Key Takeaways
- A professional degree an advanced credential prepares students for specific careers that usually require licensure or certification.
- Common examples of professional degrees include juris doctor (JD), doctor of medicine (MD) doctor of pharmacy (PharmD), and doctor of dental surgery (DDS).
- A major change to how the federal government classifies and funds professional degrees goes into effect July 1 2026.
Students in medicine or law encounter the term professional degree early – and often.
But what does it mean, and how will professional degree changes impact those working toward one?
This blog details everything you need to know.
What Is a Professional Degree?
Professional degrees prepare students for specific careers that typically require licensure or certification.
These graduate-level programs build real-world skills and knowledge through hands-on coursework such as:
- Labs
- Seminars
- Clinical work
They also entail training through internships or supervised practice.
Institutions design the curriculum to ensure you can meet a profession’s industry and regulatory requirements upon graduation.
Professional Degree Examples
Careers that require a professional degree include:
- Lawyer: Juris Doctor (JD)
- Physician: Doctor of Medicine (MD)
- Pharmacist: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
- Dentist: Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)
- Veterinarian: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
- Optometrist: Doctor of Optometry (OD)
- Clinical Psychologist: Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Professional Degree vs. Master’s Degree vs. Doctoral Degree
After completing your undergraduate education, you can earn one of three degrees:
- Professional
- Master’s or
- Doctoral
You obtain graduate-level credentials with each, but the type of degree differs.
The master’s and doctoral options qualify as academic degrees, which:
- Emphasize research and theory and may require a thesis or dissertation
- Open a wide range of roles across academic and professional disciplines
- Offer a more flexible program structure with fully online or part-time options
It takes between two and seven years to finish a master’s or doctoral program, depending on which you pursue.
Why Do Students Pursue a Professional Degree?
Outside of needing a professional degree to meet industry and state requirements, students choose these careers because they:
- Provide steady demand lowering your risk of losing your job
- Make a direct impact allowing you to improve lives through your work
- Offer competitive salaries ensuring your financial stability
Research indicates choosing a career that aligns with your personal interests and reality leads to greater job satisfaction.
The jobs people rank as the best encompass these attributes, year after year.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Professional Degree?
Students pursuing a career that requires a professional degree spend around seven to 10 years in college.
A typical path includes:
- Four years to complete your undergraduate education
- Two to four years in a program
- Post-graduate training which can take one to three years
The length of your schooling will vary by field. For example, the timeline to become a doctor involves:
- Undergraduate education: Four years
- Medical school: Four years
- Residency: Three to seven years depending on your specialty
- Optional fellowship: One to three years
By contrast, you can start practicing as an attorney in about half that time. Educational requirements entail four years to earn a bachelor’s degree and three years in law school.
What Does a Professional Degree Cost?
Tuition and fees for most professional degree programs cost $35,000-$60,000 per year, depending on what career you pursue and the institution you attend.
That does not factor in your undergraduate education or other expenses such as:
- Rent
- Groceries
- Transportation
- Books
You can lower the cost of your professional degree through:
- Online prerequisites: Accredited institutions such as Portage Learning offer self-directed college courses that give you an opportunity to earn credit on your schedule — at a lower price point. Courses remain significantly less than the average four-year public university charges in-state residents and include all text and video materials needed.
- Grants: Do not need to be repaid unless you withdraw from school or fail to complete an obligation of the award.
- Work-study: Allows you to earn money to pay for college by working part time.
- Scholarships: Awards funded by nonprofit and private organizations based on factors such as academic merit talent or field of study.
Professional Degree Changes (2026)
Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) last summer, which introduced significant changes to the federal student financial aid process, with most provisions set to take effect on July 1, 2026.
According to Brookings, a nonpartisan research center, the impact of this law falls most heavily on higher-cost master’s and professional degree programs, particularly in health-related fields.
Under OBBBA, you may take out up to $50,000 in unsubsidized loans annually, $29,500 more than previously allowed. However, the new law eliminated the Direct PLUS loan program, which let students borrow up to their full cost of attendance.
OBBBA also increased the aggregate loan limit from $138,500 to $200,000. This encompasses all of your subsidized and unsubsidized aid. If you reach that cap, you can’t receive additional loans.
You may again apply for assistance once you pay back the amount owed, in full or in part, but the new law limits how much you can take out over your lifetime.
Previously, students could borrow as much as needed. Now, they will be capped at $257,500, including subsidized and unsubsidized loans, regardless of grade level.
Around the same time, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) redefined what degrees it considers to be professional. The following 11 qualify:
- Pharmacy (PharmD)
- Dentistry (DDS or DMD)
- Veterinary medicine (DVM)
- Chiropractic (DC or DCM)
- Law (JD or LLB)
- Medicine (MD)
- Optometry (OD)
- Osteopathic medicine (DO)
- Podiatry (DPM, DP or PodD)
- Theology (MDiv or MHL)
- Clinical Psychology (PsyD or PhD)
Historically, federal guidelines treated a wider range of degrees as professional, including:
- Ministry (DMin)
- Nursing (MSN, DNP or PhD)
- Social work (MSW or DSW)
- Audiology (AuD)
- Physician assistant (MPAS, MSPAS, MMS or MS)
- Occupational therapy (MOT or OTD)
- Physical therapy (DPT)
- Public health (MPH)
- Accounting (MAcc or MSA)
- Architecture (MArch)
- Education (MA, MS, MAT, MEd)
- Special education (MEd or MSEd)
As a result, students in these fields now face lower borrowing limits under OBBBA.
According to the new law, they may take out $20,500 annually in unsubsidized loans, with an aggregate limit of $100,000. Prior to OBBBA, that cap stood at $138,500.
The elimination of the Direct PLUS Loan program and lifetime loan limits also apply.
Why Is Nursing Not a Professional Degree?
Following the new law and DOE classifications, professional organizations such as the American Nurses Association urged federal officials to reverse their designation, arguing it will:
- Make it more difficult for nurses to fund their education
- Discourage people from entering the field or pursuing more advanced roles
- Increase the price of tuition
ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, who holds a doctorate in nursing among other degrees, said in a statement: “Excluding nursing from the professional degree category has the potential to put patient care at risk, especially in areas where nurses are the only healthcare providers in their communities.”
The DOE argues otherwise, pointing to data that suggests 95 percent of nursing students borrow below the annual loan limit. In a press release, federal officials noted 80 percent of the workforce doesn’t hold a graduate degree.
Dr. Scott Copley, assistant dean for recruitment and enrollment management at Duquesne University’s School of Nursing, believes it could be harder to secure federal funding but notes only time can reveal the actual ramifications.
“I’ve always believed that if you want to do it, you’ll find a way,” he emphasized on the Between Tides podcast. “I think schools are also stepping up a bit more to give better scholarships to students, trying to make up that difference.”
Choosing the Right Professional Degree for You
On day one, students studying medicine or law learn the term professional degree.
But you should understand more than the definition.
Instead, consider what it would mean for you to pursue a career that requires one.
Can you commit to:
- Years of focused study and hands-on training
- A willingness to learn long after graduation
- The financial investment that comes before a high-paying salary
- A life that deeply intertwines your work and your identity
- The reality that your relationships and personal time will take a back seat especially early on
Because the ideal professional degree offers more than prestige and high earning potential. It’s the one that best suits your goals, future, and life.
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