Whether in art, science, engineering or another field, a research degree may or may not be terminal. In most fields, a doctorate is the terminal degree. In some cases, such as Master of Fine Arts, a master's degree is terminal because it's the highest degree offered. Neither research degrees nor terminal degrees are mutually exclusive. In other words, a research degree may or may not be a terminal degree, and a terminal degree may or may not be a research degree.
In some cases, it is not clear whether a degree is terminal, since similar degrees are used for multiple purposes. For example, a master's degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is a terminal degree for teachers, but for those on the road to a Ph.D. and a job in TESOL research, the master's is only a stepping stone and not a terminal degree.
Research degrees tend to involve research, theory, critique or other heavy academic work. Doctorate degrees are often research degrees. A research doctorate often takes four to seven years to finish and ends in a thesis which adds to the existing body of knowledge on a subject and which may require peer-review. A master's research degree often takes two years to complete and also ends in a (much shorter) thesis presenting novel research.
Research degrees differ from professional degrees. Although both research and professional degrees may be terminal degrees, professional degrees generally prepare students for a specific career, such as, law, education, journalism, medicine, nursing, social work, or business administration. Terminal professional degrees include: a Doctor of Law, Doctor of Medicine, or a Master of Fine Arts.
Increasingly, professional degrees are graduate degrees, but in some cases, they can be bachelor's degrees. Professional degrees emphasize skills rather than research and often lead to careers which require a license. Professional master's degrees can take as little as a year (hospitality) or as much as three and a half years (architecture) to complete.