Capitalize Academic Degrees After a Name or as Abbreviations
Capitalization
Rulebase Summary
Capitalize the name of an academic degree or its abbreviation when it appears after a person's name — John Smith, Bachelor of Arts; Jane Doe, M.D. When a degree is described generically or in a general way rather than as a formal credential, do not capitalize — she earned a bachelor's degree, he has a master's in biology.
Examples
A. I hold a bachelor of science in engineering.
A. I hold a Bachelor of Science in engineering.
When the full formal name of a degree appears, capitalize it.
A. She earned her Master's degree in 2012.
A. She earned her master's degree in 2012.
When described generically — not as a formal credential after a name — keep it lowercase.
Transcript Notes
Capitalize the names of academic degrees, written out or abbreviated, when they follow a name (Francisco Franco, Ph.D.; Jonathan Henson, Doctor of Medicine). In general contexts without a name, do not capitalize the degree (the doctorate in music, the master's program, a bachelor's). The trend is moving away from capitalizing these degrees.
Style Guide References (3)
Morson's
BGGP
BGGP