THE term 'degree mill' refers to institutions that award academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by official educational accrediting bodies.

Some operate with no more than a mailing address to which people send money for a certificate. Others require nominal work to be done.

In the United States, all colleges and universities usually apply for accreditation. This process of peer review determines if a degree programme meets recognised standards.

A list of accredited courses can be found at the Council for Higher Education Accreditation website (www.chea.org) or via the US Education Information Centre at www.useic.org.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.