The Meaning of My PHD in Entreprenology - Dr. Shain Hymon
- Shain Hymon
- 23 hours ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
When I share that I’ve earned my PHD in Entreprenology from the International University of Entreprenology (IUE), I recognize that people respond in very different ways. Some congratulate and celebrate the milestone, while others question or even dismiss it. These reactions reveal more about how people view knowledge, education, and authority than about the value of the degree itself.
Beyond reaction, this milestone gives me an opportunity to educate and explain what a PHD is, how it differs from a traditional PhD, and why it carries legitimacy through WAVE (the World Association of Visioneers and Entreprenologists). For me, this is not just a personal achievement; it’s a platform to broaden understanding of what mastery, education, and proof of contribution can look like in our time.
PhD vs. PHD: The Distinction
A traditional PhD (with a lowercase “h”) is an academic doctorate earned through universities under national education systems. That pathway emphasizes coursework, examinations, and dissertation defense rooted in theoretical research.
A PHD (with a capital “H”), as conferred by IUE, is intentionally different. It recognizes mastery in Entreprenology, the philosophy and practice of entrepreneurship and human development. It measures knowledge not solely by theory but by applied innovation, measurable impact, and contribution to human advancement.
The distinction is not about superiority; it’s about scope. One validates theoretical discovery, the other validates transformative application.
Accreditation: Clarifying Legitimacy
Accreditation is one of the first questions people ask and one of the most misunderstood.
Many assume accreditation must come only through government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education. But education is global, and so are systems of validation. IUE is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the World Association of Visioneers and Entreprenologists (WAVE), an organization that recognizes value-based and applied education.
WAVE’s standards ensure that achievement, impact, and contribution are central measures of legitimacy. By teaching this distinction, I aim to help others see that accreditation is not one-size-fits-all; it evolves with the very nature of education itself.
Earned vs. Honorary Degrees: Understanding the Difference
One of the most important distinctions in higher education is between an earned doctorate and an honorary doctorate. Though both carry the title “Doctor,” their meaning, purpose, and process are entirely different.
An honorary doctorate is a symbolic recognition of contribution or leadership. It is conferred upon individuals who have achieved distinction in a particular field, often to honor their public service, philanthropy, innovation, or lifetime achievements. Honorary degrees do not require coursework, evaluation, or the completion of a dissertation. They are gestures of esteem, acknowledging what a person has accomplished, not what they have studied or formally proven.
An earned doctorate, on the other hand, requires a rigorous process of learning, research, and evaluation. The candidate must demonstrate mastery of a body of knowledge, contribute new insights or discoveries to the field, and defend their work under the scrutiny of peers or evaluators. This is true whether the doctorate is a PhD, EdD, DBA, MD, JD, or any other earned doctoral degree. The key distinction is that an earned degree reflects both achievement and assessment. It is not merely awarded. It is earned through evidence of mastery.
Within that context, the PHD in Entreprenology is an earned doctorate, not honorary or symbolic. It recognizes mastery proven through innovation, creation, and measurable real-world outcomes. At IUE, candidates are required to document and align their life’s work with the principles and creed of Entreprenology.
Rather than writing a purely theoretical dissertation, the Entreprenologist demonstrates understanding through a synthesis of empirical success and philosophical alignment. The evaluation process is not easier than a traditional PhD, it is simply different in design and purpose. Where the traditional PhD measures theoretical contribution, the PHD in Entreprenology measures applied transformation. How one’s work has tangibly advanced human or economic development.
This is what makes the PHD in Entreprenology an earned degree in the truest sense. It validates both accomplishment and comprehension: proof that one has not only achieved, but understands the deeper science behind their achievements.
The IUE Process: Mapping Work to Principles
At IUE, the PHD process evaluates more than accomplishments, it evaluates comprehension and synthesis. Candidates align their professional, entrepreneurial, and social contributions with Entreprenological principles, demonstrating not only success but awareness of the science behind it.
This creates a bridge between lived experience and formal discipline. The process transforms personal mastery into a contribution that strengthens the field itself.
Practicing What I Preach: Writing an Academic Dissertation as an Autodidact
Although not required, I chose to write a full dissertation in traditional academic format, complete with literature review, methodology, and analysis. I did this because I believe autodidacts can meet, and often exceed, conventional academic standards.
This dual approach, fulfilling IUE’s applied requirements while also producing a formal dissertation, proves that alternative education can coexist with rigorous scholarship. It is an act of Entreprenological integrity: practicing what I preach and demonstrating what I teach.
Why Some People Struggle to Acknowledge
When people hesitate to acknowledge this achievement, it often extends far beyond whether they say “congratulations.” Acknowledgment has layers. It includes celebrating the milestone, respecting the title, and validating the legitimacy and authority it represents.
For some, discomfort surfaces when they hear or see “Dr. Hymon.” For others, it appears subtly, omitting the title in formal introductions or sidestepping discussions that affirm its validity. These behaviors reflect deeper cultural and psychological conditioning around authority and recognition.
Common sources of hesitation include:
Accreditation Bias: Believing legitimacy only exists within government-approved models, unable to see that parallel systems like WAVE and IUE maintain equally rigorous, globally relevant standards.
Gatekeeping Reflex: Assuming value must be earned only through familiar struggle, and therefore resisting acknowledgment of alternative, but equally disciplined pathways.
Fear of Disruption: Realizing that recognizing new forms of doctorates destabilizes traditional hierarchies of who defines “expertise.”
Identity Insecurity: Feeling confronted by someone else’s confidence or visibility, which may highlight untapped potential in themselves.
Cultural Conditioning: Society often reserves automatic respect for those emerging from certain institutions or demographics. When someone stands outside those bounds, it challenges unconscious expectations.
Ultimately, these reactions reveal more about social frameworks than about me personally. Each hesitation becomes an invitation to educate, not to demand acknowledgment, but to demonstrate it through clarity, composure, and contribution.
True acknowledgment does not require agreement; it requires understanding. It is the willingness to recognize mastery expressed in unfamiliar forms.
Proof of Concept Through Application
Entreprenology transforms acknowledgment into evidence. In this discipline, knowledge must not only be known, it must be shown.
The ecosystems I’ve built, the models I’ve developed, and the measurable community impact formula of my work serve as my living dissertation. These outcomes are empirical proof that bridge philosophy and practice. They show that Entreprenology is not abstract, it is applied science in motion.
Each framework and system I design functions as real-world peer review, tested in the marketplace, validated through human transformation, and continuously measured by impact.
An Entreprenologist’s defense of truth does not happen in a classroom; it happens in society. Acknowledgment, therefore, is not requested, it is earned through results.
A Redefinition Worth Sharing
My PHD represents far more than a personal credential; it symbolizes a paradigm shift in how mastery is defined and validated.Traditional academia codifies knowledge; Entreprenology operationalizes it. It transforms ideas into systems that empower people, organizations, and communities.
This redefinition challenges the monopoly on legitimacy. It asserts that contribution itself is scholarship, and that the measurable uplift of others is one of the highest forms of research. So when I meet skeptics, I no longer view them as adversaries. I see them as students of a new paradigm. Their questions become my curriculum.
Acknowledgment, then, becomes shared evolution, a collective awakening to the expanding definition of education and proof. For me, this PHD is not simply an achievement; it’s a commitment to continue teaching, innovating, and proving that Entreprenology is the science of turning potential into impact.
Sincerely,
Dr. Shain E. Hymon Sr.
Founder & CEO, NLGT / E2P3