Terminal degree

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A terminal degree is the highest-level university degree that can be achieved and awarded in an academic discipline or professional field. The term terminal degree is also used to refer to a degree that is awarded because a doctoral-level degree is not available or appropriate. The two main types of terminal degrees are academic or professional. An academic doctorate, such as the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), is a terminal degree for expanding human knowledge through research and dissertation defense. A professional doctorate is a terminal degree for licensure in an occupation, such as the Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Juris Doctor (JD), and Doctor of Engineering (EngD). The phrase "terminal degree" is used heavily in the United States but is less used in other countries. The term is not generally used in the United Kingdom or Canada, for example, and its exact meaning varies somewhat between those areas and disciplines in which the term is used . In some countries, there are degrees that are more advanced than the PhD, such as the higher doctorates in the United Kingdom and Russia and the habilitation degree awarded in Germany and Austria. Not all terminal degrees are doctorates. For example, in professional practice fields, there are often terminal master-level degrees, some of which are called doctorates, e.g., MEng (Master of Engineering), MLArch, standing for Master Landscape Architect, or BEng for Engineers, MB (Bachelor of Medicine, which is used in the UK). Architecture was a discipline where the M.Arch was considered terminal as a professionally oriented degree, but a Doctor of Architecture (D.Arch) that is recognized by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) establishes the doctoral level as the highest level of "professional degree" in architecture in the United States. For the same discipline of Architecture, the "Laurea di...