Graphic Standards & Publication Policies

Style

Language

Production

Style Manual & Writing Guide Bibliography

Index

Style Manual Home

Related Links

U of M Communications Tools

Graphic Standards

Driven to Discover Brand Guidelines

eCommunication Standards

Images Library

Capitalization

• General Rules
  
• University of Minnesota Rules
  
• Personal Names and Titles
  
• Groups of People
  
• Places
  
• Words Derived from Names
  
• Organizations
  
• Institutions and Companies
  
• Associations and Conferences
  
• Awards, Historical and Cultural Terms
  
• Calendar and Time Designations
  
• Religious Names and Terms
  
• Letters
  
• Military Terms
  
• Trademarks
  
• Titles of Works

1. Capitalize principal words, including verbs of any length and prepositions and adverbs of four or more letters, in capitalized titles.
   
   

   	University Without Walls
   	“Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word”

   
   
2. Capitalize the first element in hyphenated compounds in titles. Capitalize the second element if it is a noun or proper adjective or if it has equal force with the first element; do not capitalize the second element if it modifies the first element or if both elements constitute a single word.
   
   

   	Pediatric and Pediatric Neurology-Psychiatric Liaison Committee
   	19th-Century English Novel (Engl 5152)
   	School-related Projects in Language Arts

   
   
3. Do not capitalize the word immediately following a colon unless it begins a series of complete sentences or is a proper noun or adjective.
   
   

   Please bring the following to class: pens, ink, and drawing paper.

   
   
4. Do not capitalize merely to lend importance to certain words. This device is outmoded.
   
   
5. Do not capitalize the in running text, even when it is part of the official name. Exception: Capitalize the at the beginning of a name only if the official corporate name is required.
   
   

   	the College of St. Catherine
   	the Ohio State University
   	the Sphinx
   	© 1993 by The University of Chicago Press
   	the New York Times

Back to Top

1. Capitalize university when it pertains to the University of Minnesota.
   
   
2. Capitalize names of University colleges, divisions, departments, and committees only when using the full official name of the unit (as listed in the department section of the Student-Staff Directory). Exceptions should be made only for shortened unit names that could be confusing in context if not capitalized.
   
   

   	School of Dentistry, dental school, the school
   	Division of Science and Mathematics, science and mathematics division
   	Office of Special Programs, special programs, office, the office
   	Civil Service Committee, the committee, civil service staff
   	but
   	Support Services and Operations, Support Services (referring to specific department)

   
   
3. Do not capitalize personal titles that follow a name or that are used alone or in a descriptive way. (See Personal Names and Titles.)
   
   

   	Professor Emeritus Mary Turpie
   	Mary Turpie, professor emeritus of American studies

   
   
4. Capitalize initial letters of major words in course titles; do not use quotation marks around course titles. Do not capitalize fields of study.
   
   

   	Carol Cabrizzi was hired to teach Philosophy of Logic
   	The committee reported on the graduate program in history.

   
   
5. Capitalize abbreviations of degrees and use periods; do not capitalize spelled-out names of degrees.
   
   

   	B.A.
   	B.S.
   	M.A.
   	M.F.A.
   	Ph.D.
   	LL.D.
   	bachelor of arts degree
   	master’s degree
   	the doctorate

   
   
6. Capitalize names of campuses, but not the word campus. Do not capitalize the term coordinate campus. Capitalize west bank and east bank when they stand alone; do not capitalize them when “of the Twin Cities campus” is appended. (See “Campus or Location Designation” chapter).
   
   
7. Capitalize mall as part of the name Northrop Mall, which has been declared a historic area by the Board of Regents. Do not capitalize plaza, as in Northrop plaza.
   
   

   	Duluth campus
   	Twin Cities campus
   	the west bank of the Twin Cities campus

Back to Top

1. Capitalize names and initials of persons; when in doubt about spelling or capitalization, check references such as the Student-Staff Directory, Who’s Who, and Webster’s Biographical Dictionary. Become aware of unusual cases.
   
   

   	Barbra Streisand
   	Lary May
   	Edward FitzGerald
   	Robert ten Bensel

   
   
2. Capitalize official academic, professional, military, civil, and religious titles and titles of nobility when they immediately precede a name, as part of the name.
   
   

   	President William Folwell
   	Governor Ella Grasso
   	Regents Professor of Chemical Engineering Rutherford Aris

   
   
3. Do not capitalize descriptive titles that precede names.
   
   

   	University president William Folwell
   	art history professor Sheila McNally
   	concerts and lectures director Dale Schatzlein
   	IT dean H. Ted Davis

   
   
4. Do not capitalize titles when used alone, in place of a name.
   
   

   	the president and regents of the University
   	the governor

   
   
5. Do not capitalize titles that follow a name (exceptions are full titles of regents professors and of holders of other endowed chairs or professorships).
   
   

   	William Folwell, president of the University
   	Joan Growe, Minnesota secretary of state
   	Margaret Davis, Regents Professor of Ecology and Behavioral Biology

   
   
6. Do not capitalize kinship names except when followed by a personal name or when used alone in place of a name.
   
   

   	our mother
   	ask Mother
   	“Yes, Dad.”
   	Aunt Claire

   
   
7. Capitalize a characterizing word or phrase used as part of or in place of a personal name; capitalize and use quotation marks around a phrase used in addition to a full name.
   
   

   	Snapper Stein
   	John Sargent Pillsbury, “Father of the University”

Back to Top

1. Capitalize names of racial, linguistic, tribal, religious, and national groupings of people. Note: Although capitalized, Negro and Oriental are considered unacceptable.
   
   

   	Caucasian
   	Native American
   	Chicano
   	African American
   	Protestant

   
   
2. Do not capitalize designations based on color or size.
   
   

   	black
   	white
   	pygmy (but capitalize when referring to specific group)

Back to Top

1. Capitalize words designating political divisions of the world, geographic regions, and generally accepted names for areas; do not capitalize descriptive words that indicate direction only.
   
   

   	Upper Midwest	North Shore
   	Hennepin County	Dinkytown
   	western Minnesota	southeast Minneapolis
   	Fifth Congressional District

   
   
2. Capitalize names of mountains, rivers, lakes, etc., as well as generic terms used as part of the names; do not capitalize generic terms used descriptively.
   
   

   	Superior National Forest
   	the north woods
   	Red River Valley
   	the Whitefish chain

   
   
3. Capitalize a generic term that follows or precedes more than one name.
   
   

   	Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers
   	Lakes Harriet and Calhoun

   
   
4. Capitalize names of buildings, thoroughfares, monuments, etc., as well as generic terms used as part of the names; do not capitalize generic terms used descriptively.
   
   

   	Selvig Hall
   	Northrop Memorial Auditorium
   	Edson Hall auditorium
   	University Avenue
   	Washington Avenue Bridge
   	Wilson reserve room

Back to Top

1. Capitalize full names of governmental bodies and offices; do not capitalize adjectives derived from them or incomplete names for them.
   
   

   	U.S. Congress, congressional delegation
   	state supreme court
   	Minnesota Legislature, the legislature
   	federal government
   	University Senate
   	the senate
   	(divisions of the U.S. Congress are exceptions: the House, the Senate)

   
   
2. Capitalize names of political and economic organizations and of members of political parties; do not capitalize names of political groups other than parties.
   
   

   	Independent-Republican Party
   	Communist Party
   	Democrat
   	European Union
   	independent

   
   
3. Do not capitalize words designating political and economic philosophies or their proponents, unless such words are derived from proper nouns.
   
   

   	democracy
   	capitalist
   	communism
   	Marxist

Back to Top

ASSOCIATIONS AND CONFERENCES

Capitalize full titles of associations, unions, meetings, and conferences; do not capitalize generic terms used alone.

1. Capitalize names of awards and prizes; do not capitalize descriptive terms used alone.
   
   

   	Pulitzer Prize winner
   	Outstanding Achievement Award
   	Fulbright Fellowship (but Fulbright grant, the fellowship)

   
   
2. Consult your dictionary or other accepted references for capitalization of names of historical and cultural periods, movements, and events.
   
   
3. Do not capitalize the numerical designation of a period unless it is part of a proper noun.
   
   

   	the fifties
   	The Third Republic lasted until the Nazi occupation.

Back to Top

1. Capitalize names of days of the week, months of the year, and religious and secular holidays.
   
   

   	Christmas Eve
   	Fourth of July
   	Labor Day

   
   
2. Do not capitalize names of seasons or academic terms, or descriptive names for days.
   
   

   	spring
   	fall semester
   	summer session
   	election day

   
   
3. Do not capitalize designations of time or time zones; capitalize their abbreviations (except a.m. and p.m.).
   
   

   	third-hour class
   	central standard time
   	CST

1. Capitalize names of religious bodies and their members, and derived adjectives. Capitalize such terms as church, cathedral, and temple when they are part of an official name; do not capitalize such terms when they are used descriptively.
   
   

   	Buddhist
   	Orthodox
   	Judaism
   	Roman Catholic Church (faith)
   	a Roman Catholic church (building)
   	St. Anne’s Catholic Church (official name)

   
   
2. Capitalize names for the Bible and its sections and of other sacred works; do not capitalize adjectives derived from them.
   
   

   	Old Testament
   	Dead Sea Scrolls
   	biblical
   	King James Version
   	Talmud
   	scriptural

Back to Top

1. Capitalize letters standing for musical keys. For repeated references to musical keys, use capital letters for major keys and lowercase letters for minor keys and omit the words major and minor.
   
   

   	middle C
   	the key of G
   	an E string
   	the key of F-sharp minor/the key of f sharp

   
   
2. Capitalize a letter used in place of a name in a hypothetical statement or an initial used alone or with hyphens to stand for a name.
   
   

   	If A places B in the new position…
   	Colonel P--- and Lady S--- were invited to the reception.

   
   
3. Capitalize letters used to indicate shape. If possible, use gothic type (type without serifs).
   
   

   	an X intersection
   	in the form of an S
   	a V-neck sweater

1. Capitalize full titles of military forces; do not capitalize incomplete names or derived adjectives.
   
   

   	United States Marine Corps
   	the marines
   	marine recruiter
   	Reserve Officers Training Corps
   	the reserves
   	army reservist

   
   
2. Capitalize full titles of wars, battles, and military awards.
   
   

   	World War II
   	Second World War
   	Battle of the Bulge
   	Medal of Honor

Back to Top