What I Need to Know: Educational History and Degrees
Educational History and Degrees
Enter an employee’s educational history into Unanet as follows:
- Enter the complete name of the educational institution and location if applicable. Verify if the institution uses a comma or the word “at” to signal the location. Do not abbreviate or shorten institution names. For example:
-
- Cornell University (not “Cornell”)
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (not “UNC Chapel Hill”)
- California Baptist University (not “Cal Baptist University”)
- University of California, San Francisco (not “UCSF” or “UC San Francisco”)
- If there is potential confusion about which institution is being referred to, include the location (typically the state’s postal abbreviation) in parentheses. For example: Cornell College (IA); Miami University (OH)
- Enter the year of graduation or degree conferral.
- Choose the correct degree name from the drop-down list. If you are unsure, verify by consulting the “List of Degrees on Unanet” below. Always be as specific as possible when choosing degree names.
- Enter the individual’s major, field of study, or area of concentration. Do not abbreviate.
List of Degrees in Unanet
Note: On resumes, full degree names should be capitalized; in running prose they should be lowercased.
Abbreviation
Full Degree Name
AA
Associate of Arts
AS
Associate of Science
BA
Bachelor of Arts
BArch
Bachelor of Architecture
BS
Bachelor of Science
BTech
Bachelor of Technology
Certificate
Certificate in…
GED
General Educational Development
High School Diploma
JD
Doctor of Law (Juris Doctor)
MA
Master of Arts
MArch
Master of Architecture
MBA
Master of Business Administration
Minor
MPH
Master of Public Health
MS
Master of Science
OTHER DEGREE (SPECIFY)
PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Educational Degrees Not Listed In Unanet
If the individual’s educational degree is not listed in Unanet, do the following.
- Select “OTHER DEGREE (SPECIFY in Major Field)”
- In the “Major” field, enter the full degree name, followed by the correct abbreviation in parentheses. If the degree has a particular concentration or area of study, separate it from the degree name with a comma.
-
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Finance
- Master of Urban Studies (MUS)
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Data Analytics
- Consult the “Other Common Degree Names” list for degrees not listed in Unanet. If the degree is not listed, consult the individual and their university’s website for correct degree and discipline/major names.
- When exporting a resume to Adobe InDesign, remove the text “OTHER DEGREE (SPECIFY in Major field).” On the exported resume, use either the full degree name or the abbreviation (but not both) depending on what is consistent with the other resumes in a pursuit.
Note: Do not use the shortened terms “master’s” or “bachelor’s” or “associate’s” as part of full degree names. Always use the structure [Degree] of [Type] in [Field]: Bachelor of Science in Construction Management; Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management.
For more information on how to correctly list educational degrees, see the Swinerton Writing Style Guide (updates from September 2023 or later) which can be found on SwinNet's Brand Page.
Other Common Degree Names (Adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style):
Note: On resumes, full degree names should be capitalized; in running prose they should be lowercased. When in doubt, consult the individual and their university’s website for correct degree and discipline/major names.
Abbreviation
Full Degree Name
AAA
Associate of Applied Arts
AAS
Associate of Applied Science
AOS
Associate of Occupational Studies
BBA
Bachelor of Business Administration
BD
Bachelor of Divinity
BEng
Bachelor of Engineering
BFA
Bachelor of Fine Arts
DDS
Doctor of Dental Surgery
DO
Doctor of Osteopathy or osteopathic physician
DVM
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
EdM
Master of Education
EdD
Doctor of Education
Mac or MAcc
Master of Accountancy
MD
Doctor of Medicine
MDR
Master of Dispute Resolution
MFA
Master of Fine Arts
MHA
Master of Health Administration
MSN
Master of Science in Nursing
MSW
Master of Social Welfare/Master of Social Work
MUS
Master of Urban Studies
PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy