I should clarify that the M.S. is available in some departments as a terminal degree, or is awarded along the way towards a Ph.D. upon completion of coursework

I should clarify that the M.S. is available in some departments as a terminal degree, or is awarded along the way towards a Ph.D. upon completion of coursework and admission to candidacy (oral/written exams), as is the M.Phil. The main thing is knowing what the degree was awarded for at the end of the day, which may or may not matter to the degree holder or the employer. In my doctoral program in chemistry, the M.S. was "awarded" to Ph.D. candidates who did not pass orals and was referred to as "the booby prize." Having been admitted to candidacy and completing my doctorate, I have only a Ph.D. in chemistry and not a Master's of any kind. Having said all that, almost every M.S. I've seen during interviews over the past 20 years has been a terminal degree lacking a thesis - but I am a scientist, and I see mostly physics/chemistry/geology/mathematics resumes and not engineering or CS ones.