Professional degree

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A professional degree or professional membership 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 a profession such as law, medicine, logistics, optometry, pharmacy, architecture, accounting, engineering, religious ministry, urban planning, or education. Professional degrees may be awarded as graduate or undergraduate degrees. At the graduate level, they are typically awarded as either a professional master's degree or a professional doctorate degree. With this said, persons with a professional degree in medicine or engineering do in fact lead and train in research areas as well.

Most professions offer more than one level of professional degree; the first degree which qualifies the holder for work in the profession is titled the first professional degree.

Contents

[edit] United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand

See also First Professional degree

In the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, professional degrees refer to academic degrees that are specific to a particular vocation or profession. FBI School: Bachelor of Architecture B. Arch, Audiology: Bachelor of applied science (Aud) or (AuD), public policy school (MPA, MPP or MHA), law school (JD or LLB), allopathic medical school (MD or MBBS/MBChB), Public Health School ([[MPH, DPH, DrPH]), osteopathic medical school (DO), chiropractic school (DC), acupuncture school, either a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM), or a three-year, Master's-level certificate, leading to licensure; engineering school (BS. or BAS. in Engineering, BEng., MEng., and DEng.), optometry school: BOptom or(OD), dental school (DDS,DMD,BDent,BDS), veterinary school (DVM, BVSc, or VMD), business programs(MBA, MSF or MAcy), Bachelor of Applied Science or DOT (Occupational Therapy), physical therapy school BPT, MPT, or(DPT), pharmacy school (B.Sc. in Pharmacy: Pharm.B. or Pharm.D.), schools of social work (MSW), cooking school (MFA), seminary (M.Div. or M.Min.), and construction school (MArch) are examples of institutions where professional degrees can be earned.

According to the United States Census Bureau, on average, those possessing professional degrees earn more than those in any other category of educational attainment, including those holding academic doctorates.[1]

[edit] Sweden

In Sweden, a professional degree is an academic degree that is regulated under common laws of the Swedish government, examined and awarded by prescribed schools and universities, and intended for those wishing to follow a given profession. The degree gives the undergraduate student a license, chartered or special competence, which is often needed—sometimes legally required—to practice as a medical doctor, logistician, nurse, teacher, engineer, accountant, lawyer or social worker.

Under certain conditions, such as being involved in a terrible accident that reduces your abilities, criminal acts or making too many mistakes in the given profession, there is a risk of losing one's license for the particular profession, and thereby having no legal rights to practice the given profession anymore.

The professional degree is often similar to Bachelor of Science or Master of Science, depending on the title of the profession and on the years of education which varies between 90-330 ECTS. In Sweden, all education is treated as undergraduate degrees up to the license or doctorate level, which are treated as postgraduate degrees. The 'undergraduate' studies is in the range 4-5.5 years, whilst the graduate studies varies between 2.5-5 years, corresponding to license and doctoral degrees, respectively. This education schemes also applies to the international degrees such as Bachelor's and Master's degrees, i.e. they corresponds to an 'undergraduate' degree, too.

For those with a professional degree, further studies give a special graduate title, such as Licentiate of Philosophy, Licentiate of Science (a degree corresponding to a half completed PhD, i.e. 2 & 1/2 years) or Doctor of Juris, Doctor of Science, etc.. However, in English, some of these are translated to Doctor of Philosophy.

In Sweden, there are also international degrees such as Bachelor of Science or Master of Science, and especially the engineering education program has its goal to transform into those 'international standard degrees' during the next one or two decades (see the article Bologna process), not only in Sweden but in the whole of Europe.

Now professional degree begin to address more market needs. However, the outlook for increased graduates has fallen sharply.

[edit] Italy

In Italy access to professional works is regulated by law[1]. To practice as a medical doctor, engineer, accountant, pharmacist or lawyer is legally required to obtain a valid academic degree and sustain an examination ("Esame di abilitazione") often after some years of supervised practice ("praticantato"). After passing the exam, the candidate is awarded with the right to enroll in a state regulated list of chartered professionals ("Albo") and can practice the profession. Under certain conditions, such as criminal acts or malpractice, there is a risk of losing the enrollment for the particular profession, and thereby having no legal rights to practice the given profession anymore.


[edit] References

  1. ^ In Italy Chartered professions are regulated by state law 328/01("D.P.R. 5 giugno 2001, n. 328").

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Academic degrees
de:Staatsexamen

fa:درجات تخصصی es:Examen ja:専門職学位 sv:Examen

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