If so, don't walk — RUN to the exit and never return again. It is nothing but credential fraud. I cannot say, for certain, that the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality is a diploma mill. However, I can say that “The Institute,” at best, is nothing but an unaccredited vocational school. The diplomas that they offer are worthless. In fact, much of the faculty is self-credentialed. In other words, they have a bogus diploma from the same school. Some of these do not appear to have undergraduate degrees which means that high school graduates are teaching people who will be awarded “doctorates.” Presumably then, some people receive PhD's without an undergraduate degree. But, as I said, the diploma is worthless.

Accreditation is a very lengthy process that starts with a self-study by an academic steering committee. One absolute requirement is a faculty and academic management with credentials from accredited educational institutions.

I came across this issue when I was investigating NARTH's claim that they published a study in a peer reviewed scientific journal. That “prestigious” journal turns out to be published by the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality. But it gets worse.

A web search reveals that there is a huge number of people who list these bogus credentials on their curricula vitae. These include practicing therapists. It would not surprise me if some employers and even some licensing agencies were duped into accepting these diplomas as legitimate credentials. Now you might wonder about the value of a therapist who has a legitimate masters degree in, say, counseling plus the phony PhD from IASHS. If your therapist was intent on embellishing their resume with unearned credentials, that is very telling. If they were too stupid to know that they were spending tens of thousands of dollars on a piece of flushable paper, would you really want their help in sorting out your dilemmas?

Oh, by the way, “The Institute” is in the business of endorsing herbal sexual enhancement products. It only further proves that, if you have a medical problem, see a real doctor.