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* [[Landscape Architecture]] (MLA LArch)
* [[Landscape Architecture]] (MLA LArch)
* [[Divinity (academic discipline)|Divinity]] (DD or DMin)
* [[Divinity (academic discipline)|Divinity]] (DD or DMin)
* [[Fine Art]]s (MFA)
* [[Social Science]] (DSocSci)
* [[Social Science]] (DSocSci)
* [[Social Work]] (MSW, DSW or PhD)
* [[Social Work]] (MSW, DSW or PhD)

Revision as of 00:05, 10 August 2011

A terminal degree is, in some countries, the highest academic degree in a given field of study. This phrase is in common use in the United States, but is not universal in an international context: the concept is not in general use in the United Kingdom, for example, and the exact definition varies somewhat between those countries where the terminology is used.

An earned[1] academic (or research) doctorate such as a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) is considered the terminal degree in most academic fields of study in some countries. However, professional doctorates may be considered terminal degrees within the professional degree track even though they are prerequisites for research degrees. In addition, in some countries there are degrees which are more advanced than the Ph.D., such as the higher doctorates in the United Kingdom and Russia, and the habilitation degree awarded in Germany. Also, not all terminal degrees are doctorates. For instance, the terminal academic degree in the practice of the arts (as opposed to art theory or history) is usually the M.F.A. (Master of Fine Arts).

Research degrees

Main article: Doctor of Philosophy

In academic fields, the typical terminal degree is the Ph.D., although others also exist. The first phase of the Ph.D. consists of coursework in the student's field of study and requires one to three years to complete. This often is followed by a preliminary or comprehensive examination and/or a series of cumulative examinations where the emphasis is on breadth rather than depth of knowledge. Finally, another two to four years is usually required for the composition of a substantial and original contribution to human knowledge embodied in a written dissertation that in the social sciences and humanities is typically 250 to 450 pages in length. Dissertations generally consist of (i) a comprehensive literature review, (ii) an outline of methodology, and (iii) several chapters of scientific, social, historical, philosophical, or literary analysis. Typically, upon completion, the candidate undergoes an oral examination, sometimes public, by his or her supervisory committee with expertise in the given discipline.

Typical terminal academic research degrees

Professional degrees

Main article: First Professional degree

In some fields, especially those linked to a profession (such as medicine or law), 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 first professional degree is an academic degree designed to prepare the holder for a particular career or profession, fields where scholarly research and academic activity are not the work, but rather the practice of a profession. In many cases, the first professional degree is also the terminal degree because usually no further advanced degree is required for practice in that field even though more advanced academic degrees may exist.

Typical first professional

Advanced professional degrees

  • Education (MEd, MAT, MT)[2]
  • Landscape Architecture (MLA LArch)
  • Divinity (DD or DMin)
  • Social Science (DSocSci)
  • Social Work (MSW, DSW or PhD)
  • Medicine (MD, DM, DO) (advanced degree in countries that award a bachelor degree in medicine or surgery as first professional degree, usually awarded for outstanding research to a particular field of Medicine)
  • Dental Science (DDSc, Dr.Odont) (advanced degree in countries that award a bachelor degree in dental surgery as first professional degree, usually awarded for outstanding research to a particular field of Dentistry)
  • Surgery (MS, MSurg, MCh, ChM, or MChir) (Usually granted after completion of surgery training program in conjunction with a research thesis)
  • Dentistry (MDS, MSD, MDSc, or DClinDent) (these are usually granted at the culmination of a specialty training program in dentistry in those programs that also require research and a thesis to be completed)
  • Engineering (MEng, MASc, MMSc, PD [3])
  • Ministry (MTh, ThM, STM, STD, DThP, DPT, PrD, or DMin)
  • Worship Studies (DWS)
  • Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN: CRNA, NP, CNM, CNS) (DNP, DNAP, DNS, DNSc)
  • Science (MS, MSc) (also offered in medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy)
  • Psychology (PsyD)
  • Computer Science (Msc)[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Earned" in the sense that the degree is obtained through the completion of a program of study, as opposed to by receiving an honorary doctorate.
  2. ^ "MT :: Master of Teaching, CTL, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto". Oise.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
  3. ^ "CVN - Columbia Video Network". Cvn.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
  4. ^ "CVN - Columbia Video Network". Cvn.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
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