美国第一职业学位的发展及其启示

The Development of First Professional Degree and Its Inspirations for China

美国第一职业学位是一种特殊的高层次职业学位,它是为进入某一特定专业领域而设立的一种学位制度,专业技能水平要求高于一般学士学位,起点与硕士相同,终点接近博士;其领域涵盖医学、法律、神学等,具有职业性、后续性、实践性等特征。第一职业学位的产生与发展,丰富了美国高等教育学位体系,对美国高等教育以及经济社会发展起了重要作用;其对我国专业学位与职业资格的衔接、设置独立的职业学位和发展应用型专业博士学位等方面也有一定的借鉴意义。

The First Professional Degree is a special American high-level professional degree. It signifies both the completion of the academic requirements for beginning practice in a given profession and a level of professional skill beyond that normally required for a bachelor＇s degree. Now, such degrees with a professional, extendable and practical nature are awarded in the fields of medicine, law, theological professions, etc. The existence and development of the first professional degree not only have an important effect on American higher education but are also significant to social progress and development in America. This type of degree also provides inspirations for China in its efforts to integrate professional degree education and professional qualification, to establish independent professional degree programs and to develop doctoral training in various professional fields.