Many "professionals" in the Inland Empire are hanging shingles listing questionable credentials. My own credentials: I hold a Ph.D. (doctor of philosophy) in English from Northern Illinois University, a fully accredited university. I took lots of coursework, passed difficult examinations, learned to read two languages (actually four, but only two for the doctorate) and wrote a 315 page dissertation which I defended in front of a flock of graduate faculty and students. I was supervised by a professor whose doctorate was from Columbia, a director of graduate studies (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania), the Dean of Arts and Sciences (Ph.D., University of Chicago), a graduate school dean, and many others. My dissertation was "published" by University Microfilms and every once in a while someone pays to read and maybe even quote it. Obtaining the doctorate was a long, demanding and expensive process; I began college in 1960 and finished in 1971. Even yet, my doctorate did not impress a number of my colleagues who studied at much more prestigious institutions. But it did get me into the career I wanted, college teaching, and even today, along with a buck and a half, will get me a cup of coffee.

Nowadays doctorates are available in all styles and colors, nearly all suitable for framing; they entail a lot of work, not much work, or absolutely no work. Some are simply for sale. Generally speaking, what we call diploma mills sell real degrees from fake colleges or fake degrees from real colleges. According to a fine Wikipedia article, these businesses have some common characteristics. First, they lack accreditation from any of the six nationally recognized accreditation agencies.

They might claim accreditation from an accreditation mill - yup, we have those, too - or from an organization that sounds like an accreditation agency; their cleverness in misleading consumers is incredible. Second, their addresses might be suites which usually turn out to be post office boxes, probably too small for holding classes. That is no problem since their students often do not need to make a single in person visit from the time of admission to graduation. Even so-called theses and dissertations are accepted online. So how does a faculty member know who did the writing? No problem - most of the faculty members were "graduated" from the same programs in which they now teach. The names of these institutions are often deceptively close to those of well known and reputable schools. Hence, the University of Berkeley (unaccredited) fools some people into thinking they are the University of California, Berkeley. Diploma mills have no libraries and frequently no permanent faculty. Excessive credit is given for "life experience." They award odd degrees such as a "doctorate in general psychology," not a recognized doctoral field, offered by Capella University. But everything sounds good because most people are familiar with general psychology as an undergraduate course.

As a student, you pay your money and you take your chances, I suppose; a flock of police in Washington got caught recently with phony diplomas. I regularly come across fake doctorates in Idaho. Caveat emptor: higher education is not always what it seems to be. I doubt the person removing your gall bladder is improperly credentialed because M.D. and D.O. licensure is well regulated. But I would sure be careful with "Dr. So and So," your counselor, and in other health care fields where "Dr." might mean next to nothing. Some of these folks may be less qualified to help manage your mental or physical health than I am and, if so, woe be unto you.

Tim Hunt, the son of a linotype operator, is a retired college professor and nonprofit administrator who lives in Hayden with his wife and three cats. He can be reached at linotype.hunt785@gmail.com.