• Distance education can be a confusing field. While there are hundreds and hundreds of great, accredited schools out there offering useful, desirable degrees, there is also a growing number of shady schools and phony accrediting agencies, all competing for your time and money. In this ongoing series of online guides, we aim to demystify various fields, offer guidance, and otherwise help distance-learning students and others to make the most of this vital, exciting field.

  Accreditation: What is accreditation, anyway? How can you be sure if a school is really accredited? Do schools ever lie about this sort of thing? Is an unaccredited degree ever any good? These questions and many more are answered. This section also includes a list of all the regional and professional accrediting agencies, as well as unaccredited agencies to be aware of.

  Checking Out a School: Curious whether a school is operating legally? This guide gives you the basics for investigating, and a comprehensive list of state educational agencies.

  MBA Guide: An MBA would help to advance your career, but you can't leave your job or family to get that vital credential. This brief guide to MBA study by distance learning helps you determine what sort of program is best for you, and how to go about enrolling.

  Diploma Mills: In an article he wrote for University Business magazine, John Bear describes the $200-million-a-year diploma mill business, why it continues to thrive, and what can be done about it.

  Bibliography: A wealth of books, journals, and other publications of interest to the distance learner.

  Glossary: Ever baffled by educational terminology? Embarrassed to admit that you're not totally sure what asynchronous instruction is, or when you'd need a TOEFL? Worry no more—this Glossary covers the basics.

  FAQs: Answers to basic questions about distance learning, from internationally-acclaimed expert John Bear and the editors of Degree.net Books.

  Bears' Guides
• Earning Degrees by Distance Learning
• Earning High School Diplomas Nontraditionally
• College Degrees by Mail and Internet
• Best MBAs by Distance Learning
• Best Computer Degrees by Distance Learning
• Best Education Degrees by Distance Learning
• Book updates
• Distance Learning Resources
• 100 schools
• All about accreditation
• How to evaluate a school
• News
• Glossary
• Links
• Discussion Board
• Eliminating Test Anxiety
• Goals And Objectives For A Degree In Organizational Leadership
• Employer Preceptions Of Online Degree Programs

Bear's Guide News and Gossip

2,600 Updated Listings. No other guide covers them all: accredited and unaccredited, nonresident and short-residency, U.S. and foreign, legitimate and phony, even high school, law, and medical school programs.

Completely updated and expanded coverage of complex topics like accreditation,ool licensing laws, life-experience credit, equivalency exams, and learning contracts.

MIT giving away its course materials Is it giving away the store?... [continue]

Big diploma mill gets bold Now they're faking diplomas from real schools... [continue]