The essential reference to alternative education, this book covers it all: night and weekend colleges, foreign medical schools, degress by Internet and other e-mail avenues, and basically every other way of earning a Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate, law, or medical degree through some unconventional method. … More >>
Bears’ Guide to Earning Degrees Nontraditionally
Tags: alternative education, avenues, bachelor, Bears, colleges, Degrees, doctorate, e mail, Earning, foreign medical schools, Guide, medical degree, Nontraditionally, unconventional method
#1 by Anonymous on February 12, 2010 - 1:25 pm
Although I have not yet read this, it came strongly recommended. I decided to write a review to point out that the absent-minded professor probably is not a professor at all. If so, he or she certainly is not in the field of grammar. The word “it’s” with the “’s” means “it is.” The possessive of the pronoun “it” is “its” with no apostrophe. Perhaps, the nutty or absent-minded professor can used this as his or her first distance learning experience.
Rating: 5 / 5
#2 by vaso_bovan@compuserve.com on February 12, 2010 - 4:05 pm
I use Bear’s book in a way the author probably does not intend. I see many resumes in the course of my work. If a job candidate’s resume contains a degree from a university mentioned in Bear’s book I normally throw the resume into the trash.
Bear’s book should be bought by all Human Resources personnel. Bear’s book (and a companion book on Bear’s favorite schools) is the standard reference for three classes of degrees:
1) those “degrees” mentioned in Bear’s book as outright degree mills. Bear is thorough and honest about such “schools” – except where they’ve obviously threatened him with litigation, in which case the reader has to read between the lines. This listing is the most important reason for resume readers – especially those responsible for verifying resume references – to buy a copy of Bear’s book.
2) Those “distance learning” – aka correspondence – “degrees” from marginal accredited institutions that more or less offer a degree for cash and a little work. This is my main complaint about Bear’s enthusiasm for “non-traditional” degrees. It’s my view that there is no substitute for spending four years (three years in some countries) immersed in an academic environment before a student can call himself “educated” in any real sense. No amount of correspondence study, exam challenges,or “real-life experience credit” will subsitute. Bear does his readers a disservice by suggesting these “non-traditional” degrees are anywhere near as good as traditional degrees earned in residence. Anyone claiming a degree from one of Bear’s suggested marginal “non-traditional schools” has a time bomb in their resume. Sooner or later they will be found out, laughed-at and discredited. (Incidentally, Bear suggests reading his book, or getting pregnant (!) is good for credit at some “non-traditional” universities). I note with amusement that Bear is careful to assure the reader that his own PhD is from a legitimate traditional university. In his heart Bear knows the difference…
3) There few legitimate “distance-learning” degrees offered by reputable universities earned in non-traditional ways. These mostly involve tools such as lectures distributed by internet or private television broadcasts. These degrees are difficult to earn and the students is assessed and graded rigorously – as if he were an on-campus student.
Bear himself admits in his book to having being involved with several unaccredited “universities” that offered “non-traditional” degrees. So, he is uniquely qualified to write about bogus schools.
Rating: 4 / 5
#3 by Anonymous on February 12, 2010 - 4:08 pm
Mr. Bear’s book on distance learning is one of the finer books on distance learning institution if you want a biased, uninformed opinion on the value of distance learning as opposed to traditional residential learning. Mr. Bear fails to address the fact that distance learning schools do not become less valuable because they are non-regionally accredited. Student purchasing this book should realize that curriculum based, faculty mentored programs are the just as effective if administered via distance learning as traditional residential programs. Mr. Bear himself has been associated with a number of non-accredited distance learning program. I’m sure the book’s original intention was to drive enrollments away from his competitor. Nevertheless, Mr. Bear trys very hard to be objective. I just wish that he would address the fact that there are distance learning program out there that are mentioned in his book, that have outstanding programs to help the life-long learner achieve his/her academic goal. It would be nice if Mr. Bear had done his research and actually visited some of these distance learning programs which he is so quick to misrepresent. I have been a student at one of the schools mentioned. The education I received was outstanding. I learned more there than I did in my State operated undergraduate university. However, Mr. Bear’s review of my alma mater is less than favorable. Little does he know that I have been able to honestly show the work that I have completed at this university and have gained the respect of my professional colleagues. My advice is: Help John Bear make more money so he can afford to visit the schools he is so quick to judge by virtue of his bias toward non-accredited programs.
Rating: 2 / 5
#4 by Anonymous on February 12, 2010 - 4:51 pm
Mr Bear fails to provide sufficient information or direct the reader to sources of information that permit the informed selection of a degree program through distance education. In reality, even among accredited institutions, reputations vary greatly. Perhaps this is less important for an undergraduate degree where there are so many colleges outside of the well-known. How many people know if (say) Miami University of Ohio provides a better education than (say) the University of Sarasota.
In graduate, especially doctoral education, the reputation of the degree-granting institution is critical and accreditation is merely the MINIMUM requirement. Mr Bear doesn’t make this clear. One institution, which Bear refers to as “outstanding” has, in fact, been placed on WARNING status by its accreditator. This is only one step away from losing accrediation altogether. Perhaps Bear considers this school “outstanding” because he claims his wife received a degree here.
The rating of universities is controversial, but certainly the best accepted of rating systems is that published annually by US News and World Report. An institution Bear states is “excellent and very useful” was rated DEAD LAST among ALL “national universities” in this study. Not nearly last, not next to last, but DEAD LAST. Of course, some school MUST BE be last, but would you want to earn a degree there? Similarly, an institution Bear states is the “best” and “most widely accepted” alternative PhD available is rated 6th FROM THE BOTTOM in the US News and World Reports study. Doesn’t Bear have an obligation to inform his readers of how OTHERS view the quality of colleges he recommends? Isn’t this true even if Bear disagrees with the method used by rating systems? Bear has made a very successful career selling information about obtaining a nontraditional degree. Unfortunately, perhaps because he wants to continue this success, he fails to provide readers with information about actual reputations of the institutions he promotes. Or perhaps, as evidenced by his comments preceeding the reviews posted here, he simply cannot believe that anyone, in good faith, could disagree with him. All critics, according to him, merely want to promote their own school or are “fossels”. An author with this inflated view of his own infallibility, should never be trusted because no error can be acknowledged or corrected.
Rating: 2 / 5
#5 by Anonymous on February 12, 2010 - 6:58 pm
Wonderful NON-Traditional resource. The field of education is now growing and adapting to the needs of the people. We are no longer content to sit on the sidelines moaning about the sorry state of education in America. There are alternatives, and “alternative” is not a bad word. (Read John Taylor Gatto’s “Dumbing Us Down” to get a real idea of the sorry state of education in the public schools). With the advent of the computer there are endless possibilities. We can no longer afford to look at education in the same way.
To the Cowboy below: There are TWO Bears, Sherlock. That’s why the title IS spelled correctly.
Rating: 5 / 5