Customer Reviews

College Degrees by Mail and Modem: 2000 (College Degrees By Mail and Internet)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Good grief! I cannot believe the reviews that are complaining because a book subtitled "100 Accredited Schools that Offer Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorates, and Law Degrees by Home Study" does not list thousands of degrees!

Okay, so maybe they should change the title to "The Top 100 degrees by Home Study." Maybe Amazon.com should include the blurb on the back cover that makes it very clear that this is a selected nonexhaustive listing.

It is true that the entries do not carry a lot of information. In fact, it looks as if the publishers simply took the quarter-page entries from Bear's other book and changed the type face so it would take up a whole page. But none of the directories are exhaustive treatments. I know: I've read them all. An exhaustive directory would be a thousand pages long and cost hundreds of dollars.

Bear's entries do carry enough information for you to know if you have any interest in following up on the ample contact information. (Unlike many other references in the field, Bear's contact information is very accurate.)

If you want a listing of thousands of schools, look into Bear's Guide to Earning Degrees Nontraditionally.

I've read Peterson's, Thorson's, and Princeton's; and I'm here to tell you: Bear's is best. If you want behind the scenes stuff and honest opinions rather than just listings, if you want a good general education on the distance education scene today, buy College Degrees by Mail & Modem or Bear's Guide.

I am very happy with my piddling ... investment and feel I got way more than my money's worth.

This is one of three books I purchased to help me find and choose a 3rd graduate degree. Bear's "College Degrees by Mail & Modem" was not helpful. The data was too superficial, although the format allowed for more specific information. I got the impression that the authors were more interested in getting a title to market than taking the necessary time to gather more exact data required by the reader. The most helpful was "The Best Distance Learning Graduate Schools" by Vicky Phillips and Cindy Yager, c. 1998. The third book, "How to get a college degree" was less focused on graduate programs, but still provided me specific information about some of the same programs mentioned in the previous book. I have in fact gone to the campus of Boise State University and inquired further and found a wonderful program, yet with parameters that do not fit my needs and situation. I have been able to prioritize my criteria and focus on the programs that fit my objective as a result of these two books.

After reading this book I'm not sure why it's listed as a college guide. It only lists 100 colleges and I had never heard of most of them. Best Distance Learning Graduate Schools lists 195, and that's just graduate schools. Peterson's includes satellite and cable and lists many more accredited undergraduate colleges than this guide. I got the feeling that Bear just lists schools that he personally likes or that he maybe forgot to update the book in the last 5 years or so.

I found this book to be somewhat helpful, but there appear to be some omissions in it.

For example, the authors didn't mention the Columbia Video Network at all, even though they do give Columbia University one sentence in the book. I was able to find CVN on the web myself, almost a year before I bought the book, and it appears to be one of the better programs.

A better book is "College Degrees Through Distance Learning" by Eric Shaunheid. The information is up to date, and includes listings for 300 schools. Unfortunately, this book is only available through their website.

I have always keep the latest edition of Dr Bear's work on my reference shelf. The book is invaluable to finding schools that will offer programs of study in a format and time schedule convenient to the student. As a result of this work, I completed at my own pace an accredited MS in financial services and MS in management from the American College, an accredited DBA at Nova Southeastern and an unaccredited JD at William Howard Taft. This JD allowed me to take the CA bar (I passed). I am now licensed to practice law in CA. I subsequently completed an accrediated LLM at SMU.

If you are looking for ways to educate yourself or your employees within time constrants, Dr Bear's book is essential.

There is little doubt that education is about to undergo a metamorphosis in the coming years. This metamorphosis will allow for interactive learning tailored to the specific needs of the student. Dr Bear's book has helped me to glimpse this future.

We've all laughed at the "correspondence courses" we've seen advertised on TV and in magazines. But many bona-fide universities offer "distance learning" programs via online classes, and independent study and coursework by mail. At some, you can get your diploma (one that's worth something) without ever walking into a classroom!

"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.

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).

There is a strong movement in the USA to democratise and bring higher (tertiary) education access to greater numbers of people. Some methods are legitimate - by increasing the number of seats in accredited universities, or building new universities, for instance. 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 (Bear's Guide 10th Edition). In my view, this "life assessment model" will have the same effect on university degrees as the dumbing-down of high school education did for the high school graduation diploma - render it untrustworthy. I note the US Armed Forces do not believe the GED is worth even as much as an high school diploma. I believe the same will happen with the bachelor's degree if large numbers of students start earning their degrees by "challenge" or "life assessment" or other bogus non-residential forms advocated by Dr. Bear. Incidentally, the bogus- sorry, "alternative"-degree community has a home on the internet. John Bear is guru-in-residence, but it appears his followers are predominantly trailer park residents and third-rate academics, judging by their incoherent postings. A recent example sent to me: "You are a worthless piece of ****. How many magazines do you what **** YOU I hope you see fit to seek pefessional [sic] help." was one recent cowardly anonymous e-mail). No doubt this was a candidate studying for a non-traditional PhD.

This brings us to the book - "College Degrees by Mail & Modem." Bear's predecessor to this book - "100 College Degrees By Mail - Good Schools that offer Bachelor's Master's Doctorates, and Law Degrees by Home Study" - was a disgrace, in my opinion. Of the recommended "good" schools, about 97 were accredited, and 22 were non-accredited. Among John Bear's recommended "good" schools was "Eurotechnical Research University" of Hilo, Hawaii. (Hawaii at that time and still now does not have effective legislation to prohibit bogus schools). This school was run out of two rooms in the founder's home. John Bear admits to being a friend of the founder (since deceased) and an advisor to the "university." Yet John Bear didn't notice, until a Hawaiian reporter pointed it out, that an outright diploma mill (Leiland College) operated from a Hawaii post office box opened by the founder. Eurotechnical Research University at last report is now affiliated with a karate school, and the street address is a mailbox rental service. Several other unaccredited schools in Bears list of "good" schools have turned out to be "less-than-wonderful" or gone out of business. Bear himself notes that several legitimate schools have pleaded not to be mentioned in his books. Incidentally, John Bear himself was president of an unaccredited school - "Greenwich University" for eighteen months in Hilo, in the period 1990-1991. This and his other school of that time - a institution-in-planning temporarily called "School Without a Name" were also in Bear's recommended list of good schools.

I have to report that the two Bears' (daughter Mariah Bear joined the writing team) latest book -"College Degrees by Mail & Modem" - is much improved. All but one of the schools the Bears' recommend in this edition are now accredited, although some accreditations appear to be more reliable than others. This is possible now because of the explosive growth of good "off-campus" degrees and courses offered today by legitimate universities. Readers wanting a bogus degree for cash and/or minimum effort will have to peruse the Bears' other book "Bears' Guide...13th Edition." I think "distance learning" is still largely bogus and people involved in it are deluded to one degree or another, but an impressive number of highly reputable universities; Georgia Instititute of Technology, for instance - and Stanford University School of Engineering (curiously not mentioned in the Bears' book) - are starting to offer legitimate Master's course and degrees by various distance-learning methods. The common denominator of all such legitimate degrees is periodic, proctored, difficult examinations. Perhaps it is at the Master's degree level that "distance education" will be most effective and most legitimate (for "Practice" Master's at least, rather than "Research" Master's degrees)

A word about the Bears - John Bear in particular. Clearly he is the preeminent authority on degrees not earned the traditional way - by long periods of residence immersed in an academic community. John Bear has done a great service to everyone concerned with university education by his skill and persistence in identifying diploma mills. When I say he has been involved with unaccreditated universities, I mean this as a historical fact to which he freely admits, but also as a damning indictment of his judgment in the 1980 and early 1990s. (I once sent him proof that someone running a bogus non-accredited "alternative health education university," dispensing worthless and dangerous medical notions to its students, had been convicted of practicing medicine without a license. Dr. Bear ignored the evidence and continued listing the school in his book's next edition as being legitimate). I don't believe anything Dr. Bear has done is illegal - he does not and has not run degrees mills. However, I think he has run, supported and recommended unaccredited institutions that were and are unworthy of support and should be shut down by state governments. More seriously, I think his high opinion of "distance learning" is overly optimistic, and his recommendation of "distance-learning" degrees - especially those obtained on a "challenge" or "life assessment" basis is dangerous to both students and to employers in the long run. There may come a day when *some* distance-learning degrees at the bachelor's level will be worthwhile and widely accepted, (foolish legislators might even force the acceptance of bogus degrees) but meantime I think the best advice is to say that most such degrees - with a couple of notable exceptions - are worthless. Students should avoid signing up for distance-learning degrees (occasional supplementary courses from legitimate accredited schools are OK) unless the students are imprisoned felons, or perhaps have a lifelong contageous rash, or they are slow learners who move their lips when they read.

Why do I have to review the book before I can read others' reviews