In text, use bachelors degree or bachelors rather than b. Apply the following guidelines to the titles of books, computer games, movies. She has a bachelors degree in english literature from the university of california, berkeley, a masters degree in modern literature from. Ap stylebook does not capitalize the terms masters degree or bachelors degree.
What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. Its mobile optimized so you can use it on your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet. Style rules examples academic degrees use an apostrophe and spell out academic degrees use abbreviations for degrees only when you need to include a list of credentials after a name. Below, we highlight certain exceptions or ap style rules that we want to particularly note. Use the apostrophe and lowercase when using descriptive terms.
Rules for capitalizing academic degrees in ap style bka. She holds a bachelor of science degree in computer science. The area of study is generally lowercase, unless the area is part of the official degree title. I have two bachelors degrees and one masters degree. Did you know that unc asheville follows associated press style online in most instances.
Common ap stylebook uses academic degrees bachelor of science degree, bachelors degree. Ap is in agreement with cmos that the field of study be written in lower case except when it contains a. As a writer following the associated press stylebook, however, i capitalize according to the rules and not peoples egos. The associated press stylebook ap recommends no capitals when referring to degrees in general terms bachelors, masters, doctorate, associate degree but always capitalizing specific degrees bachelor of arts, master of science, whether or not they directly precede or follow a name. The forms bachelors degree, bachelors, masters degree and. You can purchase essays which are wellplanned and properly proofread by the professionals from the uk, the us, canada and australia who arrange every paper according to the level of education high school, college, university, undergraduate, masters, phd, length, number of words, pages and demanded formats apa, mla, harvard, chicago. Rules for capitalizing academic degrees in ap style. The associated press stylebook ap recommends no capitals when referring to degrees in general terms bachelors, masters, doctorate, associate degree but always capitalizing specific degrees bachelor of arts, master of science, whether or not they directly precede or follow a. Use an apostrophe in bachelors degree and masters degree, but theres no apostrophe when referring to an associate degree. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language.
The following formal names of specific degrees should always be capitalized in ap style. Doctorate or doctoral degree can be used in place of ph. Associated press style guide all press releases should abide by associated press style guidelines. Use an apostrophe in bachelors degree, masters, etc. Ap spells academic departments and programs in lowercase except for words that are proper nouns or adjectives or when the department name is part of the official and formal name preceded by the university or college. Uconn style guide 2019 exceptions to, and reminders of oftused or confusing ap style, which is our style so if its not here, see ap style for use in uconn today, uconn magazine, uconn health journal academic degrees abbreviations for academic degrees should not include periods exceptions. Editorial style at asbury university typically follows associated press conventions as detailed in the latest edition of the associated press stylebook. Note that when you pluralize the phrase as a whole, only degree gets the plural s. However, there are dozens of other types of masters degrees to choose from, and many specialized degrees have their own abbreviations that include the field of study in the name, like the m. The associated press provides several guidelines for referring to academic and numerical degrees in print.
Ap stylebook online is a searchable, customizable resource for writers and editors. Susan smith earned her masters degree in biology at new york university. Lowercase a degree when its spelled out following a persons name. Academic degrees the phrases bachelors degree and masters degree, when not referencing a specific degree, are written as they are. Andrews university uses the style of no punctuation in academic degree. There is no apostrophe in bachelor of arts or master of science. In temperatures, use figures and write out the word degrees. Journalists overwhelmingly use ap formatting, and other professionals, including attorneys and teachers, may opt to use ap style. Karen holds a bachelors degree in english literature, with a concentration in african, asian and caribbean studies, from the university of sussex in england. The consortium network 20 member schools 950plus current students 10,000plus alumni 90plus corporate partners. Uis writing style guide university of illinois springfield. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. There are clear guidelines for capitalizing academic degrees in ap style.
Ap style states that you should use an apostrophe in bachelors degree and masters degree. As a writer following the associated press stylebook, however, i capitalize. There are a few things to keep straight when writing bachelors degree in ap style. Stylebook lists are more indepth, heres basically what i need to know in the form of examples to ensure i follow a.
Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook. Use apostrophes when the degrees are spelled out bachelors degree, masters degree. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook. Students who plan to receive two bachelors degrees from purchase college must jane doe has a bachelors degree in philosophy.
Its updated throughout the year and valuable onlineonly resources, including ask the editor, topical guides and pronunciation guide, expand on the print books guidance. Abbreviations abbreviate junior or senior after a name, but dont use a comma. This style guide gives specific information about old dominion universitys preferences for copy, treatment of titles and degrees, campus descriptions and buildings. The basics ap style study guide compiled using the associated press stylebook j202j218 spring 2009 academic degrees.
Because your hometowners are comprised of text from both a template and spreadsheet, you will want to make sure both abide by the. The manual can be purchased alone or with an optional cdrom that presents two additional fulllength practice tests with automatic scoring and fully explained answers. The associated press stylebook ap recommends no capitals when referring to degrees in general terms bachelors, masters, doctorate, associate degree but always capitalizing specific degrees bachelor of arts, master of science. Ap covers a lot, so well look at some of the most important parts of using ap style. Bachelor of arts, bachelors in psychology master of science, masters in journalism.
If mention of a degree is necessary to establish someones credentials, the preferred form is to avoid an abbreviation and use instead a phrase such as. She also has a masters degree in international journalism from city university of london. Use an apostrophe in bachelors degree, a masters, etc. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and. When use of the abbreviation is required, use periods within. The 2019 edition of the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law includes more than 200 new or revised entries, with chapters covering data journalism, business, fashion, food, religion and sports terms, as well as media law, news values, punctuation, social media, polls and surveys and a new chapter on health and science. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook.
The associated press stylebook dictates the rules of ap style, which is used by writers in many professions. Master of arts, master of science, master of business administration. In cases of conflict, the university of tampa style guide supersedes the ap stylebook and ap supersedes websters. Title capitalization rules require that you capitalize each word when quoting the specific name of the masters degree such as master of science. Writing style guide university communications toolbox. Abril mulato is a fact check editor based in mexico city. Thats why weve selected these 500 apstyle questions and answers that cover all topics found on this exam. Capitalization of academic degrees grammar and punctuation. Ap style is used by journalists and is the preferred style for news releases and other information sent to the media.
Writing center quick reference associate press style guide. The guidelines are based on the associated press ap stylebook, websters new world dictionary, and local usage. Bachelor of arts in history, master of public health, bachelor of music, master of fine arts. Entries address questions that may commonly arise when writing about the university, such as building and place names. The following list of common uses and the az index include highlights of ap style and provide policies for consistently representing appalachian in your communications. On our blog, we follow the chicago manual of style 16th ed. Ba, bs, bachelor of arts, bachelor of science ma, ms, master of arts, master of science edd, phd, doctor of education, doctor of philosophy mba, master of business administration do not add the word degree after an abbreviation of the degree or after the full name of the degree. Here you will find a summary of some ap guidelines that relate directly to hometown news. The chance that you will become a master in something after the first attempt is neither here nor there. Often enough, terms like master of arts and master of sciences are abbreviated, and the rules on how to do it vary from one university and style guide to another. For many students, getting to sell back their textbooks is almost as exciting as having the semester come to an end. Every time a client asks me how to write a bio, or wants me to write a bio on their behalf, i find myself looking up how to handle discussion of their academic degrees in my trusty little associated press a. The associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing. When you need to do this, the ap stylebook prefers you to write out the title of a degree in a.
Put quotation marks around the titles of books, movies, plays, etc. However, there is no apostrophe in an associate degree no possessive. Use an apostrophe in bachelors or masters degree, but no apostrophe in bachelor of arts, master of arts, or master of business administration note capitalization of formal degree names. Use an apostrophe in bachelors degree and masters degree.
The goal of the wsu writing style guide is to provide help on that which is not addressed in ap style and that which is an exception to ap. Graduate division programs are housed within ucsfs four schools and ucsf global health sciences. Capitalize bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, master of science, etc. The academic title master of arts can be abbreviated as ma or m.
The 2019 edition of the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law includes more than 200 new or revised entries, with chapters covering data journalism, business, fashion, food, religion and sports terms, as well as media law, news values, punctuation, social media, polls and surveys and a new. Ap style terms for academic degrees gatehouse newsroom. In general, we default to associated press style when writing and editing. Top 10 ap style guide 2016edits university blog service. There is a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science. You dont get masters degree by attending school on the first day. This means when to use a capital letter at the beginning of a word. A masters degree program in publishing can prepare you to work in book, magazine, newspaper and webbased publishing. Rules for capitalizing academic degrees in ap style bka content. For slide presentations of ap style basics, go here. Consult the ap style guide for international cities that also can stand alone. It contains exceptions to the associated press stylebook, as well as other academic style formats, such as mla and apa guides and the chicago manual of style. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style used in answers. I enrolled in a masters degree in arts and science.