This is usually enough. Degrees from any recognized institution and membership to professional associations are appropriate to place behind your name on email signatures, cover letters, business cards and resumes and should be taken advantage of to propel your career and personal and professional connections. Write the abbreviation with the correct punctuation. a master of arts degree a master's degree. Troubleshooting. Assess your highest degree. Assess your highest degree. Including an appellation after your name shows the extent of your education. If you hold multiple degrees of different ranking levels, include the highest degree level earned for the particular field. Degrees, or post-nominal credentials such as your master's degree, are only listed in official situations. in Journalism from UNLV. If you have any other distinctions, such as certification or affiliation with an association, you should tack those on to your title as well. Consider only adding your degree to your business card if the degree is required for your job or if it is otherwise relevant. On resumes or curriculum vitae all educational experience is listed, starting with associate's degree followed by bachelor's degree, master's degree and doctorate. Adding your graduate degree to your name shows others what you have earned, that you are well-educated and qualified. Individuals obtaining certification can put the relevant acronym after their name and can consider themselves “certified.” For CDPs, the Certified Career Development Practitioner (CCDP) is a relevant example of the voluntary credential within our sector. at the end of your name, after a comma. It can be considered fraudulent to claim to have a degree that you don't have or that you didn't receive from an accredited institution. In American Psychological Association style, omit the periods after the "B" and the "A" when using the acronym after your name. For example, a medical doctor would have the title "John Smith, M.D. Although the degree etiquette can seem like self-flattery, the countless hours of studying and hard work means you deserve the distinction. degree you have, especially if it is directly relevant to the topic you are writing about. For example, "Ph.D." represents the abbreviation for a Doctor of Philosophy degree, "M.B.A." represents a Masters of Business Administration degree, and so forth. There's a bit of order to correctly place your Bachelor of Arts or other distinction behind your name. When in doubt, find out what your colleagues or peers are doing. or M.S. View a Verification. or "B.S." (That's Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner and Certified Fraud Examiner, respectively.) in educational leadership, both from the University of Idaho. Search for a School. If you would like to list two degrees after your name, you can insert commas between the two degrees. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Education, Explore state by state cost analysis of US colleges in an interactive article, Honor & Respect: How to use Post-Nominal Abbreviations, Deakin University: Letters After Your Name. You've put in the time, effort and hours to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree. If you have obtained both, list the dominate degree after your name. Dictionary of Abbreviations for Academic Degrees, Forms of Address: How to Use Post-Nominal Abbreviations. Huffington Post: Time to Stop Playing Business Card Scrabble With Our Qualifications. Mahuron also holds a B.S. However, just because you have earned your degree doesn't mean you should sign your name with it. ", Correctly Use the Titles Dr. & PhD With a Name→. It can elevate your professional status without having to list former and current employment or experience. For example, if your M.S. Diploma Mills. FAQs. or M.S.W., include it. Sign "B.Sc." However, if your master's degree was conferred as a general M.A. If you hold multiple degrees of different ranking levels, include the highest degree level earned for the particular field. He has written scripts for the National Science Foundation and short films that have won awards at film festivals. Sara Mahuron specializes in adult/higher education, parenting, budget travel and personal finance. Submit a Verification Request . A “diploma” generally takes 2 years to complete; it is more in-depth than a certificate but less comprehensive than a degree. 6. Adding your degree to your business card is becoming outdated. Enter Payment Information. 8. Her full bio and clips can be seen at www.vegaswriter.com. Including your Bachelor of Arts degree distinction after your name gives the reader immediate knowledge of your professional training in the field as well as your qualifications. If your master's degree is in a generic or general area, or is not necessary for your profession, leave it off your business card. She earned an M.S. Both designations are used and both are correct. Separate your name from the degree using a comma. 4. For example, if you have a master's of social work, you would add it to your name like this: If you are unsure of the proper abbreviation for your degree, look it up in the Dictionary of Abbreviations for Academic Degrees or check with your school to find out the exact name of the degree conferred. Your business card is not your resume; stick to the pertinent details of your name and job title. A Bachelor of Arts distinction after your name reveals your advanced skills status quickly and succinctly when you're applying for a job, writing a cover letter or authoring a paper, among other professional endeavors. There are many advantages to simply stating your graduate status after your name, and there are many opportunities to do so that can further your career or offer extra accolades when needed in professional correspondence. Behind every master's degree is a lot of hard work and money. Generally, the highest degree earned is placed after a signature. If you've gained quite a lot of experience, you can include any and all associations, honors or awards that are easily recognizable, separated by commas, such as John Smith BA (Hons), CPA, CFP, CFE. For example, a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree outranks an undergraduate Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. This distinction shouldn't be left to gather dust in a frame on your wall. Nurses' postnominal letters (abbreviations listed after the name) reflect their credentials—that is, their achievements in nursing education, licensure, certification, and fellowship.The letters usually appear in the following order: Going back to the credentials after the name, I firmly believe that UNLESS BY LAW you are required to be certified to perform a certain job function, there really is no real reason to advertise certifications If your a doctor, a dentist, a lawyer listing credentials totally makes sense. If you have more than one degree, list your highest degree first, or only list the relevant degree. Kimberley McGee is an award-winning journalist with 20+ years of experience writing about education, jobs, business and more for The New York Times, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Today’s Parent and other publications. in adult/organizational learning and leadership, as well as an Ed.S. or M.B.A. specify the type of master's degree earned. Knowing when and how to use postnominals, those little letters that follow behind someone’s name and/or title, can quickly showcase the breadth of your education and skill.