Abbreviations
For most abbreviation questions, defer to the AP Stylebook and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. The rules below cover university-specific cases and the most common situations you'll encounter writing for Ole Miss.
Navigating the Abbreviation Page
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The Golden Rule of Abbreviation
When in doubt, spell the word out.
When to Abbreviate
Pages
Page to p. and pages to pp. in footnotes or bibliographical material; spell out when used in text material.
Ampersand
Use the ampersand (&) only in corporate names, titles of published works, e.g., U.S. News & World Report, and if space demands it in course abbreviations or in graphic treatments. Do not routinely use an ampersand for "and" in copy.
Courtesy titles
Courtesy titles, such as Mr., Mrs. and Dr., but do not use them in combination with any other title or with abbreviations indicating scholastic or academic degrees. These and similar titles are typically not used in running text after first reference.
- Dr. Carol Green or Carol Green, M.D., or Roger White, D.V.M.
- Not Dr. Carol Green, M.D., or Dr. Roger White, D.V.M.
Degree names
| Degree | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degrees | |
| Bachelor of Arts | B.A. |
| Bachelor of Science | B.S. |
| Bachelor of Fine Arts | B.F.A. |
| Bachelor of Music | B.M. |
| Bachelor of Accountancy | B.Accy. |
| Bachelor of Business Administration | B.B.A. |
| Bachelor of Multi-Disciplinary Studies | B.M.S. |
| Bachelor of Social Work | B.S.W. |
| Bachelor of University Studies | B.U.S. |
| Master's degrees | |
| Master of Arts | M.A. |
| Master of Science | M.S. |
| Master of Fine Arts | M.F.A. |
| Master of Music | M.M. |
| Master of Accountancy | M.Accy. |
| Master of Accountancy and Data Analytics | M.A.D.A. |
| Master of Taxation | M.Tax. |
| Master of Taxation and Data Analytics | M.T.D.A. |
| Master of Business Administration | MBA – note, no periods |
| Master of Criminal Justice | M.C.J. |
| Master of Public Health | M.P.H. |
| Master of Social Work | M.S.W. |
| Master of Education | M.Ed. |
| Specialist degree | |
| Specialist in Education | Ed.S. |
| Doctoral degrees | |
| Doctor of Arts | D.A. |
| Doctor of Education | Ed.D. |
| Doctor of Philosophy | Ph.D. |
| Juris Doctor | J.D. |
| Master of Laws | LL.M. |
| Doctor of Pharmacy | Pharm.D. |
GPA
For grade-point average, use GPA in caps without periods.
Course designations
When it is necessary to use a subject-matter designation and course number to identify a specific course, e.g., HST 120: Introduction to European History to 1648, use the official course code.
Acronyms for organizations
When names of universities, government agencies or other organizations are abbreviated as acronyms (first letter of each word), use full caps with no periods: UM (not U.M.), ROTC, NASA.
Time
Use a.m. and p.m. with periods and lowercase letters. (Note: When using midnight or noon, do not put a 12 in front of it.)
States
Spell out state names in the body of stories. Use state abbreviations in datelines, lists, tabular material, captions and in short-form identification of political party affiliation, e.g., Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss. When abbreviating states (such as in a dateline), use the abbreviations noted in the AP Stylebook rather than the two-letter, no-period abbreviations used by the U.S. Postal Service. Note: Some states are not abbreviated.
Place one comma between the city and the state name, and another comma after the state name, unless ending a sentence.
- He was traveling from Oxford to Nashville, Tennessee, en route to his home in Louisville, Kentucky.
Months
Abbreviate these months only when they are used with a specific date: January, February, August, September, October, November, December. Exceptions may be made in tabular, formal or graphic treatments.
- December 2011, but Dec. 25, 2011
Street addresses
Abbreviate avenue (Ave.), street (St.), boulevard (Blvd.) when used with addresses, e.g., 101 Jackson Ave. Do not abbreviate road (Road) or lane (Lane) when used with an address.
Junior, senior
Abbreviate as Jr. and Sr. with no comma between the name and the Jr./Sr., e.g., Martin Luther King Jr.
Legislative titles
On first reference, use Rep. and Sen. before the name, e.g., Sen. Roger Wicker. When including party and state affiliation, set off with commas, and use the AP abbreviation for the state, e.g., Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.
Governor
On first reference, use Gov., e.g., Gov. Tate Reeves.
Honorable
"The Honorable" is not an official title and should not be used in copy, except in direct quotes. When used, it should be lowercase and not abbreviated. In a conference program, it may be capitalized.
Abbreviation for portable document format. Use all uppercase unless it's part of a file name, e.g., The file name is schedule.pdf.
RSVP
No periods; use uppercase letters for the abbreviation of the French phrase repondez s'il vous plait (respond if you please).
Versus
In ordinary writing, spell out. In court cases, use v.
Do Not Abbreviate
Given names
Given names, such as George, William and Charles.
State names
Spell out a state's name when it is used alone. Use the two-letter postal abbreviation with a ZIP code only in addresses. Do not use the postal abbreviation in running text.
Organizational words/common nouns
The words association, department, institute, etc.
The name of an organization the first time it is used; thereafter, an acronym may be used. If the acronym is not clear, set it off with commas. If the term appears only once, do not add the acronym. Do not follow the name with the acronym in parentheses.
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, or SACS; thereafter, SACS.
Times of the year
March, April, May, June and July; spell these out in all references.
Do not abbreviate Christmas as Xmas.
Geographical names
Parts of geographic names, except Saint in St. Louis, St. Paul, etc., unless they are used in tabular matter.
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
Specific titles
Assistant and associate when used in a title.
- assistant professor of legal studies
Note: Abbreviations may be used more freely in tabular matter or graphic design treatments.