Mississippi College’s style guide provides the correct nomenclature to be followed in all internal and external communications, as well as other useful references for writers and editors of university materials.

These style guidelines ensure that MC websites and publications maintain consistency in nomenclature, terminology, punctuation etc. The university’s website, alumni magazines and other materials for external audiences also follow AP style.

our name

When referring to the university, establish identity by spelling out Mississippi College or Mississippi College School of Law. On subsequent references or in headlines, the more informal MC or MC Law is acceptable.

schools and departments

When referring to specific Mississippi College units always capitalize college, school and department names. All departments and schools are officially titled with the “department of” or “school of” preceding the name.

Do no capitalize when referring to a school or department in a general sense. Informal department and school names have the name followed by “department” or “school.”

Examples:

Mississippi College’s Department of Music or the music department

Mississippi College School of Nursing or the nursing school

campus

When referring to specific Mississippi College buildings and facilities, please confirm building names with the campus map found online at http://www.mc.edu/about/visit/map

Academic degrees

Use the following abbreviation or full, formal names when referncing the academic degrees available through MC’s 136 bachelor, master’s, doctoral and post baccalaureate certificate programs.

Undergraduate Degrees and Certificate Programs

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Bachelor of Music (B.M.)

Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.Ed.)

Bachelor of Science in Education (B.M.Ed.)

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.)

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)

Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.)

Certificate Program in Homeland Security

Graduate Degrees

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Master of Education (M.Ed.)

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

Master of Combined Sciences (M.C.S.)

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

Master of Health Services Administration (M.H.S.A.)

Master of Liberal Studies (M.L.S.)

Master of Music (M.M.)

Master of Science in Communication (M.S.C.)

Master of Science (M.S.)

Master of Social Sciences (M.S.S.)

Education Specialist (Ed.S.)

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Post Baccalaureate Certificate Programs:

Accounting

English Language Learner

Gifted Education

Homeland Security

Law School Degrees

Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.)

Master of Laws (LL.M.)

Paralegal Studies

Common usage

The following are guidelines for terms frequently used in MC publications.

• Residence Hall. Use residence hall, not dormitory or dorm, when referencing one of MC’s ten residence halls.

• Contact Information. MC publications should include contact information for response i.e. phone number, email address, website, or all.

            Example: For more information, call (123) 456-7890 or e-mail department@mc.edu.

• College/University. Lowercase college or university when referring to MC in the text.

            Example: The college’s goal is to be a university that promotes academic excellence.

• Campus-wide. Use hyphens when saying campus-wide or university-wide.

AP Style

The Associated Press Stylebook provides editors with an A to Z guide for usage, spelling and punctuation. These guidelines ensure consistency among MC websites, alumni magazines and other promotional materials for external audiences.

For information, visit http://www.apstylebook.com.