Preferred spellings and style

A level: no hyphen, note lower case “l”. Use AS level and A2 level to differentiate between one- and two-year qualifications.

ACCA: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

accommodation: often misspelled. Use when referring to all University accommodation. If referring to a specific hall, use that building’s full name.

AHRC: Arts and Humanities Research Council.

allies: use upper case "A" when "Allies" is part of the name, such as Second World War Allies and BAME Network & Allies, but lower case for other instances. 

alumni: avoid, unless referring to the Alumni & Supporter Engagement Office at the University of Reading. Refer to former students as graduates.

anniversaries: anniversaries follow our general rule about numbers. Spell out numbers from one to nine, and use numerals for 10 and above. For example, “The University celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026.”

are/is: we use “is” with singular subjects and “are” with plural subjects.

Collective nouns usually take “is”. For example: “The Content Team is working on the style guide.” If this sounds awkward you can use “are” by referring to the group’s members. For example: “Content Team members are working on the style guide.”

Exceptions to this rule include bands and sports teams. For example: “Reading FC are playing on Saturday.”

BA: Bachelor of Arts.

bachelor's: note the lower-case “b” and the apostrophe. The plural of this is “bachelor’s degrees”. The term “undergraduate” may be preferable in some uses, for example, "we offer a variety of undergraduate courses".

When making a specific reference to one of our courses, simply use the official name of the course. Also use this if referring to a degree as part of someone’s title.

In biographies or news stories where we are describing someone’s educational background, use the term "bachelor's" along with the subject studied (both in lower case).

Examples of correct usage:

• I have a bachelor’s degree.
• My parents have bachelor’s degrees.
• Our BSc Construction Management is a popular course.
• Joe Bloggs, BSc Human Geography.
• He holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from the University of Reading.

Examples of incorrect usage:

• He was awarded bachelors’ degrees in Archaeology and History.
• You can choose from a variety of bachelors degrees.
• Our Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art is award­winning.

BBSRC: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

BCA: Berkshire College of Agriculture.

BEng: Bachelor of Engineering.

Blackboard Learn: the University’s virtual learning environment. We write it with initial capitals.

British English: we use British spellings not American. For example, use -ise not -ize spellings: organise, recognise, specialise. Other examples: adviser not advisor; colour, not color.

It may be useful to check your computer is set to use the English (UK) dictionary in Microsoft Office applications. If you are unsure how to do this contact the University IT Service Desk.

BSc: Bachelor of Science.

BTEC: Business & Technology Education Council. The organisation no longer exists but the acronym is used in the qualification, for example, BTEC National Diploma.

BUCS: British Universities & Colleges Sport. Previously known as British Universities Sports Association (BUSA).

building names: capitalise the names of buildings but use lower case for the word “building”. The word "building" is not usually an official part of a University of Reading building name.

Please note these unique spellings:

• Blandford Lodge
• Chancellor's
• Edith Morley
• Harborne
• Harry Nursten
• Harry Pitt
• JJ Thompson
• Minghella Studios
• Philip Lyle
• Polly Vacher.

C2 Proficiency: a certificate of proficiency in English. Formerly known as the Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE).

CAF: Chemical Analysis Facility.

cafe: not “café” unless part of an official name.

campus: we don’t capitalise this; for example, “We are located at the Whiteknights campus,” and “All lectures are held on our campus.”

Careers Centre: note the capitals. 

CAS: to refer to the 'Centre for Agricultural Strategy' or 'Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies'.

CEAS: Centre for Euro-Asian Studies.

Cedars Hotel and Conference Centre: note the capitals.

CeLM: Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism. Note the lower case “e”. 

Centre for Agri-Environmental Research: note the capitals.

Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics: note the capitals. Often abbreviated to “CINN”.

century: we write centuries in words (lower case) rather than in numbers. For example, “in the twenty-first century” and “in the nineteenth century”. When used adjectively, the century should be hyphenated, for example, “twenty-first-century book” and “nineteenth-century poetry”.

Exceptions:

• Abbreviate when the character count is restricted, such as in headlines and on social media.

CFA: Chartered Financial Analyst.

Chancellor: always capitalise when referring to the Chancellor of the University.

Chancellor’s building: note the apostrophe and capitals.

Chaplaincy Centre: note the capitals.

Charlie Waller Institute: note the capitals.

CIM: Chartered Institute of Marketing. 

CIP: Centre for Institutional Performance.

CIPD: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

CISI: Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.

Clearing: note the capitalisation.

Co-op: shop on Whiteknights campus. Note the hyphen and capitals.

Convenor: not “convener”.

Council: always capitalise when referring to the executive governing body of the University of Reading. When referring to any other council, such as a local authority, capitalise only when using the full name of the authority.

Examples of correct usage:

• There are four external members of the Council.
• Planning applications are handled by Reading Borough Council.
• You can apply via the council’s website at www.reading.gov.uk.

Counselling and Wellbeing Team: note the capitals.

course: we refer to our degrees as courses when communicating with external audiences, such as prospective students and applicants, as they are more familiar with this term. When addressing an internal audience, such as current students, use the term “programme”. See also: degree

Continuing Professional Development (CPD): use "Continuing Professional Development (CPD)" as the first reference, followed by "CPD" for subsequent references.

CREPR: Centre for Real Estate and Planning Research.

cross-: usually hyphenated as a prefix; for example, cross-curricular, cross-disciplinary.

CQSD: Centre for Quality Support and Development.

DBA: Doctor of Business Administration.

degree: lower case; for example, “We offer three undergraduate degrees,” and “She achieved a first in her degree.”

degree classifications: avoid numerals when referring to degree classifications. We prefer:

• first-class honours
• upper second-class honours
• lower second-class honours
• third-class honours
• ordinary degree.

Example of incorrect usage:

• She got a 3rd in English.

Exceptions:

• Where space is limited, and on University course pages, it is acceptable to use abbreviated terms such as “2:1”.

department: use lower case if referring to departments in general, but an initial capital when referring to a specific department. When discussing a particular department, in the first instance refer to the department name in full, and thereafter as “the Department”.

Examples of correct usage:

• Courses are run by a number of departments.
• The Department of Meteorology is a world leader.

Example of incorrect usage:

• Interdisciplinary research takes place across a number of Schools and Departments.

For a full list of our departments, please see our ⁠academic schools and departments page.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: note the capitals and hyphen.

Disability Advisory Service: note the capitals.

Doctoral and Researcher College: note the capitals. Formerly known as the Graduate School.

Dol.cHe Vita: note the full stop and capitals. Use “Dolche Vita” in running text.

EAP: English for Academic Purposes.

Eat: brand name of the University’s catering outlets. This should be written with an initial capital in running text; it is lower case only in the logo.

EB: European Baccalaureate.

EFL: English as a Foreign Language.

e.g.: we do not use Latin abbreviations. Use something like “for example” or “such as” instead.

email: one word, no hyphen. University email addresses should be written with the domain name in full, using all lower-case letters: j.smith@reading.ac.uk.

Emeritus Professor: a professor who has retired but retains an honorary title.

EPSRC: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

EQUIS: European Quality Improvement System.

ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council.

etc.: we do not use Latin abbreviations. Use something like “and so on” instead.

extracurricular: note the lack of hyphen.

Freshers' Week: avoid. We use the term Welcome Week.

full-time/full time: we hyphenate when this is used as a compound adjective; for example, “I’m studying a full-time course,” but “My course is full time.”

fundraising: one word.

government: lower case even when referring to the particular people in office.

graduand/graduate: lower case. Graduand: a person who has passed but has not yet received their degree. Graduate: a person who has received a degree.

Graduate Institute of International Development, Agriculture and Economics: often abbreviated to “GIIDAE”.

graduation: lower case unless referring to a specific event; for example, “There are several graduation ceremonies throughout the year,” and “The Graduation Ceremony starts at 10:00.”

groundbreaking: one word.

halls: we don’t use initial caps on halls, hall or halls of residence; for example, “Students should apply early for a place in halls” and “Our halls of residence are available to all students.” Only use initial cap when referring to the halls by name; for example, “Wantage Hall is catered whereas St George’s Hall is self-catered.”

Halls Hotline: note the capitals.

HBS: Harvard Business School. Note that this should not be used for Henley Business School at the University of Reading.

HCCM: Henley Centre for Customer Management.

HCfE: Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship.

HCIC: Heritage & Creativity Institute for Collections. Note the ampersand.

HEI: Higher Education Institution.

Henley Business School: refer to it as Henley Business School. After the first instance, “Henley” or “the Business School” can be used. Avoid HBS as it is the accepted acronym for Harvard Business School. If you need to make a distinction between campuses, use Henley Business School, Greenlands campus or Henley Business School, Whiteknights campus.

Examples of correct usage:

• Henley Business School is ranked in the top 30 business schools in the world.
• The Henley Executive MBA programme is taught at the Greenlands campus.

Example of incorrect usage:

• HBS offers a wide range of business courses.

higher education: note lower case, but use upper case for "HE" abbreviation.

Hons: with honours. Usually written: (Hons). For example, “BA (Hons)” but we never use “Hons” in our course titles.

Example of correct usage:

• BA English Literature.

Example of incorrect usage:

• BA (Hons) English Literature.

IB: International Baccalaureate.

ICAEW: Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

ICMA: International Capital Market Association.

ICMA Centre: International Capital Market Association Centre. Use ICMA Centre, not ICMAC.

ICMR: Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research.

i.e.: we do not use Latin abbreviations. Use something like “in other words” or “that is to say” instead.

IELTS: International English Language Testing System.

IFP: International Foundation Programme.

IMBA: International Master of Business Administration.

Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research: note the capitals. Often abbreviated to “ICMR”.

Institute of Education: often abbreviated to “IoE”.

Institution-Wide Language Programme: often abbreviated to “IWLP”.

inter-: not hyphenated as a prefix; for example, interdisciplinary, intercultural.

International Foundation Programme: often abbreviated to “IFP”.

International Study and Language Institute: often abbreviated to “ISLI”.

internationally excellent: Research Excellence Framework classification.

ISLI: International Study and Language Institute.

IT Service Desk: note the capitals.

JJ Thompson: building on Whiteknights campus. Note the capitals.

JMCR: the John Madejski Centre for Reputation.

job titles: when referring to a role generally, use lower case; for example, “She is a director,” and “Our lecturers are engaged in a variety of research.” When using a role as part of a person’s title or to refer to a specific person in that role, use initial capitals; for example, “John Smith, Director of Admissions” and “The Vice-Chancellor gave a lecture.”

Knowledge Transfer Centre: note the capitals. After the first instance, it can be abbreviated to KTC.

Knowledge Transfer Partnership: note the capitals. After the first instance, it can be abbreviated to KTP.

KPI: key performance indicator.

LGBTQIA+: the University currently uses the term "LGBTQIA+". However, there may be instances where different formations of this term are used, for example, when referencing historic work or research/data that uses a different term.

Library: full name “University of Reading Library”. After the first instance this can be shortened to “University Library” or “Library”. Lower case if referring to general libraries, such as a library of resources.

Little Learners Day Nursery: nursery on Whiteknights campus. Note the capitals.

login/log in: use ‘login’ as a noun, for example: “I’ve forgotten my login details.” Use ‘log in’ as a verb, for example: “I need to log in to my account.” You can use the term ‘log in’ or ‘sign in’, but it’s important to be consistent.

MA: Master of Arts.

MA(Res): Master of Arts by Research.

MArch: Master of Architecture.

master's: generally speaking, you write in lower case: “master’s degree”. Note the apostrophe. The plural of this is “master’s degrees”.

When making a specific reference to one of our courses, simply use the official name of the course. Also use this if referring to a degree as part of someone’s title.

In biographies or news stories where we are describing someone’s educational background, use the degree title along with the subject studied.

Examples of correct usage:

• Roberto has a master’s degree.
• We offer a wide range of master’s degrees.
• Our MA International Relations is taught by experts.
• Joe Bloggs, MSc Food Science.
• She holds a master’s degree in plant diversity from the University of Reading.

Examples of incorrect usage:

• The students went on to study masters’ degrees in Art and History.
• You can choose from a variety of masters degrees.
• Our Master’s Degree in Medieval Studies is award­winning.

Exceptions:

• Master of Business Administration.

Mathematics: avoid 'maths'

MBA: Master of Business Administration.

Examples of correct usage:

• He has an MBA.
• She holds a Master of Business Administration.

Example of incorrect usage:

• He has a master’s degree in Business Administration.

MChem: Master of Chemistry.

MEng: Master of Engineering.

MERL: Museum of English Rural Life.

MMath: Master of Mathematics.

MMet: Master of Meteorology.

MOD: Ministry of Defence. Note upper case “O”.

modules: we use initial capitals for all important words in module names. You do not need to capitalise articles (“the”, “an” and “a”) except when they start a sentence.

Examples of correct usage:

• Students on our Communications at Work module also undertake a short placement.
• Optional modules include:
  • Icons of Spain and Latin America   
  • The Making of Modern France   
  • Introduction to French Culture.

Example of incorrect usage:

• Optional modules include:   
  • Icons Of Spain And Latin America   
  • The making of modern france   
  • Introduction to French culture.

mortarboard: the square academic cap worn at graduation ceremonies.

MPhil: Master of Philosophy.

MRC: Medical Research Council.

MRes: Master of Research.

MSc: Master of Science.

MSc by Research: Master of Science by Research.

MSci: Master in Science; an integrated master’s degree, usually lasting four years, where the first three years are similar to a BSc course and the final year is at master’s level.

multi: not hyphenated as a prefix; for example: multicultural, multidiscipline, multidisciplinary, multicurricular.

Muslim Centre: note the capitals.

MyJobsOnline: note the capitals and lack of spacing.

National Centre for Earth Observation: note the capitals.

NERC: Natural Environment Research Council.

NSS: National Student Survey.

Open Day: only use initial capitals when referring to a specific day; if referring to open days in general use lower case.

Examples of correct usage:

• Come to our Open Day on 1 June.
• You are welcome to attend an open day.

Examples of incorrect usage:

• Have you registered to attend our open day?
• Come to our open day on 1 June.

Part: we often use “Part” when referring to sections of a programme. Should be written with an initial upper case letter; for example, “In Part 1, students will take three core modules.” As this is not a commonly known term for prospective students, use “Year” in external-facing documents instead.

part-time/part time: we hyphenate when this is used as a compound adjective; for example, “I’m studying a part-time course,” but “You can study this course part time.”

pavilion: not 'pavillion'.

PgCE: Professional Graduate Certificate in Education. Note: This should not be confused with PGCE or PGCert.

PGCE: Postgraduate Certificate in Education. Note: This should not be confused with PgCE or PGCert.

PGCert: Postgraduate Certificate. Note: This should not be confused with PGCE.

PGDip: Postgraduate Diploma.

PhD: Doctor of Philosophy. Use “DPhil” to refer to an Oxford PhD. For plural use, use “PhDs”.

postdoctoral: one word.

postgraduate: one word, lower case. We do not use the “PG” abbreviation.

program: we use program only as a computing term; for example, “This is a new computer program.”

programme: we use programme internally to refer to a programme of study at the University; for example, “You may choose a variety of modules within your programme” and “The School offers several programmes in this subject area.”

We refer to our degrees as courses when communicating with external audiences, such as prospective students and applicants, as they are more familiar with this term.

We also use programme to mean television programme.

Note that Henley post­experience courses are referred to as “programmes”.

programme members: at Henley, programme participants are referred to as programme members rather than students. Participants can also be used. For example, “Executive MBA programme members will undertake a research project in the final months.”

programme titles: we use initial capitals on all important words. For example, MSc Food Economics and Marketing. Always check the order of words and whether the department uses “&” or “and” in titles.

Pro-­Vice-­Chancellor: note the use of two hyphens and capitals at the start of each word.

The University has four Pro-Vice-Chancellor positions:

• Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience)
• Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Planning and Resource)
• Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
• Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International)

Example of correct usage:

• The Pro­-Vice-­Chancellor announced a series of changes.

Example of incorrect usage:

• She is the new P-V-C.

Exceptions:

• We can abbreviate to PVC when space is limited; for example, in headlines or tweets.

Public Lecture Series: note the capitals.

Reading Enterprise Centre: note the capitals.

Reading Film Theatre: note the capitals.

Reading Real Estate Foundation: note the capitals.

Reading School of Art: note the capitals.

Reading School of Pharmacy: note the capitals.

Reading Scientific Services Ltd.: note the capitals and full stop. Often abbreviated to “RSSL”.

Reading Students' Union (RSU) and Students' Union clubs: note the position of the apostrophe. Only use “Reading University” when referring to Students’ Union clubs or associations, for example, the Reading University Badminton Club. For things relating to the University, always use “University of Reading”.

RED Award: Reading Experience and Development Award.

REF: Research Excellence Framework.

REP: School of Real Estate & Planning.

research centres: when writing about research centres in general, use lower case. When writing about a specific research centre or building, use capitals. For example, "The University has many research centres" but "Learn more about the Lord Zuckerman Research Centre."

research themes: note that the titles of our research themes should be capitalised. Our research themes are: Agriculture, Food & Health, Environment, Heritage & Creativity, and Prosperity & Resilience. 

RICS: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

RREF: Reading Real Estate Foundation.

RTPI: Royal Town Planning Institute.

RUBC: Reading University Boat Club (belonging to Reading Students’ Union). After the first instance this can be referred to as RUBC or the Boat Club.

school names: use lower case if referring to schools in general, but an initial capital when referring to a specific school. When discussing a particular school, in the first instance refer to the school name in full, and thereafter as "the School".

Examples of correct usage:

• Each school is home to a number of research groups.
• The School of Law has a high rate of student satisfaction.
• Interdisciplinary research takes place across a number of schools and departments.

Example of incorrect usage:

• The University is home to a number of Schools.

For a full list of our schools, please see our ⁠academic schools and departments page.

SEEDA: South East England Development Agency.

sign in: you can use the term ‘log in’ or ‘sign in’, but it’s important to be consistent.

Southern Universities Management Services: note the capitals. Often abbreviated to “SUMS”.

Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium: note the capitals. Often abbreviated to “SUPC”.

Special Collections: service providing access to University rare books and archives.

Speech and Language Therapy Clinic: note the capitals.

SportsPark: sports facility on Whiteknights campus. One word (no space), note the capitals.

students: we don’t use an initial cap. For example, “We welcome international students.” The term “programme members” is used when referring to those attending Henley Business School.

Students' Union: use initial caps and note the position of the apostrophe.

Study Abroad: use upper case when referring to our Study Abroad programme, but lower case when referring to studying abroad as an option.

Summer Ball: note the capitals.

Technologies for Sustainable Built Environments Centre: note the capitals. Often abbreviated to “TSBE”.

TEEP: Test of English for Educational Purposes.

TEF: Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework.

temperature: our preferred temperature format is: 2°C, which in this example indicates a temperature of two degrees Celsius. However, writing out the temperature in full (“two degrees Celsius”) is also acceptable.

term: the University now divides the academic year into semesters, not terms.

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language.

TSBE: Technologies for Sustainable Built Environments.

Turing Scheme: an international programme for studying and working abroad. It replaces the Erasmus programme.

UCAS: Universities and Colleges Admissions Service; however, "UCAS" can be used as most people know it by the acronym.

UCQF: University Credit and Qualifications Framework.

undergraduate: one word, lower case. We do not use the “UG” abbreviation.

Unibuddy: note one word and capital letter.

University Medical Group: note the capitals.

University name: we refer to the University as “the University of Reading” (not “The University of Reading”, “Reading University” or “UoR”). After the first instance this may be shortened to “University”. Note the upper case “U”. When referring to universities in general, the word should be lower case.

Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology: note the capitals.

US: United States; no spaces or punctuation. Use only as an adjective; for example, “She is a US citizen,” and not “She is from the US.”

USA: United States of America; no spaces or punctuation. Use only as a noun; for example, “She is from the USA,” and not “She is a USA citizen.”

Venue Reading: note the capitals.

Vice-­Chancellor: note the use of a hyphen and capitals at the start of each word. We can abbreviate to VC where space is limited, such as in headlines and tweets.

Vice-Chancellor’s Office: note the use of a hyphen and capitals at the start of each word.

VLE: virtual learning environment. Note that this is not capped when spelled out.

Welcome Week: week-long event with activities introducing new students to the University. Formerly known as Freshers’ Week.

wellbeing: one word.

Wi-Fi: note the capitals and hyphen.

world-leading/world leading: we hyphenate when this is used as a compound adjective; for example, “Our world-leading research,” but “Our research is world leading.” This word should only be used in reference to the Research Excellence Framework classification.

World Wars: capitalise when referring to the First and Second World Wars.

Year: use upper case when referring to the specific year of a programme but not years in general.

Examples of correct usage:

• In Year 3, students will complete a dissertation.
• The programme runs over three years.

Only use “Part” for an internal audience. For an external audience (such as prospective students, use the word "Year", as this is more widely understoof.

Example of incorrect usage for external audience:

• In Part 3, you will complete a dissertation.

years: for academic years, we use a slash: YYYY/YY. For calendar years, we use an en-dash: YYYY–YY. Use figures for decades, and an apostrophe before the numbers in abbreviations; for example, “The 1960s”, “In the ’60s”.