A terminal degree is the highest level of education that can be obtained while attending school for a specific subject. This is a term commonly used in American post-secondary education to describe the highest level of education most people will achieve in a subject, though it is not always the highest form of degree that students in other subjects may pursue. Although advanced degrees beyond that level exist, the term can also be applied to professional degrees that some people will obtain in order to obtain a specific type of employment. As a result, a terminal degree can refer to the highest degree that can be earned or the highest degree that most professionals will earn in order to work in their field.
A terminal degree is the highest level of degree that can be obtained through university or college study in most fields of study. In many fields, this is referred to as a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD), and it is earned only after years of study and research. A bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in a field related to the subject in which a person receives a PhD, for example, are typically required for work on a PhD.
This means that, as a terminal degree, a PhD typically requires at least four years of work for a bachelor’s degree, two or three years for a master’s degree, and another two to six years for the PhD. However, in some fields, the terminal degree may be one of the “lesser” degrees earned while working on a PhD. A Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is usually considered the highest level degree that can be earned in subjects such as writing in the performing and fine arts.
A terminal degree can also be a professional degree at which someone will likely stop while pursuing the education required to work in a specific field. For example, while a master’s degree in education is possible, most teachers only need a bachelor’s degree to teach. As a result, many students interested in becoming teachers consider a bachelor’s degree to be a terminal degree in that field. Higher-level degrees are available but not always required for employment in a relevant field, so this degree is often referred to as a first professional degree.