Background:‎‏ ‏Academic cheating is one of the current and increasing problems in educational ‎systems and irreversible harm to the academic community. The aim of this study was identify ‎the reasons for student's academic cheating and categorize their responses upon neutralization ‎strategies. ‎
Method: Phenomenological qualitative approach was used. The study population includes all ‎students of Birjand University consists of 11225 persons. 20 students of Birjand University ‎were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews ‎and by Corbin and Strauss color coding was analyzed. ‎
Results: 893 codes in the interview in seven main issues were classified: "student, social ‎norms, professor, the University, the nature and degree courses, nature of the task and the level ‎of education". Students, at the first, have stated their role in the perpetration of cheating, they ‎then have employed respectively neutralization techniques “condemnation of the condemners, ‎denial of responsibility, denial of the victim, appeal to higher loyalties and denial of injury”. ‎
Conclusion: Many types of cheating are avoidable with laws and educational management and ‎scientific ethics in higher education will be enhanced. Higher education policy makers should ‎take the necessary steps to train professional ethics to students during education. Professors can ‎also be effective in reducing cheating by focusing on the development of professional skills, ‎supportive and respectful interaction with students and continuous evaluation.‎