Abbreviations
Complimentary Titles
Complimentary titles, such as Mr., Mrs. and Dr.; do not use them in combination with any other title or with abbreviations indicating scholastic or academic degrees
- Doris R. Helms, Ph.D.; not Dr. Doris R. Helms, Ph.D.
- Larry S. Bowman, M.D.; not Dr. Larry S. Bowman, M.D.
Degree Titles
| Degree | Abbreviation |
| Bachelor of Arts | B.A. |
| Bachelor of Fine Arts | B.F.A. |
| Bachelor of Science | B.S. |
| Bachelor of Science in Business Administration | B.S.B.A. |
| Bachelor of Science in Education | B.S.Ed. |
| Bachelor of Science in Nursing | B.S.N. |
| Bachelor of Social Work | B.S.W. |
| Master of Arts | M.A. |
| Master of Arts in Teaching | M.A.T. |
| Master of Business Administration | MBA |
| Master of Combined Sciences | M.C.S. |
| Master of Education | M.Ed. |
| 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.Mus. |
| Master of Science in Medicine | M.S.M. |
| Master of Social Sciences | M.S.S. |
| Master of Science | M.S. |
| Doctor of Education | Ed.D. |
| Doctor of Professional Counseling | D.P.C. |
| Doctor of Nursing Practice | D.N.P. |
| Educational Specialist | Ed.S. |
GPR, GPA
Use GPR or GPA in caps without periods.
Academic Degrees
The preferred form is to spell out degrees and avoid abbreviations.
| Formal Use | General Use 1 | General Use 2 | Abbreviated Use |
| Bachelor of Arts | bachelor’s degree | bachelor’s | B.A. |
| Bachelor of Science | bachelor’s degree | bachelor’s | B.S. |
| Bachelor of Science in Engineering | bachelor's degree | bachelor's | B.S.E. |
| Master of Arts | master’s degree | master’s | M.A. |
| Doctorate of Education | doctoral degree | doctorate | Ed.D. |
The word “degree” should not follow an abbreviation:
- She has a B.A. in English literature.
- She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature.
