Academic Vs Professional?
Q: I really don't understand the distinction between an
academic degree program and a professional degree program.
As far as I'm concerned, my MBA from Northwestern is an
academic degree.
A:The academic degrees usually have a research and thesis requirement.
Possibly a big comprehensive exam, oral or written, to be passed. The
professional degrees are just awarded for completion of course work.
This might be true, descriptively, at the graduate level, but I
don't think it's where the distinction lies. For example,
academic *Bachelor's* degrees are usually awarded just for
completion of course work.
I view a professional degree as certification of training
to do a particular task. It might be an intellectually *demanding*
task, like that of a medical doctor (well, in some specialties anyway),
but it's specific, well-defined, and practical. An academic degree,
in contrast, should prepare you to extend the reach of knowledge.
It's a fuzzy distinction, but not a meaningless one.