Editorial Style Guide

academic degrees

Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, a master’s, etc., but there is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science. Use periods when abbreviating two-word degrees: B.A., B.S., M.A., M.S., M.Arch., M.Jour., Ph.D. For degrees of three words or more, such as MBA, MLS, MPP and MRED, don’t use periods. UMD alums are presumed to have earned at least a bachelor’s degree, so there is no need to include B.S. or B.A. before their graduation year: Katie Fox ’13 or Ryan Blaustein ’11, M.S. ’14.

academic departments

Capitalize the formal name of a college, department, division or unit: School of Public Policy, Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Department of Entomology, etc. Lowercase in an informal usage, such as the entomology department.

academic disciplines

Lowercase, such as astronomy and history, except when the study discipline includes words that are normally capitalized: Jewish studies.

acronyms

Avoid whenever possible. When referring multiple times to an agency or group in an article, set off with parentheses following the first reference: the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Some acronyms, such as FBI or NASA, are acceptable in all instances. Consult the AP Stylebook entry on this topic for details.

adviser

Not advisor.

African American

Do not hyphenate either the noun or the adjective. This rule applies to all terms of dual heritage: Asian American, Mexican American. See details in the AP’s entry on race-related coverage.

afterward

Not afterwards.

alma mater

Lowercase. It also requires a pronoun or article: Support your alma mater by joining the University of Maryland Alumni Association.

alum, graduate

The recommended gender-inclusive terms for an individual who attended a school; alums and graduates are the plural terms. Singular alumna and alumnus and plurals alumnae and alumni are options when individuals or organizations identify themselves as such, but avoid assumptions.

alumni association

The University of Maryland Alumni Association is called the Alumni Association on second reference.

ampersand (&)

Use the ampersand when it is part of a company's formal name or composition title: U.S. News & World Report. The ampersand should not otherwise be used in place of and, except for some accepted abbreviations, including B&B and R&D.

APIDA

Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans. UMD student leaders request that UMD use this term that intentionally includes people from South Asia to encompass people from more than 40 countries, instead of AAPI, for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Spell out the full term of APIDA, as the acronym is not widely known outside these communities; use APIDA only in direct quotations and explain the term. Be specific if possible when referring to a group under that umbrella.

archaeology

Not archeology.

artificial intelligence

Spell out on first reference in narrative copy. There is no need to add (AI) after that. 

backward

Not backwards.

Big Ten

Do not use B1G or other abbreviations in stories. 

Black

Capitalize when used as an adjective in a racial, ethnic or cultural context. This is consistent with AP guidance that acknowledges a shared history, identity and culture of Black people, including those in the African diaspora and within Africa. The adjective white remains lowercase. Avoid using brown, which AP calls “a broad and imprecise term,” except when in direct quotes. See the AP style guide’s entry on race-related coverage for details.

brackets

Use instead of parentheses to indicate the addition of missing context or words within quotations: “I don’t expect viewership to double on Wednesday for next week’s [MLS] games.”

business names

Inc., LLC and Ltd. are usually unnecessary. When they are used, do not include a comma before them. Abbreviate corporation and com­pany as Corp. and Co., respectively, when used as part of a firm's name.

capitalization

Capitalize only proper nouns and formal titles including the University of Maryland, the Department of Kinesiology or Associate Professor George Belov. Lowercase people’s titles after their names (George Belov, associate professor) or secondary references to university, state, school, etc. Consult the AP style guide entry on this topic for details.

childcare

One word, no hyphen, in all cases.

city

Capitalize if part of a proper name, an integral part of an official name, or a regularly used nickname: Kansas City, Windy City, City of Light. Lowercase elsewhere: a Texas city; the city government; the city Board of Education; and all city of phrases: the city of Baltimore.

civil rights

Lowercase, along with the civil rights era and civil rights movement.

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

Capitalize The on first reference as well as in The Clarice.

class years

Include after the alum’s name. UMD alums are presumed to have earned at least a bachelor’s degree, so there is no need to include B.S. or B.A. before their graduation year: Photographer John T. Consoli ’86 is creative director of the university magazine. (Note the direction the apostrophe is facing.)

commas

Use a serial comma only when necessary to add clarity in a lengthy or complex list, if the words and, or and nor are used within the final item listed (as in this sentence), or if the formal name of a unit includes one, such as the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences and the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. 

Commencement, Convocation

The proper name of two major university ceremonies. But: main Commencement ceremony. 

composition titles

Use quotation marks around books, movies, plays, poems, albums, songs, operas, radio and television programs, lectures, speeches, works of art and video games. The AP Stylebook (as a reference book, it’s an exception to the rule) entry has more detail on this.

courses and lectures

Use quotations around course titles, such as "History of the Americas." Capitalize course names and codes, such as HIST101. Otherwise, do not capitalize common, nonspecific course subjects: I missed my psychology class and was late for history.

courtesy titles

Avoid using Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms. and Mx. Use Dr. on first reference only for someone who holds a medical degree, i.e., a dentist, podiatrist or surgeon.

cyber

When the combining form is used, follow the general rule for prefixes and do not use a hyphen: cybersecurity, cybercafé or cybernetwork.

dashes

Use spaces on either side of an em dash: This sentence — the one containing the dashes — is an example. Do not use en dashes. Use hyphens as joiners such as for compound modifiers and ranges: small-business owner, Jan. 1-4.

dates

Abbreviate the month when the date is included, except for March, April, May, June and July. In a sentence, put a comma after the year, if it is included. Commencement on May 21, 2026, was held at SECU Stadium. If the event is taking place this year, or did within one year of the stated publication date, the year is implied and unnecessary to include. Use figures for days of the month, without -nd, -rd, -st or -th: July 20, not July 20th.

Discovery District Maryland

The full name of the hub of research and economic growth that includes the former University of Maryland Research Park and extends to Baltimore Avenue developments including the Hotel at the University at Maryland. It no longer uses “the” before its name.

dorm/dormitory

The preferred term is residence hall.

Earth

Capitalize when used as the proper name of the planet; lowercase for other uses. The astronauts returned to Earth. He hopes to move heaven and earth. She is down-to-earth.

ellipsis ( ... )

Use sparingly. In general, treat an ellipsis as a three-letter word, constructed with three periods and two spaces. The marching band practices … outside the window. At the end of a sentence, use a period (or question mark or exclamation point), then the ellipsis: The marching band is practicing. … It is outside the window. A comma goes before the ellipsis if the sentence needs one there. Do not use ellipses at the beginning or end of a direct quote.

email

Acceptable in all references for electronic mail. Also: esports. But: e-newsletter, e-bikes and e-scooter.

emerita, emeritus

Special designations approved by the university. Emeritx is a gender-inclusive option. Use the version used by the individual to describe themself.

endowed chairs

Capitalize full name, including discipline, such as the Minta Martin Professor of Engineering.

ethnicity

Ethnicity, a characterization of people based on shared ancestry, history, geography, culture, etc., is distinct from race. For example, a person could identify their ethnicity as Hispanic and their race as white. See the entry on race.

ex officio

No caps, no hyphen.

faculty

A plural noun. Preferred: faculty members.

farther, further

Farther refers to physical distance: He walked farther into the woods. Further refers to an extension of time or degree: She said she’ll give it further thought.

Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless

Italicize the full name of UMD’s fundraising campaign. Forward can be used on subsequent references. It should not be in all caps in narrative copy, as it is not an acronym.

freshman

First-year student is preferred. 

grade point average

Do not hyphenate. Preferred: GPA.

healthcare

One word, no hyphen, in all cases.

headlines

Capitalize the first word, all important words and all words of four or more letters, as if a book title. In subheads, use full sentences, lowercasing most words (sentence case) and end with a period.

homecoming

Capitalize when using the proper name of an event.

Indigenous

A term used to refer to the original inhabitants of a place. The land that the University of Maryland resides on today used to be home to the Piscataway tribe, the Indigenous people of the Chesapeake Bay region.

initials

Do not put spaces between names of people using multiple initials, unless the person specifically requests it: J.P. Morgan or J.B. Robb, but C. D. Mote, Jr.

internet

Lowercase.

italics

Use when referring to magazine titles and ship names, and when using Latin terms and other words that are not in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary.  

job titles

Capitalize formal titles in narrative writing only before someone’s name.

junior, senior

Abbreviate as Jr. and Sr. only with the individual’s full name. Do not precede with a comma unless the person specifically requests it. The same goes for II, III and IV, etc.

LGBTQ+ Equity Center

The name change from LGBT Equity Center reflects how the unit has been describing its communities and work in recent years.

living-learning programs

Preferred over living and learning programs.

long-standing

long-term

longtime

mid-Atlantic

midnight

Preferred over 12 a.m. for clarity.

military titles

Capitalize and correctly abbreviate a rank used before a person’s name. Use retired before the rank, not (ret.) afterward. Consult the AP style guide entry on this topic for more information.

minority

Avoid using as a synonym for disadvantaged, marginalized or minoritized. The term refers to those who constitute less than half of a group; it should not be employed as shorthand for people of color, either individually or in groups.

national academies

Lowercase except when referring to a specific academy by name.

nicknames

When a nickname is inserted into the identification of an individual, use quotation marks: Sen. Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson, Paul "Bear" Bryant.

noon

Preferred over 12 p.m. for clarity.

numbers

Spell out the numbers one through nine, and use numerals for 10 and up. But spell out any number starting a sentence, and use numerals for ages within sentences and in headlines.

organizations and institutions

Use lowercase for internal elements of an organization when they have names that are widely used generic terms:, the board of trustees of the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, the history department of UMD.

percent

Use % rather than spell out the word.

Ph.D.

Write out doctorate if the degree is used in a sentence: John Smith received his doctorate in psychology. But: doctoral degree.

Philip Merrill College of Journalism

On secondary references, do not use “the” before Merrill College. 

phone numbers

Use hyphens, not periods, after the area code and prefix, for digital accessibility.

professor

Use only when referring to full professors. Identify other faculty members with their proper title: Associate Professor Nicholas Schmerr of the Department of Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences is a co-author of the study. As a title, it should be capitalized only before the person's name.

programs

Capitalize the names of formal programs: University Honors, College Park Scholars or the Banneker/Key Scholarship Program.

pronouns

Avoid using he/she, he or she, him/her or him or her when referring to an unspecified person. Rephrase, use they or them or replace with the student, the applicant, etc. as appropriate for the context. When referring to an individual, use the pronouns they use. The LGBTQ+ Equity Center and GLAAD have further resources on gender-inclusive language.

race

Race, a construct based on perceived shared physical traits and used in many social and legal contexts, is distinct from ethnicity. White is a race and should be identified in the same instances as any other race would be. Avoid mentioning a person’s race or ethnicity unless relevant. See the entry on ethnicity.

residence hall

The preferred term for a dormitory building. The Department of Resident Life avoids the term dorm.

service learning

Do not hyphenate unless used as an adjective.

staff

Singular, not plural. Use an article to precede it: The staff is offering a seminar series.

Adele H. Stamp Student Union

Allowed first reference to the Adele H. Stamp Student Union-Center for Campus Life. Secondary references include Stamp Student Union or Stamp, without the. Not STAMP, as it is not an acronym.

startup

The noun and adjective referring to a new business. Start up is a verb.

state names

Use the state abbreviations listed below in conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in body copy. They are distinct from postal abbreviations (shown in parentheses):

Ala. (AL)	Md. (MD)	N.D. (ND)
Ariz. (AZ)	Mass. (MA)	Okla. (OK)
Ark. (AR)	Mich. (MI)	Ore. (OR)
Calif. (CA)	Minn. (MN)	Pa. (PA)
Colo. (CO)	Miss. (MS)	R.I. (RI)
Conn. (CT)	Mo. (MO)	S.C. (SC)
Del. (DE)	Mont. (MT)	S.D. (SD)
Fla. (FL)	Neb. (NE)	Tenn. (TN)
Ga. (GA)	Nev. (NV)	Vt. (VT)
Ill. (IL)	N.H. (NH)	Va. (VA)
Ind. (IN)	N.J. (NJ)	Wash. (WA)
Kan. (KS)	N.M. (NM)	W.Va. (WV)
Ky. (KY)	N.Y. (NY)	Wis. (WI)
La. (LA)	N.C. (NC)	Wyo. (WY)

 

state of Maryland

Do not capitalize state.

student-athlete

T-shirt

terms of study

A specific semester is capitalized: Spring 2027 or Fall 2028, but remains lowercase if generic: the spring semester.

Terrapins

Capitalize on all references to the university's athletic teams.

time

Do not use capital letters or extraneous zeros: 2 p.m. In addition, 12 a.m. should be referred to as midnight and 12 p.m. as noon whenever possible to avoid confusion.

theater

Correct when used to refer to the field of study, or a location: The theater is around the corner. But Maryland’s school title is the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies.

3D

Not 3-D.

time element

Use the days of the week, not today or tonight, in stories. Use Monday, Tuesday, etc., for days of the week within seven days before or after the current date. Use the month and a date where appropriate.

toward

Not towards.

trademark symbols

Unnecessary. Capitalization implies a name brand.

University Libraries

Use the before identifying the University Libraries, the UMD Libraries or the University Libraries. It is a singular noun, reflecting its structure as a single administrative and organizational entity: The University of Maryland Libraries is committed to creating an equitable, inclusive and supportive environment that nurtures growth and productivity.) When referring to library facilities or locations, plural usage as a common noun is appropriate: The libraries nurture growth and productivity. Note the lowercase use when referring to multiple, non-specific spaces.

University of Maryland

The preferred reference to the University of Maryland, College Park. Note the inclusion of the. On subsequent references, use UMD (without the), the university (note lowercase), Terrapins or Terps. Maryland is acceptable when there’s no risk of confusing it with the state. Prohibited: U-MD, UM and U of M. The University of Maryland, College Park (and UMCP on secondary references) is used only when referring also to the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus in the context of the MPowering the State initiative, for clarity.

URLs

Unless using an open link (URL) is necessary, use descriptive links. If using the URL, italicize and drop the http:// and www. portion. If the URL is at the end of a sentence, add a period. To create a simplified version of an unwieldy link, use the UMD URL shortener (go.umd.edu).

-wide

No hyphen for commonly recognized terms such as campuswide, statewide, systemwide and worldwide.

Xfinity Center

Not the XFINITY Center, as it is not an acronym.