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RSSMasters Degree or Master’s Degree?
Edwin Johnstone wrote:
What is the proper way to spell masters degree ?
or is it master’s degree?
or Masters degree?
or Master’s degree?
To answer this question, I’ve consulted the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, and some university dissertation guidelines.
Speaking generically, you would write master’s degree:
Jack has finally earned his master’s degree.
Speaking of a specific degree, you would capitalize Master:
He holds a Master of Fine Arts from State University.
When it comes to abbreviating academic degrees, you’d better check the style book that governs your work.
For example, here is what the guidelines say on the site of Ohio University:
Use periods when abbreviating academic degrees.
Ex. Dr. Bond received her A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. –Ohio University
Northeastern University, like the MLA guide, prefers to drop the periods:
Punctuating degrees: Do not include periods in degree abbreviations. [Ex. BS, BA, MA, PhD] The single exception is Hon. for Honorary. –Northeastern University
NOTE: Not all universities use the same abbreviations for the master’s degree:
Harvard University and the University of Chicago for instance, use A.M. and S.M. for their master’s degrees and MIT uses S.M. for its master of science degrees. Master of Science is often abbreviated MS or M.S. in the United States, and MSc or M.Sc. in ; Commonwealth nations and Europe. –Wikipedia
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You should do Ph D on this subject, or may be Ph.D or may be Ph.D.
nice brain-storming.
The Chicago Manual of Style (used by most U.S. publishing houses for fiction an nonfiction) says:
15.21: “In conservative practice, periods are added to abbreviations of all academic degrees (B.A., D.D.S., etc.). Chicago now recommends omitting them unless they are required for tradition or consistency. In the following list*, periods are shown only where uncertainty might arise as to their placement.”
*In the comprehensive list they give, the few listed where periods might be needed to avoid confusion are:
DMin (D.Min.)
LittD (Litt.D. — Litterarum Doctor or Doctor of Letters)
LLB (LL.B.–Legum Baccalaureus–Bachelor of Laws)
LLD (LL.D. –Legum Doctor–Doctor of Laws)
PhB (Ph.B. –Philosophiae Baccalaureus–Bachelor of Philosophy)
PhD (Ph.D.)
PhG (Ph.G. –Graduate in Pharmacy)
What is the difference between ‘can not’ and ‘cannot’?