The Ethical P (EP)-- Advising-- Professional Degrees

The Ethical P (EP)-- Advising-- Professional Degrees

So what is a professional degree in a grad school? Why is a professional degree called a terminal degree? These are important questions for several reasons. The most significant one is the matter of grades. In a grad school's masters program like history or English, a masters degree normally leads to the Ph. D. or at least the notion that you may want to get into the a doctoral program. Not usually so with a professional degree. Think medicine, law, and library science. These are degrees that lead into certain professional fields without assuming additional formal education, although more education is not discouraged and there are internships, clerkships, and other such. The point is that terminal degrees are simply that--higher degrees are not dependent upon the profesional degree. So there is truly no need to obsess over grades. Most people get a mix of A's and B's. When we admit students, we expect them to do well. Most people do very well or else they drop out. It is truly your choice, so get the most out of the experience and focus on what you want to learn to meet your goals. As a library director, I was often suspicious of someone who only had A's. Why? Because the profession is about initiative and creativity as much as about completing assignments. I looked for people who would take on a challenge or something unknown and be willing to make mistakes. Just give it some thought.