Legitimate Ph.D. programs are offered by regionally accredited colleges and universities. In the United States, there are six associations that provide regional accreditation. After a college or university has applied for accreditation, a committee conducts visits to the institution and collaborates with its administrators to determine necessary steps for the institution to become accredited. Visiting committees consider numerous factors in their decisions, including rigorousness of course work, availability of libraries and other resources and academic qualifications of faculty members. Information on current accreditation status is usually available on college and university websites.
Some Ph.D. programs may be accredited by additional agencies. Unlike regional accreditation, which grants institutions of higher learning the privilege to confer degrees in various fields, program-specific accreditation applies to particular departments or academic programs. Program-specific accreditation bodies follow a similar committee-driven process when examining applicants, but they evaluate a single program of study in terms of its rigor and quality. Program-specific accreditation of doctoral degrees is required or strongly encouraged in many fields, including medicine, education, business and pharmacy. This type of accreditation information usually is available on the institution's or program's website.
As you research Ph.D. programs, it is important to be aware that unaccredited educational institutions may claim to be accredited by a non-regional agency. Usually, these agencies are nonexistent or offer accreditation without considering an institution's standards or curriculum. Most employers will not accept a Ph.D. from such an institution as accredited. In some states, it is illegal to claim the title "Ph.D." if your degree is from an unaccredited institution. Some students complete unaccredited Ph.D. programs without ever realizing the status of their institutions, so it is important to research any agency the college lists as an accreditation provider.
It may be a challenge to find information about the accreditation status of institutions that are entirely online or relatively new. Thus, it can be helpful to look for certain characteristics that all accredited Ph.D. programs hold in common. Accredited Ph.D. programs require significant reading and culminate in the defense of a dissertation or project. These programs usually do not offer credit for life experience or offer brief lessons in lieu of course work. The majority of teaching faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields and have established scholarly reputations.