Professional degrees

 Some American institutions list the MD and DO degrees as terminal degrees, in addition to being professional degrees because most American Universities don't offer any higher degrees in medicine other than the basic entry level medical degree (MD or DO) . However, the European Research Council does not recognize that the MD (or any other first professional degrees) is the "terminal" (most advanced) degree in Medicine in the US (see http://erc.europa.eu/pdf/phd-and-equivalent-doctoral-degrees-the-erc-policy_en.pdf). Similarly, the US Department of Education states that the MD is a "first professional degree", not a "terminal" degree in this field. In order to be eligible to apply for an MD degree from a UK or Commonwealth University one must hold either an MBBS, MBChB, or an equivalent US-MD degree and have at least 5 years of postgraduate experience (and successfully complete a dissertation and/or have several peer-review publications to be awarded the MD). Other advanced degrees in medicine include the Master of Surgery degree and the Master of Medicine degree.

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. First professional degrees
  * Accountant (BAcy, MAcc, MAcy, MSAcy)
    * Acupuncturist (M.Ac., MSOM)
    * Architect (Dip.Arch, B.Arch, M.Arch)
    * Audiologist (BSc, AuD, or MS)
    * Biotechnologist (BSc, BS, or ALM)
    * Chiropractor (DC, DCM, BChiro, or MChiro)
    * Dental Hygienist (BSDH, BSc, BOH, RDH)
    * Dentist (DMD, BDent, DDS, BDS, BDSc, BChD, CD, Cand.Odont., Dr.Med.Dent. etc)
    * Educator (BA, BEd, BME, BSE, BSocSc, BSc)
    * Engineer (registered) (BASET BE, BEng, BSE, BSET, BScEng, BASc, or BAI, MEng)
    * Forester (BSF, MF)
    * Health administrator (MHA, MPH)
    * Information scientist (MSIS, MSIM)
    * Lawyer (LLB, JD)
    * Landscape architect (BLA LArch), (MLA LArch)
    * Librarian (MLIS, MLS)
    * Naprapath (DN)
    * Naturopath (ND, NMD, BSc, BHSc, BNat)
    * Nurse (BSN, BNurs, BScN, BSc, MN [1])
    * Nurse anesthetist (MSN or DNAP)
    * Nurse Practitioner (MSN or DNP)
    * Nurse Midwife (MSN or DNP)
    * Occupational Therapist (MSOT, MAOT, MOT, OTD, Dr.OT)
    * Optometrist (OD, B.Optom)
    * Osteopath (BOst, BOstMed, BSc(Osteo))
    * Pharmacist (D.Pharm., B.Pharm., BSc-Pharm.Sci.,PharmD)
    * Physical therapist (BSc, BSPT, MSPT, DPT, or DPhysio)
    * Physician or Surgeon: (MBBS, MBChB, MBChB, BMed, Dr.med, Dr.MuD, MD, MDCM, Cand.med, DO, etc)
    * Podiatrist (DPM, DP, BPod, PodB, or PodD)
    * Public Health (MPH, MSPH)
    * Public Policy and Public Administration (MPP, MPA, MPAff)
    * Practitioner of oriental medicine (BSc, MSOM, MSTOM, or DOM)
    * Respiratory Therapy (BSRC, CRT, RRT)
    * Social worker (BA, BSc, BSW, MA, MSc)
    * Urban planner (BCD(Hon), BPL, BURPl, MUP, MCP, MRP, MTP, MPlan, MUEP, MPl, MES, MSUP)
    * Veterinarian (DVM, VMD, BVS, BVSc, BVMS, etc.)

A first professional degree is generally required by law or regulation to practice the profession without limitation, but is not necessarily sufficient to enter that profession. An advanced professional degree provides further training in a specialized area of the profession. Below are some examples of advanced professional degrees.
First professional degree

A first professional degree is an academic degree that prepares the holder for a particular profession by emphasizing competency skills along with theory and analysis. These professions are typically licensed or otherwise regulated by a governmental or government-approved body. Areas such as nursing, clinical laboratory science, architecture, law, public policy, medicine, osteopathic medicine, chiropractic, engineering, dentistry, psychology, accounting, podiatry, audiology, speech-language pathology, physical therapy, optometry, radiography, pharmacy, social work, or education, among others, often require such degrees for licensing. Professional degrees, often taken as a candidate's second degree after an undergraduate degree in an academic subject, are especially important in the United States. In the United States, many professional degrees are combined with graduate degrees, and some students undertake professional studies after graduate studies (master/doctorate). In some other countries, such as the United Kingdom, the study of vocational subjects at undergraduate level, and post-graduate qualifications outside the academic degree structure, also play a large role in professional training.Advanced professional degrees
Advanced professional degrees
  * Architecture (D. Arch)
    * Agriculture(M.Sc (Ag))
    * 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)
    * Dentistry (MS, MSc, MDS, MDSc, MSD, MDent, MMSc, DMSc, 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)
    * Divinity (DD, DMin, DPT, STD, DBS)
    * Education (MPS)
    * Engineering (MEng, EngD,MASc, PD [9])
    * Health Science (DHSc)
    * Law (JSD or SJD)
    * Medicine (MD, DO, DM, Dr.med.) (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; otherwise most advanced medical degree in the United States)
    * Ministry (MTh, ThM, STM, STD, DThP, DPT, PrD, DMin or DBS)
    * Nursing (CNS, CRNA, DNP, MSN)
    * Pharmacy (M.Pharm)
    * Public Health (DrPH)
    * Psychology (PsyD, MSc, MPs, DPs)
    * Science (MS, MSc) (also offered in medicine, dentistry,Agriculture and pharmacy)
    * Social Science (DSocSci, MASP)
    * Surgery (MS, MSurg, MCh, ChM, or MChir) (Usually granted after completion of surgery training program in conjunction with a research thesis)