Capitalization

• Official college degrees:
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Business Administration
  • BUT: He received his bachelor’s at Commencement.
• Proper nouns, days of the week, and months
  • BUT: Do not capitalize the seasons:
  • I am enrolled in three classes for the spring semester.
• All words except articles, conjunctions, and prepositions (regardless of length) in titles:
  • Gone with the Wind (book)
  • “Economic Justice and a Market Economy: A Contradiction?” (journal article)
• All educational, occupational and business titles used in front of a name
  do not capitalize these titles following a name in running copy:
  • President Walter Harrison
  • Walter Harrison, president of the University of Hartford
• Homecoming, Parents Weekend, Commencement, etc., when referring to an official University of Hartford event.
  
• The words “association,” “building,” “center,” “conference,” etc., when used as part of a full title
  do not capitalize them when used alone:
  • the Center for Professional Development; thereafter, the center
  • University of Hartford Board of Regents; thereafter, the board or the regents
  • BUT: Always capitalize “University” when referring to the University of Hartford: University regent.
• A specific course title:
  • BIO 260 Ecology (no punctuation between course number and title)
• Entire geographical names:
  • the Pioneer Valley
  • the Greater Hartford area
• Names of all races and nationalities:
  • Caucasian, Irish, Chinese, Native American BUT Do not capitalize “black” or “white” when referring to African Americans or Caucasians.
• The word “class” when referring to a graduation year:
  • This year’s reunion is for the Class of 1957.
• The full, formal name of a department or office at the University:
  • Department of Nursing BUT nursing department
  • President’s Office
  • Registrar’s Office

• The word “room” when designating a particular space:
  • The math lab is in room 204 in Dana Hall.
• Names of fields of study, programs, major areas or major subjects, unless they are proper nouns:
  • She is majoring in Spanish and economics.
  • Each student must satisfy requirements in the humanities, social sciences and physical sciences.
• Classes of students at the University:
  • First-year students are required to take a writing course.
  • My sister is a junior majoring in finance.
• Unofficial or descriptive titles preceding a name:
  • poet Michael Waters, faculty member Tom Bradley, coach Jen Rizzotti
• Titles of officers of a class, social organization, etc.:
  • She is the senior class president.
  • He is treasurer of the Student Government Association.
• The abbreviations a.m. and p.m.:
  • The reception begins at 6 p.m. and dinner will be served at 8 p.m.
• Seasons of the year or semester designations:
  • We had a very chilly spring this year.
  • He plans to change his major in the spring semester.
• Honorary terms:
  • cum laude, summa cum laude, magna cum laude