Professional Degrees and Postdoctoral Research Programs

Professional Degrees and Postdoctoral Research Programs

Professional Degrees and Postdoctoral Research Programs

First-professional degrees represent a category of qualifications in professional subject areas that require students to have previously completed specified undergraduate coursework and/or degrees before enrolling.  They are considered graduate-level programs in the U.S. system because the follow prior undergraduate studies, but they are in fact first degrees in these professional subjects.  Holders of first-professional degrees are considered to have an entry-level qualification and may undertake graduate study in these professional fields following the award of the first-professional degree.  Several of these degrees use the term “doctor” in the title, but these degrees do not contain an independent research component or require a dissertation (thesis) and should not be confused with PhD degrees or other research doctorates.

A first-professional degree is an award that requires completion of a program that meets all of the following criteria: (1) completion of the academic requirements to begin practice in the profession; (2) at least 2 years of college work prior to entering the program; and (3) a total of at least 6 academic years of college work to complete the degree program, including prior required college work plus the length of the professional program itself.

All first-professional degree programs are closely regulated by recognized professional and specialized accrediting agencies.  See Accreditation and Quality Assurance.

FIRST-PROFESSIONAL DEGREE TITLES

First-professional degrees may be awarded in the following 10 fields:

Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.)

Doctor of Dental Science (D.D.S.) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.)

Doctor of Jurisprudence or Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)

Doctor of Optometry (O.D.)

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy (D.O.)

Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

Doctor of Podiatric Medicine/Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.)

Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Hebrew Letters (M.H.L.) or Rabbinical Ordination (Rav)

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.).

For graduate-level research degrees in these fields, consult the degree lists under

Structure of the U.S. Education System:

Intermediate Graduate Qualifications

The U.S. higher education system awards several qualifications that represent studies and research beyond the master’s degree but that are not the equivalent of a research doctorate.  Most of these qualifications are in professional fields of study and represent a level of education corresponding to advanced professional standing.

Regulations governing these intermediate graduate qualifications are the responsibility of the institution offering the program and the appropriate professional and accrediting authorities.

FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED INTERMEDIATE GRADUATE TITLES

NOTE: This is only a partial list of such titles for informational purposes, not an exhaustive or official list.

 

Certificates

Advanced Certificate (A.C.)/Advanced Graduate Certificate (A.G.C.)/Advanced Graduate

Specialist Certificate (A.G.S.C.)/Certificate of Advanced Studies (C.A.S.)/Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (C.A.G.S.)

Certificate of Advanced Study in Business (C.A.S.B.)/Certificate of Advanced Management

Studies (C.A.M.S.)

Certificate of Advanced Professional Studies (C.A.P.S.)

Specialist Certificate in Gerontology (S.C.G.)

Specialist in Psychology (Psy.S.)

Specialist in Library Science (S.L.S.)

Specialist in Counseling (Sp.C.)

Specialist in Public Administration (S.P.A.)

Specialist in School Administration (S.S.A.)

Specialist in School Psychology (S.S.P.)

Diplomas

Artist’s Diploma (A.D.)

Professional Engineer (P.E.)

          Chemical Engineer (Ch.E.)

Civil Engineer (C.E.)

          Electrical Engineer (E.E.)

Graduate Diploma in Management (G.D.M.)

Graduate Diploma in Public Administration (G.D.P.A.)

Graduate Diploma in Taxation (G.D.T.)

Graduate Performance Diploma (G.P.D.) [performing arts]

Professional Diploma (P.D.)

Degrees

Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D/D.Psy.)*

Education Specialist (Ed.S./Sp.Ed.)

Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.)

*A newly proposed degree for clinical, school and counseling psychologists intending to enter professional practice rather than conduct research.

Structure of the U.S. Education System:

Postdoctoral Research Programs and Academic Tenure

There is no research degree awarded in the U.S. higher education system following the PhD or equivalent degree.  Advanced research programs do exist, however, in both the area of pure research and in the professional process by which academic faculty advance in their careers.  

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS

An established system of postdoctoral research studies, commonly called “postdocs,” exists in most of the natural science, biomedical science, and applied science disciplines.  The pursuit of postdoctoral research studies is voluntary but frequently expected as a way for new PhD holders to further establish their research credentials, participate in major professional research projects, and gain valuable experience managing major research programs and working on research teams.

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering provides information and links to NSF studies of postdoctoral programs and participants.

Postdoctoral Education is the Association of American Universities’ links to information and data on postdoctoral studies.

PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIC FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

Academic faculty in U.S. higher education institutions typically advance through four levels en route to the status of full professor.  The instructor and assistant professor levels are frequently tenure-track positions during which the faculty member is expected to prepare a body of published research and related accomplishments to present before a faculty review board in his or her discipline.   If the review is successful, the assistant professor is recommended to be awarded tenure, which is usually a lifetime appointment at the beginning rank of associate professor.  Tenured associate professors may subsequently advance to full professor status and may chair academic committees, supervise doctoral dissertations, and hold teaching and research chairs.  The tenure system has undergone restructuring in recent years and some institutions have abandoned it entirely, but it remains the prevailing  process for developing academic faculty in U.S. higher education.

National Survey of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF) is a comprehensive statistical analysis of faculty at U.S. postsecondary institutions.

ACE Online Information: Faculty provides links to important data sources and information relating to the current status of faculty and tenure policy in the United States.

AAUP Resources on Tenure provides information on tenure from the American Association of University Professors.