management (BM) after the third year
• Bachelor’s in Applied Management (BAM) after the fourth year
• Master’s in Applied Management (MAM) after the fifth year

The program was with affiliation of Osmania University.

I was excited to be one of the first people to join Masters in Applied Management (MAM) program. the college was nice looking and I was excited to begin this new phase of my life like every other person. The course was designed to provide flexibility, allowing students to exit at different stages with different degrees. However, upon deciding to exit after the third year, I encountered unexpected challenges. 

My first five semester memos listed my course as Masters in Applied Management (MAM), but the sixth memo, which I received after my exit, stated Bachelor’s in Management (BM). This inconsistency led to significant confusion and skepticism whenever I applied for higher education or jobs.

Institutions and employers would ask me questions like:

• “How can you do a Master’s before a Bachelor’s?”
• “What kind of a course is this?”
• “Are you doing any kind of fraudulent activities?”
• “Is this a fake degree?”

Frustrated by these inquiries, I approached the principal of my college for clarification. He said “Don’t worry, we have a letter.” 

The next day, I received the letter by email and it was completely meaningless. It did not address any of the concerns that I was facing. It didn’t say anything about BM or MAM and was an utter waste.

I was now determined to resolve the issue, and decided to take a more formal approach.

I wrote a letter to the Controller of Examinations at Osmania University, detailing my predicament and requesting an official letter that explained the course structure and its exit options. I emphasized that all references to MAM, BAM, and BM pertained to the same program and should not be subject to additional scrutiny. I sent this letter by registered post, paying Rs. 22.(Only Rs 22 made all the difference). The advantage of giving something in writing is that people read the entire thing and understand your problem as compared to oral methods (which most Telugus prefer but fail to get results with).

Remarkably, within a week, I received a call from the Additional Controller of Examinations responsible for my course.

He asked, “What exactly do you want?”

I explained my problem, and he said, “Come to the university.”

I replied, “I am living in Guntur; I cannot come.”

Then he asked, “Send me a draft of what you need by WhatsApp, and I will get it printed.”

I sent the draft letter through WhatsApp in Word DOC format, and soon after (I think 1-2 days), I received an official letter that confirmed the course’s structure and exit options, closely matching my original request. They also uploaded a copy of the letter on the Osmania University website. (I have attached the letter below, I don’t have the link anymore)

This experience taught me the power of persistence and formal communication in resolving academic discrepancies. Repeat after me “I WILL ALWAYS USE FORMAL WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS OVER ORAL ONES”. This one philosophy will save you truck loads of time. Always be nice about it though, be friendly and get it done with love. Formal letters are always serious in tone but you don’t have to be serious or argumentative in your tone when you speak to college or university officials. 

This one act by me changed everything for me and for 100s of other students that also studied with me at Vishwa Vishwani School of Business  and shared my plight. It was a life saver for everyone who was dealing with this woe. A friend of mine also faced this issue when going abroad and universities were in shock about the validity of the degree. It was only because of this letter that he was able to convince US universities that his degree was legitimate. 

My experience exemplifies how a single proactive measure can create widespread positive impact, demonstrating the importance of seeking clarity in the right way from educational authorities. I had been struggling for months before I actually wrote to the university. If I had written to the university earlier, I would have gotten the same result without months of wasted time.

My story is a testament to the effectiveness of registered post and formal requests in addressing academic concerns. I hope my case inspires you to do the same and helps you. 

I am reachable by email at [email protected]. You can also connect with me on Linkedin. 

Sumesh Muvvala is a Marketing Analyst at 7-Eleven, the largest convenience store chain in the world. He lives in Dayton, OH, USA. He is originally from Guntur, AP.