Abbreviating Professional Titles and Academic Degrees
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American English includes many details concerning items of style. One such item is the abbreviation of professional titles and academic degrees. By becoming more familiar with this usage, you will become more precise in your daily formal writing. This precision can then also potentially conserve more space for other words you're expressing.
Abbreviating Professional Titles
A professional (formal) title is typically one that indicates authority, professional status, or academic activity. As a general rule, we can abbreviate certain titles when they appear before full names or before initials and last names. In American English, abbreviations include a period.
| Dr. (Doctor) |
Sen. (Senator) |
Pres. (President) |
| Mr. (Mister) |
Rep. (Representative) |
Insp. Gen. (Inspector General) |
| Mrs. (Mistress) |
Gen. (General) |
Assoc. Prof. (Associate Professor) |
| Ms. (Miss) |
St. (Saint)* |
Asst. Prof. (Assistant Professor) |
| Prof. (Professor) |
Gov. (Governor) |
Col. (Colonel) |
| Ald. (Alderman) |
Brig. Gen. (Brigadier General) |
Lt. Col. (Lieutenant Colonel) |
| Examples |
| Dr. Martin Hawkes |
Rep. J. Randolph |
| St.* Thomas the Apostle |
Gen. J.J. Wyndham |
| Prof. Roberta Stanton |
Ms. S. Trevathan |
We would not abbreviate such titles before last names alone.
| Examples |
| Doctor Hawkes |
General Wyndham |
| Professor Stanton |
Miss Trevathan |
| Representative Randolph |
Captain Taylor |
*Note that St. can be either abbreviated or spelled in full if with a first name only: St. Thomas, Saint Thomas; otherwise, standard guidelines would apply: St. Dominic Savio, but Saint Savio.
Similarly, we would abbreviate Hon. for Honorable and Rev. for Reverend when they do not include the word the and appear before full names or before initials and last names. We also would not abbreviate such titles before last names alone.
| Examples |
| Hon. Gary Masterson |
the Honorable Gary Masterson |
| Rev. H.B. Robinson |
Reverend Robinson |
When a formal title follows a person's name, we abbreviate the title with a period: Jr. (Junior), Sr. (Senior), Esq. (Esquire). We would include a comma before Esq. but not before Jr. and Sr.
Bartholomew H. Makepeace, Esq.
Preston B. Franklin Jr.
Ernesto R. Gonzalez Sr. |
Note we would not use the abbreviation Esq. when another title is given before or after the name:
Correct: Bartholomew H. Makepeace, Esq.
Incorrect: Mr. Bartholomew H. Makepeace, Esq.
Correct: B.H. Makepeace, Esq.
Incorrect: B.H. Makepeace, M.D., Esq. |
Abbreviating Academic Degrees
Individuals might choose to identify themselves with an academic degree or designation of achievement attained. The following are common abbreviations for such distinctions.
| B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) |
Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) |
| B.F.A. (Bachelor of Fine Arts) |
J.D. (Juris Doctor [Doctor of Law]) |
| B.S. (Bachelor of Science) |
R.N. (Registered Nurse)) |
| M.S. (Master of Science) |
M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) |
| M.A. (Master of Arts) |
C.P.A. (Certified Public Accountant) |
When an abbreviated academic reference is included, the abbreviation would follow the person's full name and be set off by a comma. No other title should precede the name.
Correct: Tyra E. King, M.D.
Correct: T.E. King, M.D.
Incorrect: Dr. Tyra E. King, M.D.
Incorrect: Doctor King, M.D. |
Related Topics
Punctuation for Abbreviations
Capitalization of Academic Degrees
Capitalization of Job Titles
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Pop Quiz
Choose the correct forms of professional titles according to their context in each sentence.
1. The idea to rebuild the canal began with [Sen. / Senator] Joe Stevens.
2. The white paper on a potential new treatment for cystic fibrosis was written by [Dr. / Doctor / no title] Paula Lacroix, M.D.
3. [Hon. / The Honorable] William Guyer will be delivering the keynote speech tonight.
4. [Gov. / Governor] Bridges met with the state representatives for three hours today.
5. The name on the card says [Mr. / no title / Mister] Andrew H. Rudolph, Esq.
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Wordplay
Pop Quiz Answers
1. The idea to rebuild the canal began with Sen. Joe Stevens.
2. The white paper on a potential new treatment for cystic fibrosis was written by [no title] Paula Lacroix, M.D.
3. The Honorable William Guyer will be delivering the keynote speech tonight.
4. Governor Bridges met with the state representatives for three hours today.
5. The name on the card says [no title] Andrew H. Rudolph, Esq.
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