Professional studies is a term used to classify academic programs that are either applied and interdisciplinary, or training for a profession.

As an interdisciplinary program, professional studies leads to a Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS), Master of Professional Studies (MPS), or Doctor of Professional Studies (DPS). A BPS is similar to a Bachelor of General Studies with a greater emphasis on practical and technical training (and a corresponding lower emphasis on liberal arts), and therefore of greater interest to mid-career students. MPS degrees are usually course-based with a report or project component rather than a research thesis.^[1] The US National Science Foundation considers a DPS to be equivalent to a PhD.^[2]

As professional training, professional studies is the activity practised in a first-professional degree or certification program. Professional studies usually combines theory and practice-based professional learning, focusing on a body of knowledge that is more strictly-delineated and canonical than non-professional studies. Students are trained to ensure expected standards and adequate service delivery in the practise of a profession.^[3]

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