Comments on: Masters Degree or Master’s Degree?

By: Eric Roth

Eric Roth — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:36:06 +0000

Thank you for that concise, clear explanation. You’ve answered a very common question for international graduate students in a simple, authoritative manner.

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:50:54 +0000

You should have clarified futher. It’s a degree to be come a Master of your chosen subject, so the degree is a Master’s degree (possessive form: the degree of the Master). It is sometimes seen as Masters’ degree when referring to the course as a whole because it’s then a collective plural (referring to all the students who will become Masters: the degrees of the Masters). I often find that understanding is aided by contextual examples more than by just quoting lists of guidelines.

@ Peter Ki:

“Can not” is two words and implies there is something you can do, and something you can not do (I can not drive) which may be possible to change from “can not” to “can”.

“Cannot” is similar with the distinction that it is a single word and unbreakable. It is for something which you cannot do (I cannot fly) which is not possible to change.

By: Peter Ki

Peter Ki — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:17:55 +0000

What is the difference between ‘can not’ and ‘cannot’?

By: Kaye Dacus

Kaye Dacus — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:44:25 +0000

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)

By: Speakbindas

Speakbindas — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:11:07 +0000

You should do Ph D on this subject, or may be Ph.D or may be Ph.D.

nice brain-storming.