How to Capitalize College Majors in Essays
by Kathleen M.
For the most part, you understand when to use capital letters. But when talking about college majors, the rules are various.
- You should capitalize the major name if it includes a proper noun (American Studies) or language name.
- You should capitalize the major if it is a part of the formal name of the degree.
- You should not capitalize in most other scenarios.
So here is a super basic tip – if you are speaking in general terms, use lower case and if you are being specific, capitalize.
Example 1:
I am interested in studying English and possibly double majoring in applied physics.
Here English is capitalized because it is a language name (the same is true for Latin, Spanish, German). But applied physics is not capitalized because it is the name of a field of study.
Example 2:
The Department of Biology provides a well-rounded introduction to the field of biology as well as preparation for medical degrees.
In this example, the department name is formal and specific and the name of the field is general so that in one part of the sentence, biology is capitalized and in another it is not.
Example 3:
Susan reached her goal when she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.
Here the capitalization is related both to formality and specific use.
Example 4:
Paul studied chemistry in a summer program, and wants to pursue biochemistry in college.
Notice that the major names are not capitalized here, they are specific majors but the fields themselves are vast.
Hopefully, this is helpful and reminds you to verify your usage as you proofread your final drafts. If you know you struggle with capitalization anyway, then you should refer to the rules on how to capitalize college majors and apply them each time you write.
