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
- Example: AI can be a force of good or ill in society. (The next word after the acronym should be lowercase.)
- Exception: exact names of items such as research projects or articles would be considered proper nouns and therefore, should be title case
- Example: Increasing Massachusetts Partnerships for Advancing Computational Thinking in PK-5 Classrooms
- Example: Chancellor Smith announces new doctoral degree program
- 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.
- Melissa is an undergraduate student.
- 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." |
|
|
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. |
|
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 |
|
Wi-Fi, Wifi, Wi-fi, WiFi |
Always use a hyphen Use the lowercase wi-fi if referring to standard method of connecting a device to the Internet without wires. Use capital Wi-Fi if referring to the trademark. |