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TERMINAL DEGREE
A terminal degree is the generally accepted highest earned academic degree in a field of study or the professional degree required to practice without limitation in a given professional field. While an academic (or research) doctorate is considered the terminal degree in most academic fields of study, professions may consider specific professional degrees as the terminal degree.
In some fields, especially those linked to a profession (e.g. medicine, dentistry, law, architecture, pharmacy), a distinction is to be drawn between a first professional degree, an advanced professional degree, and a terminal academic degree. A first professional degree is generally required by law or custom to practice the profession without limitation. An advanced professional degree provides further training in a specialized area of the profession. A terminal academic degree is not a professional degree, rather, it is the research degree in the field. One or more degrees beyond the first professional degree may be helpful for advancement or (in the case of academic institutions) employment or tenure.
For example,
- in medicine, the first professional degree is a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (B.M., Ch.B.) or Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), degree depending on the country, while an advanced professional degree can be a Master of Science (e.g. Surgery), and the terminal academic research degree can be a Ph.D. in a medical science (e.g. Anatomy).
- the American Library Association indicates that "The master's degree in library science from a library school program accredited by the American Library Association is the appropriate terminal professional degree for academic librarians." [1]
- in law, the first professional degree is a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Civil Law or Juris Doctor degree, depending on the country. The advanced professional degree is the LL.M. ((where the degree is taken in program geared to practitioners to develop or deepen a practice specialty, e.g., trial advocacy, taxation law, intellectual property law). Generally, these types of LL.M. degrees do not have a thesis requirement, but may require a research paper. The terminal academic research degree is the J.S.D., LL.D. or Ph.D., depending on the university.
First Professional Degrees
With respect to first professional degrees, the U.S. Department of Education states:
- "It is...important to recognize that first-professional degrees in these fields are first degrees, not graduate research degrees. Several of the degree titles in this group of subjects (below) incorporate the term 'Doctor,' but they are not research doctorates and not equivalent to the Ph.D. Master's degrees and research doctorates in these fields of study are awarded, but they have different names and students enroll in those programs after having earned a first-professional degree."[1]
Typical Advanced Professional Degrees
Typical Terminal Academic Research Degrees
References
- ^ http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-professional-studies.html]
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