Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning

This book provides information concerning many avenues of online learning in a convenient, useful format. It's a great source of information for the person who is just considering options as well as one who has already decided to take the plunge.

"A degree is often more useful than a good education or valuable skills in your field." (the authors, pg. 3) "One man's degree mill is another man's alternative university." (the authors. Bears' Guide, 13th Edition. pg 306) 'People rarely check up on other people's degrees." (John Bear, Bear's Guide, 10th Ed., pg 24) I think these quotes encapsulate John Bear's strategy and view of higher education. "alternative" is altedspeak code for "unaccredited." John Bear is correct on the second point - outright degree mills on the one end of the continuum shade into sincere but unrecognized alternative/unaccredited universities at the other. I myself would say they're all bogus - whether degree mills or "alternative/unaccredited" universities. John Bear by his own admission involved himself in his past with a string of unaccredited "universities/colleges" in states with lax or non-existent laws governing degree-granting colleges/universities. Such unaccredited schools - according to some sources - were: MILLARD FILMORE (owner); INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES ( President, 3 years); COLUMBIA PACIFIC ( part owner); LONDON INSTITUTE OF APPLIED RESEARCH (owner); FAIRFAX UNIVERSITY ( part owner/founder); GREENWICH UNIVERSITY ( President, 1,5 years ). It is instructive to consider the case of Fairfax University: John Bear and his wife were two of four founders, but left after the first few students enrolled in 1986. As of 1991, John Bear was calling this an "academically-sound program" in the previous version of this book. Here's what Fairfax University's current website advertising says: "Degree programs offered at Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral levels. Personal supervision by mail, telephone, etc by...highly qualified..faculty. No residency or written examination requirements. Work at own pace from home. Credits awarded for prior learning, training. Average duration of programs is 6-18 months." Sounds a lot like ads for a school for cartoonists. Fairfax is not accredited. The degree-granting authority comes from Louisiana, which has notoriously lax regulations, but the school itself is apparently in England with only a secretarial drop-office in Louisiana (all information from Bears' books). Posting on a message board on 1-28-2003, mr.Bear wrote "Don't even think of applying to Fairfax, unless you are comfortable with a degree whose use would be a criminal offense in New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois, etc". Other alternative education enthusiasts favor loosening the traditional link between the bachelor's degree and the three or four years of on-campus study necessary to attain the degree. They want evaluations of "course equivalents" and credits for "life" experience - John Bear himself suggests that riding a horse, eating at an exotic restaurant, "applying statistics to gambling" (I like that one - a subscription to Racing Form ?...Bear is nothing if not droll) and reading his [Bear's] books "could" be worth credit for life experience learning (Be

This is an excellent book. It informs you all the in's and out's on obtaining a legitimate, fully recognized degree. It's perfect for people working f/t especially for those who have a family to raise. I'd say this is quite possibly the best "bible" on distance learing one can obtain. The Oregon Commsission on higher education uses it to filter degree mills and other discredible sources. One must be careful though, the author seems to have many "enemies" who tries hard to ruin the reputation of the author. But I guess that's what one gets for appearing on National TV and working for the FBI to raid all the degree mill scams. An excellent read!

Huge excellent book and database for the ever-changing opportunities for adult distance learners wanting an accredited degrees. I particularly liked Dr. Bear's friendly candor and the time-saving information on life-credit for past work experience. Finding out about the educational "credit bank" alone was worth the price of the book.

Pardon the hyperbole, but no "nontraditional" (i.e. working adult) student should be without this book. John and Mariah succinctly and humorously break down the good, the bad, and the ugly in this guide to the world of nontraditional and distance learning.If you're a working adult considering your options for continuing your post-secondary education, you need this book. There are many ways to earn or complete a degree, and Bears' Guide attempts to show you the myriad paths and how best to select and pursue them. Last, but not least, there are many "institutions" in the US and abroad that would love to have your money. In fact, many of them would be perfectly willing to sell you a degree that would serve you better as toilet paper than as a credential. This book helps you tell the difference between institutions that deserve your money/time and those that deserve to see your backside.There are only a couple of high-quality general treatments of the topic of distance and nontraditional education, and this is one of them. The other is Marcie Thorson's Campus Free College Degrees. Peterson's guides get an honorable mention from me.In closing: I own it; I love it; I highly recommend it. Now go buy a dozen copies!