Capitalization & Word Use

Capitalization

In headings and headlines, capitalize the first word only, plus any proper nouns in the heading. This is the preferred "down" style, consistent with university print publications, also known as sentence case.
- Example: Chancellor Smith announces new doctoral degree program
- Not: Chancellor Smith Announces New Doctoral Degree Program
- Exception: exact names of items such as research projects or articles would be considered proper nouns and therfore, should be title case
  - Example: Increasing Massachusetts Partnerships for Advancing Computational Thinking in PK-5 Classrooms
Typically, do not use Mr., Mrs., or Ms. Instead, use the last name on second reference.
Use initial caps for a title when it precedes the name. Use lower case when the title follows a name.
- Examples: Chancellor Kim Smith; Kim Smith, chancellor.
Spell out Professor when it precedes a name. Do not use Professor and Doctor together.
Capitalize administrative entities when they are used as titles. When making a second reference, without the title, use lowercase.
- Examples: Department of Chemistry, Office of the Provost, Campus Center; the department, the center, the college, the university
Do not capitalize majors and minors, except when the word or words are proper nouns that require capitalization, such as French.
Write academic degrees in lowercase, except when used as titles or in lists. Abbreviations of academic degrees are always capitalized.

Examples

She has an associate degree in engineering.
He is pursuing a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
I'd like to introduce Jane Smith, Juris Doctor.
Please welcome Jim Doe, Master of Science.
Peggy has an MFA in painting.

Term and Abbreviation or Acronym	Definition or Notes
& instead of and	The word "and" is preferred in text, except in the case of a proper name: Scrooge & Marley. The ampersand is acceptable in headings (if used consistently) or to save space, as in menus.
advisor vs. adviser	Use advisor. Although adviser is also acceptable, most of our sites, such as Academic Advising, use advisor.
Adobe Reader	not Adobe Acrobat Reader or Acrobat Reader
African American, Asian American	Do not hyphenate when used as nouns. Hyphenate when used as adjectives: African-American traditions
all vs. all of	All is preferable. Example: I hope you enjoy all the activities.
BA, MA, MEd, PhD	No periods, no spaces
associate degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree, doctorate	Write academic degrees in lowercase, except when used as titles or in lists. However, the abbreviations are capitalized. more at Style tips
Black	UMass Dartmouth capitalizes "Black" when referring to race.
cancellation	Use cancellation (although cancelation is also an acceptable spelling).
carpool	One word
catalog	Example: course catalog
click	Avoid for naming links—use descriptive text instead.
coursework	One word
database	One word
downtime	One word
e.g.	Try to avoid. Replace with "for example."
email	No hyphen or initial caps
fall, winter, spring, summer	No need to capitalize unless used as a title: Fall Family Festival.
first-year	More commonly used in place freshman. Note the hyphen.
freshman vs. freshmen	Freshman is both a singular noun and an adjective. Freshmen is a plural noun and is not an adjective. NOTE: We are moving to the term first-year across many of our sites: first-year applicants, first-year students.
full-time, full time	Hyphenate in use as adjective before a noun; no hyphen is needed when used after a verb. She has a full-time job. You can study full time.
i.e.	Try to avoid.
internet	Lower case.
login (n.)	When referring to your assigned name. Example: "Meg's login was margaret1." Note: at UMass Dartmouth, we refer to the username and password as the UMassD Logon.
log in (v.)	When describing an action to be performed. Example: "When you log in, enter your new password."
logon (n.)	Special use at UMass Dartmouth; we refer to the username and password as the UMassD Logon.
Massachusetts or MA	Not generally necessary after a city or town in the Commonwealth. When referencing cities in other states, omit the state’s name if it’s unnecessary: Baltimore. Break this rule to ensure clarity and accuracy: Florence, MA or Florence, Italy?
mindset	One word
on-campus/off-campus, on campus/off campus	Hyphenate in use as adjective before a noun; no hyphen is needed when used after a verb. The university welcomes off-campus organizations to our campus. The art exhibit will be held on campus.
online	One word
part-time, part time	Hyphenate in use as adjective before a noun; no hyphen is needed when used after a verb. She has a part-time job. You can study part time.
skill set	Two words
SouthCoast	The term we use to describe our region.
through vs. thru	Do not use thru. If space is an issue, such as in a table, use a hyphen or an en dash. For example, Monday – Wednesday or M – W.
upper-level students	Use this term to describe sophomores, juniors, and seniors as a group. Avoid upperclassmen.
vendor vs. vender	Use vendor. Although vender is also acceptable, most of our sites use vendor.
web	lowercase
website/webpage	lowercase, one word