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University Terms

Degrees

Degrees can be abbreviated or written out in full. When writing out in full, use lowercase.

Use an apostrophe when referring informally to a degree.

Examples:

  • Colin has a bachelor of arts degree.
  • SFU offers master’s degrees.

We no longer use periods in degree abbreviations:

  • BA—bachelor of arts
  • BA (Hons.)—bachelor of arts with honours
  • BASc—bachelor of applied science
  • BBA—bachelor of business administration
  • BComm—bachelor of commerce
  • BEd—bachelor of education
  • BEnv—bachelor of environment
  • BGS—bachelor of general studies
  • BFA—bachelor of fine arts
  • LLB—bachelor of laws
  • BMus—bachelor of music
  • BSc—bachelor of science
  • BSc (Hons.)—bachelor of science with honours
  • EMBA—executive master of business administration
  • MA—master of arts; master’s
  • MBA—master of business administration
  • MEd—master of education
  • MFA—master of fine arts
  • MPH—master of public health
  • MPub—master of publishing
  • LLM—master of laws
  • MSc—master of science; master’s
  • MD—doctor of medicine
  • PhD—doctor of philosophy
  • LLD—doctor of laws
  • EdD—doctor of education