capitalize major when talking about course of study

by Prof. Zion West 7 min read

Do not capitalize major names, minor names or programs of study. Example: He studies biology and math, but his minor is music.

Academic Majors, Minors/Courses
Lowercase all majors except those containing proper nouns. (His major is English; her major is engineering. Sue is majoring in Asian studies.) General subjects are lowercase (algebra, chemistry), but the names of specific courses are capitalized (Algebra I, Introduction to Sociology).

Full Answer

Do you capitalize majors?

Do You Capitalize Majors? College majors are not capitalized because they are not proper nouns (a noun – person, place, or thing – that identifies a single entity; e.g. London, Sara, Microsoft). Only proper nouns are capitalized.

Do you capitalize general areas of study in a sentence?

Don’t capitalize general areas of study or the name of your major unless that area of study is the name of a language. I have flunked History 101, yet I plan to continue to study history.

Should the name of a course be capitalized?

Names of specific course titles should be capitalized, but general academic subjects are not. In your first example “liberal arts and sciences, chemical technology and computer science” are referred to generically, therefore do not capitalize. Names of academic degrees are not capitalized, however, specific program names are generally capitalized.

Are majors of study capitalized?

Except for languages such as English and Spanish, the names of academic disciplines, majors, and minors are not proper nouns and should not be capitalized. Academic degrees are capitalized only when the full name of the degree is used, such as Bachelor of Arts or Master of Engineering.

Should your major be capitalized?

Majors, academic programs and degrees Except for languages, such as English, French and Japanese, the names of academic disciplines, majors, minors, programs and courses of study are not proper nouns and should not be capitalized. Example: She majored in integrated supply management and German.

Do I capitalize the name of a course?

Names of courses are capitalized (Algebra 201, Math 001). You should capitalize titles of people when used as part of their proper name.

How do you write your major and degree?

Your major is in addition to the degree; it can be added to the phrase or written separately. Include the full name of your degree, major(s), minor(s), emphases, and certificates on your resume. Double Majors - You will not be receiving two bachelor's degrees if you double major.

Do you capitalize computer science major?

The same is true for college majors. You only capitalize them if they are part of the degree that you are being awarded, such as a “Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.” The following examples of classes would need to be capitalized: AP Physics.

Do you capitalize master's degree in education?

The Associated Press Stylebook (AP) recommends no capitals when referring to degrees in general terms (bachelor's, master's, doctorate, associate degree) but always capitalizing specific degrees (Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science).

Do you capitalize course names in a cover letter?

Capitalize correctly But when writing your cover letter, it's best to only capitalize the names of actual courses, schools and subjects. Do not capitalize when making a general reference to a profession or industry, as it tends to divert the reader's attention away from your actual message.

Are course names italicized?

Headlines and course titles are not italicized.

What is Olivia Newton studying?

Newton made important contributions to physics and mathematics. She is studying French literature. The University of Ottawa’s writing guide: Subject areas and disciplines. Subject areas like biology, sociology, engineering, women’s studies and psychology are common nouns and don’t normally take a capital letter.

Is "academic" lowercase?

Departments, offices, majors. Academic subjects are lowercase, except when you are describing a subject that is also a language, culture, or religion. She is a psychology major and English minor. He works in the psychology department and the Germanic studies department.

What degree does Eric have?

Eric holds a bachelor of arts degree from McGill University. Melanie earned a master of science in engineering last year. However, the use of capitals is also common and acceptable: Eric holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University. Melanie earned a Master of Science in Engineering last year.

Does Hal have to capitalize?

Hal is majoring in English. Do not capitalize the names of other disciplines when using them in a general sense or when referring to courses, except when you are citing the official name of a particular course. She is interested in history. He reads articles on economics and biology in his spare time.

What is an academic subject?

An academic subject is an area of knowledge that is studied at the school. A course is a specific class taken at the school. Medical biology is one of those tricky terms that could be used as a subject or a specific course title. You have to look at the way it is used in the sentence to identify it.

Is "master of education" capitalized?

The Chicago Manual of Style says, “Capitalize degrees on business cards, on diplomas, or when displayed in a directory or resume.”. Otherwise, academic subjects are not capitalized. The abbreviation for master of education is EdM.

Do you capitalize bachelors?

The Associated Press Stylebook ( AP) recommends no capitals when referring to degrees in general terms ( bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, associate degree) but always capitalizing specific degrees ( Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science ).

Do you capitalize degrees on business cards?

As the post indicates, there are exceptions. Degrees are often capitalized on business cards, on diplomas, in promotional material, or when displayed in a directory or resume. If you are following the rules of the Associated Press Stylebook, the degree is capitalized.

Do you capitalize AP degrees?

Yes, AP Style does say to capitalize academic degrees. Do not capitalize the word “dual” unless it is the first word of a sentence. Also, use the word and rather than an ampersand ( &) in formal writing, especially on a resume. dual Bachelors of Arts, public relations and journalism.

Do you capitalize liberal arts?

In your first example “liberal arts and sciences, chemical technology and computer science” are referred to generically, therefore do not capitalize. Names of academic degrees are not capitalized, however, specific program names are generally capitalized.

Does AP stylebook capitalize bachelors?

AP Stylebook does not capitalize the terms “master’s degree” or “bachelor’s degree.”. 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.

Do you capitalize "exceptions must be approved by accounting"?

For example, people will write "Exceptions must be approved by Accounting.". It is debatable whether this is a good idea, but it is not unusual. By the same token, in a university, formal academic colleges, departments, and degrees are very often capitalized, though general scientific domains are not.

Is biology upper case or lower case?

You take your courses in the Biology (uppercase) Department, but general areas of biology (such as microbiology, botany, zoology, etc.) are all lowercase, except when they’re the names of particular courses (such as Biology 1013 Introduction to Biology).

Do you capitalize biology?

Continue Reading. Sometimes biology does need to be capitalized and sometimes it doesn’t. Here in the U.S., you can say that you’re majoring in biology (lowercase); but when you receive your degree, you’ll have a BS in Biology (upper case).

Do you capitalize "physics"?

Yes, you should capitalize it because you are specifying a particular field you concentrated on. Proper nouns refer to particular places, things, events or people. Yours fits on particular things thus the need to capitalize what you majored in. I majored in Physics. 2K views.

Is "biology" capitalized?

No. Only proper nouns are capitalized, or as part of a title. You would say, “I majored in biology, but flunked Biology 101.”. In this case biology is generic but Biology 101 is the name of a specific class. As well: My favorite historical president is President George Washington. Here, president is capitalized in the second instance ...

Do you capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence?

Capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence, but not the first word of a quoted word or phrase. Professor Snape said to his students, “Today we are going to learn about bezoars.”. Professor Snape said that we would learn about “bezoars” today, whatever that means. 3. Capitalize the names of geographical regions.

Is it okay to capitalize a word?

It’s no longer acceptable to capitalize when it feels right. The following rules address some common points of confusion. 1. Capitalize proper nouns, including historic documents, organizations, brand names, and the names of special events.

Do you capitalize movements?

Capitalize the names of movements and schools derived from proper nouns; lowercase those that are not. Unfortunately, there are some exceptions: “Cynic,” “Scholasticism” and “New Criticism,” for example, are capitalized when used as movements. Look a term up in Merriam-Webster if you're not sure.

Do you capitalize black people?

Capitalize races, ethnic groups, nationalities, and languages. Capitalize “Black” for people or cultures of African origin, but not “white” or “brown,” which are used to describe a wider range of cultural identities. Caucasian (but white); African American; Black; Inuit; East Indian; Latino; Hispanic.

Do you capitalize degrees on a resume?

Don’t capitalize academic degrees in your personal statement unless the degree directly precedes or follows a name. Do capitalize the full name of a degree (“Bachelor of Arts”) on your resume. Do capitalize abbreviations of a degree. John Landenwald, Master of Political Science, at your service.

How to capitalize a college?

The more words you capitalize, the more you complicate your text. 2. Capitalize the formal (complete) names of university colleges and departments: College of Arts and Letters. Comptroller’s Office.

When to capitalize a title?

1. Capitalize when the title is part of the name and directly precedes it: 2. Use lowercase when the title is a descriptive tag: 3. Use lowercase when the title follows the name: These rules also apply to titles such as president, provost, director, dean, chair, and other academic titles.

What is a sentence case?

Sentence case capitalizes the first letter of the first word and proper nouns in a title—just like in a regular sentence. Use sentence case for marketing materials. Title case uses capital letters for the principal words. Articles, conjunctions, and prepositions do not get capital letters unless they start the title.

What degree does Jeff have?

This rule does NOT apply when writing informally about academic degrees from other institutions. bachelor of science. Jeff earned a bachelor of science degree. bachelor’s degree. Julie earned a bachelor’s degree in communications. master’s degree. The university offers a master’s degree in biology.

Do you capitalize Northern Arizona University?

Do not capitalize university unless used within a complete, formal title. Northern Arizona University offers courses in a variety of disciplines through the Grand Canyon Semester. The university partners with Grand Canyon National Park to offer courses in the field. 4.

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