Capitalize an academic degree when it is given in full:

  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Bachelor of Science
  • Master of Social Work

Capitalize the major field within a school only if it is a word ordinarily capitalized:

  • Bachelor of Arts in history
  • Master of Arts in English

Omit periods in abbreviations of degrees:

  • BA
  • MS
  • PhD
  • MBA

Lowercase informal references to degrees:

  • associate’s degree
  • bachelor’s degree
  • master’s degree
  • doctoral degree

Note: The following are examples of common mistakes and are incorrect:

  • Bachelor’s of Science—It should not be possessive.
  • Bachelor of Arts degree—The BA is a degree, so it is redundant to include the word “degree.”

Properly speaking, degrees are granted by the trustees or by the University, not by the schools or departments. If you want to use the school or department name in your sentence, it is correct to write:

  • Chris Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at the College of Communication.

“Dual degrees” and “double degrees” (these are not to be used interchangeably. Please refer to the academic bulletin for more specific information about each) means two undergraduate degrees earned simultaneously from two different schools or colleges: Finance (Questrom)/Economics (CAS).

In academic credentials, do not italicize common phrases such as “magna cum laude” or “with distinction.” Also, modified titles such as “ad interim” and “emeritus” are not italicized.

“Double major” means one degree in two subject areas within the same school or college: BA in English and biology (CAS)

Honorary degrees are abbreviated in roman, not caps (Hon.’XX):

  • Edward M. Kennedy (Hon.’70)