Education Degrees

I use Bears’ books in a way the authors probably do 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 Bears’ book I normally throw the resume straight into the trash – three points and a substantial saving of my business clients’ time, money and aggravation.

Bears’ book is an essential reference tool for all Human Resources personnel. This Bears’ book serial – a new edition has to be printed every few years to keep up with the proliferation – is the industry standard listing of bogus schools. Professional recruiters need this book precisely because there are dishonest people out there who eagerly peruse Bears’ guidebook to see which schools will grant them an impressive-sounding degree in return for cash and a minimum of effort. (Sadly, a few gullible boobs actually believe the degrees they get from these bogus schools are legitimate).

I’m always amazed at how easily even experienced recruiters are bamboozled by bogus degrees. Bears’ guide lists almost every bogus school in the English speaking world and beyond. This Bears’ book is the standard reference for Bears’ book as being issued by outright degree mills. The Bears are thorough and honest about such “schools” – except where the school’s owners have obviously threatened the two Bears with litigation, in which the Bears hide their opinions between the lines of the review.

2) Those “distance learning” – aka correspondence – “degrees” from marginal accredited institutions that more or less offer a degree for cash and a little work – often merely a perfunctory assessment of “life experience” and a short essay. John Bear suggests reading his book and getting pregnant are good for credit at some “non-traditional” universities… This is my main complaint about the Bears’ 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. The Bears do their 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 by their colleagues, and discredited. I note with amusement that John Bear himself carefully and repeatedly assures readers that his own PhD is from a legitimate traditional university. In his heart John Bear knows the difference…

3) The few legitimate “distance-learning” degrees offered by a realtively small number of reputable universities. These mostly involve novel 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. Often some on-campus courses and/or short residency are required before a degree is granted. Such legitimate degrees are not the focus of this Bears’ book.

John Bear himself admits in his book to having being involved with several unaccredited “universities” that offered “non-traditional” degrees. He himself moved from California to that hotbed of academia – Hilo, Hawaii – to become President of the unaccredited “Greenwich University,” – after California authorities moved to close down Calfornia’s notorious degree mill industry. (Hawaii is one of the few remaining states that still has no effective regulation of unaccredited “degree granting” schools. The Bears acknowledge in their book that Hawaii has become the preferred destination of bogus schools kicked out of California). So, the Bears are uniquely qualified to write about bogus schools
Rating: 4 / 5

I don’t remember who, what, or how I got this book, and could care less, all I know is… I got it and it changed my life for good, yes! words cannot express the power of this book, it is a must have for all young people like me.

thank you very much Dr.Bear for helping to change my life.
Rating: 5 / 5

This book is an excellent resource for students considering a degree via distance education methodologies. The book provides the reader with concrete definitions of dist ed and categorizes the schools by the amount of participation required (i.e on-campus vs. email). The section I found most useful was the careful and meticulous review of schools that were rip-offs and Dr. Bear’s cautionary notes on schools started by people with a shady past. There are several excellent dist ed schools out there and this book helps you select one that meets your needs. Considering the cost of a degree these days, I felt the book was a great investment before my BIG investment
Rating: 5 / 5