To clarify how to use birth/former names, married names, and degrees with couples, here are some examples. Badger Insider’s Badger Pride section, however, does not follow this convention:
- John Wilson ’56
- Mabel Smith Wilson ’57
- John Wilson ’56 and Mabel Smith Wilson ’57
- John Wilson ’56 and Mabel Smith-Wilson ’57
- John Wilson ’56 and Mabel Smith ’57
- John Smith-Wilson ’56 and Mabel Smith-Wilson ’57
- John Wilson and Mabel Smith Wilson ’57
- John Wilson ’56 and Mabel Smith Wilson (or just Mabel Wilson, because she doesn’t have a grad year, and thus, we’d probably leave out the birth/former name)
- John Wilson ’56, JD’58, PhD’60 and Mabel Smith Wilson ’57, MA’59, DVM’62
The Badger Pride list in Badger Insider uses the following more condensed format which doesn’t include birth/former names. (The In Memoriam listings in Badger Insider do include birth/former names.)
- John ’56 and Mabel ’57 Wilson
- John Wilson ’56 and Mabel Smith-Wilson ’57
- John ’56 and Mabel ’57 Smith-Wilson
- John and Mabel ’57 Wilson
- John ’56 and Mabel Wilson
- John ’56, JD’58, PhD’60 and Mabel ’57, MA’59, DVM’62 Wilson
- John Wilson ’56 and Mabel Smith ’57
If a last name is hyphenated, use the first name of the hyphenated pair for alphabetical-order purposes. If there are three names (one first and two that appear to be last names), but the second two are not hyphenated, use the third name (i.e., the second last name) for alphabetical-order purposes.
In running text, use bachelor’s degree, bachelor of arts degree, bachelor of science in physics, master’s degree, doctorate, and the like in place of degree abbreviations because they are more readable; use abbreviations only when necessary to distinguish the specific type of degree or when using full terms would prove cumbersome, such as when there are multiple degrees; do not use periods; form the plural by adding an s; the word degree should not follow a degree abbreviation.
Do not list certificates (nursing, law, education, and the like) as degrees, but an exception is made to include the Farm and Industry Short Course (FISC) following an individual’s name because the program has a long and proud history at the UW.
Here are many of the degree abbreviations in use at the university:
- BA – bachelor of arts, bachelor’s degree
- BBA – bachelor of business administration
- BM – bachelor of music
- BS – bachelor of science, bachelor’s degree
- DJ or DJS – doctor of juridical science
- DMA – doctor of musical arts
- DPM – doctor of podiatric medicine
- DVM – doctor of veterinary medicine
- EdD – doctor of education
- EMBA – executive MBA
- JD – doctor of law
- LLB – bachelor of laws
- LLM – master of laws, but us ML instead
- MA – master of arts, master’s degree
- MAcc – master of accountancy; use instead of MAC, MA, or MS
- MBA – master of business administration
- MD – doctor of medicine
- MFA – master of fine arts
- MGCS – master of genetic counselor studies
- ML – master of laws
- MLI – master of legal institutions
- MM – master of music
- MPA – master of public affairs
- MPAS – master of physician assistant studies
- MPh – master of philosophy
- MPH – master of public health
- MS – master of science, master’s degree
- MSW – master of social work; MSW (vs. MSSW) is the more common designation
- PDE – professional development/engineering
- PharmD – doctor of pharmacy
- PhD – doctor of philosophy
do not include credentials or degrees (PhD, MD, FASLA, FAAN, CFP, and the like) after names unless the person, school, or college is adamant about it
Use only on the first reference within an article; do not include letters before a bachelor’s degree; do not use periods with the degree abbreviation; do not use a space between the degree and two-digit class year; use a close single quote (apostrophe) to precede the year (it’s ’, not ‘); use a comma to separate each degree: Jim Hoyt ’65, MS’67, PhD’70.
If someone did not — or has not yet — graduated from UW–Madison, use an x before the year that s/he would have graduated or will graduate: rock star Steve Miller x’67. There is no space between the x and the year; include the apostrophe with the year; with advanced degrees, the x goes between the degree and the year: MDx’61, DVMx’75, PhDx’54, MAx’90.
Write out degree years occurring in the 19th century as, e.g., John Bluephie 1880, MS1883, PhD1885. Write out degree years occurring in the 20th century between (and including) 1900 and the current degree year as, e.g., Jane Brownstone 1900, MA1902, PhD1905; but Lowell Evan Noland PhD’24. When a new graduation year dawns, add 19 to the corresponding 20th-century year in a rolling, 100-year fashion.
See also names and degrees for the treatment of couples’ names.
