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I have 3 degrees in a specific major: BA, MSc, and PhD.

I have been informed by reliable sources within a couple of companies that I applied to that there was bias against me because of the country where I did my BA degree. This is not a rumor or a conspiracy, but a trusted piece of information.

Because of this, I am considering changing the university name and country of my BA degree on my resume. My plan is to inform HR of the actual details if I am selected for a position. I don't plan to select a university that's ranked as one of the top 10 in the world, just any random university from the same level in a different country.

Is this considered acceptable?

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    This sounds like a good idea for starting your employer relationship in a very bad way. "Oh, by the way, I lied so you would hire me" is not something HR likes to hear. How do you intend to inform them?
    – MisterMiyagi
    Commented Jun 21 at 7:04
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    The country is not material on a resume. Simply drop it.
    – David R
    Commented Jun 21 at 14:19
  • So Harvard and Oxford now?
    – Tiger Guy
    Commented Jun 21 at 14:33

3 Answers 3

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Is this considered acceptable?

No

Absolutely not. It is not acceptable on a personal level, and in my country, it is even an act that will void any legal protections you have under labor laws. If found out, the employer can fire you for cause effective immediate, even decades later. Lying on your application is the worst sin you can commit with paperwork.

This would have been a way better question if you had asked for advice on your problem, instead of asking whether lying is okay. Spoiler: it isn't.

If I had to speculate, why the country of your BA has such a bad reputation, I would say the fact that you thought lying was a good way to solve a problem is probably one of the reasons.

So?

Okay, so what can you do? Just don't list your BA. You have a Msc, that is worth more than your BA, so just drop the BA. You didn't attach your grades from grammar school either. At some point you got some higher degree you drop the lower degree of your resume. That is normal. So drop the BA. List the higher degrees. Don't talk about it until asked. But do not lie.

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  • Thanks @nvoigt! I like the idea. Is it ok to remove the BA and the MSc? or that's a lot?
    – Minions
    Commented Jun 21 at 7:37
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    I'm not to firm on acadamic titles. If your PhD completely supersedes the Master, then you can leave off the Master, too. I have seen people list both, but leave off their bachelor title, since the master is a straight line from bachelor.
    – nvoigt ♦
    Commented Jun 21 at 7:48
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    @Minions, the question you should ask yourself is: "Is it relevant for the job opening to know that I have done this particular BA and this particular MSc prior to my PhD?" If yes, then include the relevant one(s), if no, then leave them out. The fact that you have done a BA and a MSc follows from the fact that BA, MSc and PhD are successive levels of education.
    – Bart van Ingen Schenau
    Commented Jun 21 at 9:30
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Is this considered acceptable?

No.

My plan is to inform HR of the actual details if I am selected for a position

You will get fired on the spot and quite possibly blacklisted. Lying on your resume is an unforgivable offense even if you otherwise walk on water as it indicates a serious character flaw. Lying is NEVER ok.

This is not a rumor or a conspiracy, but a trusted piece of information.

I highly doubt it. In order of priority the things hiring managers consider is most recent work experience, previous work experience, final degree, and only then previous degrees. The BA is so far down the list that it would be unusual for most hiring managers to pay any attention to it.

What to do

  • Ignore the "trusted information". While it's possible that this may have impacted a single decision, this would be an outlier. Most hiring managers will not care
  • Leave off the university and country. Just put in degree and date.
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Because of this, I am considering changing the university name and country of my BA degree on my resume... Is this considered acceptable?

No, this is not acceptable.

Better solution: You only need to list your PhD on your resume.

You don't need to list your BA and MS on your resume.

All your 3 degrees BA, MS, and PhD are in the same field. So, you only need to list your highest level of education. Most companies would not care about your BA and MS if you already get a PhD. They will ask you more questions about your PhD researches during the job interviews.

If someone else has a BA and MS in 1 major, and a PhD in a completely different field, then it may make sense to list all 3 degrees. But, your situation is different.

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