CCKBibleSchool.com Presents….

2010 Edition

The 10+ Things You Should Know

About Accredited Christian Bible

Colleges & Universities

How to Save Time and Money & Avoid Dangerous Mistakes

When Choosing A School

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellers there is safety”. Proverbs (ch. XI, v. 14)

V I S I T H T T P : / / W W W . C C K B I B L E S C H O O L . C O M T O D A Y

BACKGROUND

Bible colleges are Christian colleges that offer a limited array of degree programs to prepare students

for Christian ministry or for graduate studies in religion. Accreditation should be a primary concern for

students who want to attend a bible college. It is best to choose a bible college that is regionally

accredited so that the degree that you receive will be recognized by graduate schools or potential

employers such as churches.

Accredited Bible colleges offer students academic degree programs in both the Old Testament and the

New Testament, giving students the necessary textual training to become ministers, religious communal

leaders and Christian educators in the United States. While most accredited Bible colleges provide solely

on-campus learning opportunities, a handful of schools offer online degrees as well.

With the proliferation of online education, there has also been a concomitant increase in the number of

online Christian colleges, which offer various liberal arts degrees in classes taught with a Christian

emphasis. While many of these schools are online counterparts to real-world universities, some exist

solely online. This list was compiled using schools' accreditation, popularity, reputation and ranking by

other organizations.

1) CHOOSE THE RIGHT ACCREDITED SCHOOL – AVOID THESE DANGEROUS PITFALLS

Sadly, there are people who profess to be good Christians and teach the word of God but are “wolves in

sheep’s clothing”. In fact, according to one authoritative study done by a leading online resource, there

are hundreds of colleges and universities in the world that do not have recognized accreditation. They

range from totally fraudulent degree mills run by ex-convicts who sell worthless degrees to anyone

willing to pay, to major new academic endeavors, well-funded and run by experienced educators of

good reputation, and extremely likely to become properly accredited before too long.

Read on…..

2) Unaccredited Schools Offer Unsuccessful Shortcuts

In almost every instance, the unaccredited schools cost less, and offer a faster path to a degree, with

more flexibility. It is a tempting consideration, and a common dilemma for many people in search of a

school. As a result, this is probably the most common question we get:

3) Should You pursue an unaccredited degree?

Since we cannot know each questioner's situation and needs, we typically reply by saying, "If you are

absolutely confident that an unaccredited degree will meet your current and your predictable future

needs, then it might well be appropriate to pursue such a degree."

Note: For the purpose of the following discussion, we include schools with accreditation claimed from

an unrecognized accreditor as equivalent to unaccredited, for that is how such schools are almost

certain to be treated by evaluators and decision makers.

4) Should You get an accredited or an unaccredited degree?

The simplest answer is that you can rarely go wrong with a properly accredited degree. We do hear from

a moderate number of people who have made good use of an unaccredited (but totally legitimate)

degree, but we hear from many more who have had significant problems with such degrees, in terms of

acceptance by employers, admission to other schools, or simply bad publicity.

5) Will an unaccredited degree be accepted as legitimate?

Acceptance is very low in the academic world and the government world, though somewhat higher in

the business world. One large and decent unaccredited school, in operation for a quarter century, can

only point to a dozen instances in which their degrees were accepted by other schools, most of those on

a case by case basis. Some companies have no clear policy with regard to accreditation, and indeed may

not even understand the concept. Such was the case with the head of human resources for one of the

ten largest companies on the planet, who told us of her astonishment at learning there were

unaccredited schools and fake accrediting agencies.

6) Can anyone benefit from an unaccredited degree?

The unaccredited option may work for people who really don't need a degree, but rather want one,

either for self satisfaction ("validating my life's work" is a phrase we hear often), or to give themselves a

marketing edge. One large subset of satisfied unaccredited degree-users, for instance, are therapists,

who typically need only a Master's degree for their state license. But they feel that if they have a PhD,

and use that title in their advertising, they will have an edge over competitors without the doctorate.

The same is the case with owners or executives of small businesses. A real estate agent with an MBA or

a business planner with a doctorate in finance, may get more clients because of the higher degree, and

indeed may have additional useful knowledge.

7) What problems can arise?

We get a lot of mail from people who were having major problems with a previously satisfactory

unaccredited degree. This situation occurs after one of two events. One is a change in employer policy.

A company that may have accepted or tolerated or unwittingly gone along with unaccredited degrees

may have a change, either due to new personnel policies or new ownership, and previously acceptable

degrees no longer are. Similarly, when an employee seeks work at a new company, he or she may learn

that the degree held is no longer useful. The other is when there is bad publicity, and the light of public

scrutiny is focused on the school or the degrees. In recent years, the media have devoted more and

more attention to these matters. 60 Minutes, American Journal, Inside Edition, Extra, and dozens of

local television consumer reporters have addressed the matter of bad schools and degrees. When

American Journal devoted a long segment to a popular unaccredited school, and when a large daily

newspaper gave an 8-column page with one headline to the state's lawsuit against another large and

popular unaccredited school, many students and alumni of those schools had some highly

uncomfortable moments.

8) Does the level of the degree make a difference?

We think it does. We can find very few reasons why it would ever make sense to pursue an unaccredited

Associate's or Bachelor's degree. There are two reasons for this. One is that there are so very many

distance Bachelor's programs with recognized accreditation, and those degrees can actually be faster

and less expensive than some of the unaccredited ones. The other is that a person with at least one

accredited degree, as the foundation, is seen to be someone clearly capable of doing university level

work; if they chose to pursue an unaccredited Master's or Doctorate after earning the accredited

Bachelor's, they must have had a good reason. Alternatively, a person with only an unaccredited degree,

or series of degrees, will often be under a cloud of suspicion, especially in a world where it is possible to

get a not-illegal Bachelor's degree in three months or less.

9) Will degrees with recognized accreditation always be accepted?

Most annoyingly, no. In the sometimes-snobbish world of higher education, schools without regional

accreditation are sometimes seen to be inferior. As one simple but telling example, Regents College, one

of the largest and best-respected distance learning schools in the US, itself with regional accreditation,

will not accept degrees or credits from schools accredited by the Distance Education and Training

Council, a recognized accreditor. Quite a few regionally accredited schools will accept DETC

accreditation, in our experience, but by no means all. This depressing fact is just one more reason to

'shop around' to be sure any given degree will meet your needs.

Another factor in acceptance is regional accreditation versus professional accreditation. In some fields,

such as psychology, architecture, and engineering, accreditation from the relevant professional

association can be especially important. For example, there are job descriptions for therapists that

require degrees accredited by the American Psychological Association, a professional accreditor, which

accredits fewer than half the psychology programs in America.

10) What happens if my school becomes accredited after I earn my degree?

Theoretically one only has an accredited degree if it was earned after accreditation. For many practical

purposes, however, it is unlikely that an employer will say, for instance, "Did you earn your degree from

the Graduate School of America before or after November 17, 1997?" Once a school has been

accredited, it is likely (but not certain) that all its degrees will be regarded as accredited, whenever

earned. Some schools offer the option of going back and doing a modest amount of additional work, and

earning a "replacement" degree after the accreditation is gained.

11) What happens if the accreditor is recognized after I earn my degree?

In this scenario, the student earns a degree from a school that is accredited by an unrecognized agency,

and later the agency is recognized by the Department of Education. This is such a rare situation, we

really don't know if there is a precedent. Common sense suggests that if the school or degree was

accredited all along, and if the only change is that the accreditor becomes recognized, then the student

would have a degree with recognized accreditation. But common sense does not always prevail in the

world of higher education.

Is unrecognized accreditation worse than none at all?

In many cases, we think so, because it adds one more layer of possible irregularity to attract the

attention of investigators, regulators, decision-makers, and others. When, for instance, a national

magazine did an extremely unflattering article on the unrecognized World Association of Universities

and Colleges (Spy, February 1995), the caustic comments and the various revelations led readers to

think less favorably of the schools this association had accredited. On the other hand, some of the larger

distance learning schools make no accreditation claims whatsoever (California Coast, California Pacific,

Fairfax, Southwest, Greenwich, etc.), and still manage to attract students.

It is common for unrecognized accrediting agencies to talk or write about their intention to become

recognized by the Department of Education. In our opinion, however, of the more-than-thirty active

unrecognized accreditors listed under Non-GAAP Agencies, only one has even a remote chance of

recognition, and that one, the National Association, has been turned down many times over the past

twenty years. Some of these accreditors suggest that it is their choice not to be recognized, by writing

things like, "This association has not sought recognition..." or "... does not choose to be listed by the

Department of Education."

Shortcut to Success – Consider These Top Accredited Christian Colleges, Universities & Top Bible

Schools

Your employment in any Christian authority position is really a remarkable method to live a new daily

life grounded with Jesus and The Church. By pursing Bible College or Christian University studies on the

web, you are able to remain committed to your loved ones, close friends and also church when you

study to get a education. We all know people motivation a career in which really influences the day-to-

day lives connected with people - you can now check out Bible College on the net and also help make

that dream possible!

Review Christian Leadership, Ministry, Pastoral Counseling, Youth Ministry and more at the academic

level. Acquire the expertise and skills you hunger for, and build a solid foundation of knowledge for

helping others and serving the Lord.

Whether you're interested in becoming a theologian, a youth group leader or you simply want to study

The Bible, Christian-Colleges.net is your number one resource for finding the reputable online Christian

Studies program that meets your needs. Earn the online certification, bachelor's degree, or master's

degree you need to enhance your life, and begin your work towards a successful Christian career today.

Benedictine University

Ranked as one of the top universities in the Midwest region by U.S. News and World Report,

Benedictine has offered degrees for over 120 years. Committed to affordable education, Benedictine

has recently started online master's, bachelor's and doctoral programs.

Get More Information on Benedictine University

Grand Canyon University

A private Christian college based in Arizona, Grand Canyon University offers a number of online degrees,

including master's degrees in business administration, education and public safety administration.

Get More Information on Grand Canyon University

Liberty University

The largest Christian university in the world, Liberty offers over 140 undergraduate and graduate

programs. Founded by Dr. Jerry Falwell, the school has both a large campus in Virginia and an extensive

online program, one that has enrolled more than 50,000 students.

Get More Information on Liberty University

Ashford University

Founded more than 90 years ago, Ashford University is built on history, tradition, and academic

excellence to provide you with a first-rate education.

Originally as it was known as Mount St. Clare College (MSC) and was founded in 1918 by the Sisters of

St. Francis of Clinton, Iowa. MSC became The Franciscan University in 2002 and in 2005, Bridgepoint

Education, Inc., a higher education organization, acquired the institution and changed its name to

Ashford University. The institution is a coeducational, liberal arts university.

The last 90 years have brought significant changes, but what has never changed is Ashford University's

commitment to provide affordable, innovative, and high-quality learning opportunities to adult learners.

You'll find that Ashford University is the perfect blend of tradition with 21st-century vision.

The campus sits on a scenic bluff in Clinton, Iowa (population: 28,000), near the Mississippi River and

midway between Chicago and Des Moines.

Ashford University offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in a variety of different majors ranging from

Accounting through Visual Arts. You may also select from several Bachelor of Science majors, such as

Biology, Health Science, or Natural Science; or, you may prefer to earn a Bachelor of Applied Science

(BAS) degree, customized with a core subject area. You are also free to add a minor to any of these

Bachelor's degree programs.

Regent University

- Regent University is ranked second in the nation by the Online Education Database's ranking of online

Christian universities. The school offers both graduate and undergraduate, including several Ph.D.

programs. The online school has both regional and online accreditation.

Ohio Christian University

- Ohio Christian University offers a number of associate's and bachelor's degrees in programs that range

from the overtly Christian--Leadership and Ministry--to the medical and psychological--Substance Abuse

Counseling.

St. Joseph’s College, New York

The mission of St. Joseph’s College is to provide a strong academic and value-oriented education at the

undergraduate and graduate levels, rooted in a liberal arts tradition that supports provision for career

preparation and enhancement.

Patrick Henry College

- A member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, Patrick Henry is based in

Purcellville, Virginia, and offers a number of degree and non-degree courses to students, all of which are

Christian-focused.

Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU Online)

At Indiana Wesleyan University or IWU Online, you can get an Associate, Bachelors or Masters Degree,

and do it in the comfort of your own home. Your education from IWU Online can cost up to 50% less

than other online universities, and if you are in the military, check out their discounts. This university

offers over 80 years of academic excellence and now it’s with the added convenience of learning on

your schedule and at your location (wherever it might be). Most students can complete their degree

completely online in less than two years.

No campus visits are required, financial aid could be available, and books and study materials are

delivered right to your door. At their website, there is a simple form to campus.

Founded in 1920 in the Wesleyan tradition, Indiana Wesleyan University is an evangelical Christian

university with a solid reputation for providing a quality education. With campuses in three states and

online instruction offered worldwide, Indiana Wesleyan University is one of the nation's fastest-growing

universities.

If you're ready to get started in a career, to change or to advance your career, but you can't fit on-

campus classes into your busy work and family schedule, IWU is the perfect fit for you. Choose IWU for

your online degree and join a values-based community of students taking control of their lives and

making the world a better place. At Indiana Wesleyan University, most students can complete their

degree completely online in less than two years.

LeTourneau University

- A private, interdenominational Christian university based in Longview, Texas, Le Tourneau boasts

associate's, bachelor's and master's degree programs, as well as a rare online, Christian-themed

teaching certificate program.

John Wesley University

An exclusively online institution, John Wesley University offers a number of primarily Christian-centered

degrees, with majors such as Pastoral Ministry, Christian Ministry, and Bible and Theology.

URL

Harding University

- In addition to a well-respected campus program, Harding offers extensive distance learning

opportunities as well.

Marylhurst University

- Based in Oregon, Marylhurst offers online BAs in business management, interdisciplinary studies and

real estate studies, as well as a traditional MBA and an MBA in sustainable business for Christians

looking to go into a green, environmentally friendly profession.

Conclusion

Christian colleges, universities and Bible based colleges aren’t for everyone. But, if you are looking for

the option to study in an environment where you can get a higher education yet still openly practice

your Christian faith, indeed one of these schools may be right for you!

The free eGuide was brought to by your leading online directory for Christian Colleges, Universities and

Top Bible Schools – visit http://www.cckbibleschool.com Today. Get useful information to help you save

time, avoid mistakes and land the faith-filled degree that leaves you feeling fulfilled.

Sources:

Degree.net

eHow.com