What is a "terminal degree in the discipline??"

All:

I have been sorting through foreign degree programs (specifically South African) and for my purposes I am down to a PhD in accounting from UNISA or a PhD in Business Administration (with a concentration/dissertation in accounting) from Free State.

I would only be pursuing this degree to help my department for regional accreditation purposes. Therefore, my question is primarily around "terminal degrees." I have been surprised at how little even accreditors know about specifics of the accreditation processes. In short, 25% of degree hours in a program have to be taught by someone with a "terminal degree in the discipline." The problem is, this isn't really defined anywhere.

I assume that both degrees would count for purposes of a "terminal degree in the discipline" of accounting, but wanted to see if anyone had any specific experience with regional accreditation.

Any ideas? Would there be any difference in these two degrees?

Thanks!!

 

A "terminal degree" is the highest degree that is (commonly) offered in a given discipline. In most fields, the "terminal degree" is the PhD or some other doctorate. However, there are some fields where the doctorate is rarely granted -- the highest (commonly issued) degree is a master's. In such cases, a master's can be a "terminal degree".

For example, doctoral degrees are uncommon in fine arts and architecture. So the MFA is commonly regarded as the "terminal degree" in art, and the MArch is commonly regarded as the "terminal degree" in architecture.

You typically need a "terminal degree" to become a tenured professor at a 4-year school. In most fields, this means a PhD or other doctorate. But in a field like art or architecture, a master's is usually enough, because the master's is considered the terminal degree.

I would think that any legitimate PhD would qualify as a "terminal degree" in the US.

 

Typically, but not always, if the field is not a scholarly one, the terminal degree is a practice-based one. While that was often a master's (like the MSW), even this is changing with the advent of professional doctorates (like the DSW).

This is one of the reasons why I'm so adamant about the distinctions between professional and academic doctorates. Non-scholarly fields will be, more and more, topped off by professional doctorates (not the Ph.D.) rather than master's degrees.

Fine Arts: Doctorate in Fine Arts at The Finnish Academy of Fine Arts | Art & Education
Architecture: archawai‘i | university of hawai‘i at m?noa
Social Work: University of Tennessee | College of Social Work | Doctor of Social Work (D.S.W.) in Clinical Practice and Leadership

Of course, we're also seeing Ph.D.s awarded in fields like these, despite the typically scholarly nature of the Ph.D. The rules aren't hard-and-fast, just guidelines.

 

I agree that this is the long-term trend. So in the future, it's possible that doctoral degrees will be routinely issued as the highest degrees in every discipline.

If this does happen, then the phrase "terminal degree" will become unnecessary. If you wanted to refer to the highest degree, you could say "the doctorate", and that would be valid for any discipline.

 

Discipline

All:

Thanks for the replies. My primary question is around "discipline." How do you know your PhD is "in the discipline" and how is it justified to accreditors?

For example, a PhD in business administration (research) only does an accounting thesis- terminal in accounting? Does it require any justification in the accreditation report?

PhD in accounting does an accounting thesis- terminal in accounting? Does it require any justification?

PhD in business administration does a thesis on the history of accounting education. Terminal in accounting?

PhD in history does a thesis on the history of the IRS. Terminal in accounting? Terminal in history? Both? Neither?

I hope this helps expose some of the gray area I have encountered. In research only programs this seems even more important. How do we know a degree is terminal in a discipline, suitable to a regional accreditor?

thanks!

 

I can't give you a definitive answer. It's possible that no one, other than your specific regional accreditor, can give you a definitive answer.

But here's my guess anyway. The regional accreditors are not going to care about the exact subject of your thesis. They will just look to see if there is a reasonable match between your doctoral degree and your professorial position.

You are a Professor in the Business Dept. You have a PhD in Accounting. No problem.

You are a Professor in the Business Dept. You have a PhD in Business Administration. No problem.

You are a Professor in the History Dept. You have a PhD in History. No problem.

You are a Professor in the Business Dept. You have a PhD in History. OK, that one might raise questions. Your PhD is a terminal degree, but not in business, so it might not count as a terminal degree for purposes of the business program.

 

One problem here is that the same degree from the same school may be regarded as terminal by some gatekeepers and not by others. During my 9-year association with the Edinburgh Business School MBA, I surveyed 50 major US universities, to find out of this MBA would meet the requirement for admission to their PhD program. My recollection is about 2/3rds said yes, and 1/3 said that they regard ALL MBAs as terminal degrees, and therefore would require an MS in economics (etc.) to meet the PhD entry requirement.