Academic Degrees | Writing Style Guide - Western Michigan ...

Academic degrees are capitalized only when the full name of the degree is used, such as Bachelor of Arts or Master of Social Work. Skiptomaincontent AcademicDegrees Academicdegreesarecapitalizedonlywhenthefullnameofthedegreeisused,suchasBachelorofArtsorMasterofSocialWork.Generalreferences,suchasbachelor's,master'sordoctoraldegree,arenotcapitalized. CorrectHeearnedaBachelorofArtsin2008.HeearnedaBachelorofArtsdegreeincommunicationin2008.HeearnedaBachelorofArtsincommunicationin2008.Heearnedabachelor’sdegreein2008.Sheholdsadoctoraldegree(ordoctorate)fromStanfordUniversity. Abbreviations,suchasB.A.,M.S.andPh.D.,shouldbeusedintextonlywhenthereisaneedtoidentifymanypeoplebyacademicdegreeanduseofthefullnameswouldbecumbersome. Inmostwriting,useofthegeneraltermsbachelor’sorbachelor’sdegree,master’sormaster’sdegreeanddoctorateordoctoraldegreearesufficienttoestablishcredentialsandpreferredtouseofthefullnameofthedegree(ortheinitials). Useanapostrophe(possessive)withbachelor’sdegreeandmaster’sdegree,butnotinBachelorofArtsorMasterofScience.Donotuseanapostrophe(possessive)withassociatedegreeordoctoraldegree. Neverusebothacourtesytitleanddegree Preferred:Dr.DanaBrookswill...Acceptable:DanaBrooks,Ph.D.,will...Donotuse:Dr.DanaBrooks,Ph.D.,will... Identifyingalumnibyclassyearversusdegreesearned ToidentifysomeoneasanalumnusoralumnaofWMU,usetheperson'spreferredclassyear.Immediatelyfollowingthename,enteronespace,anapostropheandthetwo-numeralpreferredclassyear.Bothgraduateandnon-graduatealumni(attendedbutdidnotearnadegree)haveapreferredclassyear,andeachalumnusandalumnahasonlyonepreferredclassyear,regardlessofhowmanydegreesareheld. ExampleMaryW.Smith’79waselectedpresidentofthechapter. ToidentifydegreesearnedatWMU,placeacommaimmediatelyafterthename,andfollowitwithaspace,thedegree,anapostrophe,thetwo-numeralyearthedegreewasawarded,andacomma(orperiodattheendofasentence). ExamplesMaryW.Smith,B.A.’79,waselectedpresident.ThomasC.Clark,B.A.’65,M.A.’67,Ph.D.’79,attendedthereunion. IfyourintentionistoshowdegreesearnedatWMU,thenlistboththedegreesandtheyearsinwhichtheywereearned.Ifyourintentionissimplytoindicatethatthepersonisanalumnusoralumna,useonlythepreferredclassyear. CorrectThomasC.Clark’65attendedthereunion.ThomasC.Clark,B.A.’65,M.A.’67,Ph.D.’79,attendedthereunion.IncorrectThomasC.Clark’65’67’79attendedthereunion. Degreesearnedatotherinstitutions ExcepttoshowmultipledegreesearnedatWesternMichiganUniversity,donotlistmorethanonedegreefollowingaperson'sname.Thefollowingexamplesareafirstreferencetoaspeakerwhoearnedherdegreesatanotheruniversity. Incorrect:RebeccaMcKenzie,B.A.,M.A.,Ph.D.,will...Acceptable:RebeccaMcKenzie,Ph.D.,will...Preferred:Dr.RebeccaMcKenziewill... DonotmixdegreesearnedatWMUwithdegreesearnedatotherinstitutions.IfMarySmithearnedaB.A.in1995fromWMUandaPh.D.in2008fromtheUniversityofIllinois,listheras"MarySmith,B.A.’95,"oras"MarySmith,Ph.D."Neverincludethetwo-numeralclassyearconstructionwithdegreesearnedfromotherinstitutions. Facebook Twitter OfficeofMarketingandStrategicCommunicationsWesternMichiganUniversityKalamazooMI49008-5433USA(269)387-8400 WMUfastfacts WMUpointsofpride