In some fields, especially those linked to a profession (e.g. medicine, dentistry, law, architecture, pharmacy, social work, religious ministry, engineering, accounting, education, forestry, etc.), a distinction is to be drawn between a first professional degree, an advanced professional degree, and a terminal academic degree:
A first professional degree is generally required by law or custom to practice the profession without limitation.
An advanced professional degree provides further training in a specialized area of the profession.
The American DDS and the British BDS are both equivalent prerequisite dental degrees for the MS, MSD, MDSc, etc. (Master of Science) degrees in Dentistry which is a requisite for the Ph.D. in this field.
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-pol...). 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, D.Arch)
Audiologist (BSc, AuD, or MS)
Biotechnologist (BSc, BS, or ALM)
Chiropractor (DC, BChiro, or MChiro)
Clergy (MDiv)
Clinical laboratory scientist
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)
Marriage and Family Therapist (MSC, MAP)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Naprapath (DN)
Naturopath (ND, NMD, BSc, BHSc, BNat)
Nurse (BSN, BNurs, BScN, BSc, MN)
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 (DO, 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.MuD, MD, MDCM, DO, etc.)
Physician Assistant: (MS, MPAS, MPS)
Podiatrist (DPM, DP, BPod, PodB, or PodD)
Professional aviator (professional pilot) (BS)
Public Health (MPH, MSPH)
Public Policy and Public Administration (MPP, MPA, MPAff)
Practitioner of oriental medicine (BSc, MSOM, MSTOM, or DOM)
Radiographer (BSc,MSc,PhD)
Respiratory Therapy (BSRC, CRT, RRT)
Social worker (BA, BSc, BSW, MA, MSc, DSW)
Speech-Language Pathologist (Master of Science or Master of Arts, CCC-SLP)
Urban planner (BCD(Hon), BPL, BURPl, MUP, MCP, MRP, MTP, MPlan, MUEP, MPl, MES, MSUP)
Veterinarian (DVM, VMD, BVS, BVSc, BVMS, etc.)