Hello all, Well, as most of us know what MBA, MA, CFA, CPA, CISSP, CMA, and MSc are, how do we "read" (if not decode) those crazy abbreviations of other titles? Also, if something like me want to show off the certificate I got from Harvard or Princeton or some top-notch schools, how do we show it? Any links that can be of help? Thanks, Mike.
It's all about! It's all about a question of degree! In over 20 years of working in both the academic world and business (including interviewing hundreds of people for jobs) I've always been amazed by what people put on their business cards and cvs/resumes! Often, people with non-degree level credentials plaster them all over their business cards. Then, most recently, I found a well known Cambridge University academic (now not at Cantab) with his own PhD from Cambridge and who has been a professor and head of dept in three or four major business schools, using a professional association's membership letters on his card! I have the same level of membership but don't use it or the letters after my name! He clearly thinks it is extremely worthwhile whereas I think less so of the title/award, albeit being a member has other things that are of value rather than the letters you can use after your name! All a question of degree! AJJ
One of my favorite books in higher ed is Epithetology by Bartholomew -- every degree and certificate designation in use or ever used, through 1948, with the author's very strict, almost belligerent rules for usage. Here's the only library reference I could find http://js-catalog.cpl.org:60100/MARION/BGL-3970 There were 5 listed just now at www.bookfinder.com, three at $10 and two at $50. Even if the copyright was renewed in 1976, it would apparently expire next year. Wouldn't it be nice if someone republished it, or, better still, updated it and then republished it.
By looking at the card, it is possible to decode where the degree was awarded. For instance, if one gets a degree from an Ivy League university, the degree will be shortened as AB, SB or AM, SM instead of BA, BS or MA, MS. The Brits would be different again: BSc instead of BS. The Oxford, Cambridge or other classical British MA degree is not worth the paper it is written on--these are not EARNED degrees, and these are noted as MA(Oxon), MA (Cantab), etc. There are rules in certain jurisdiction about the use of titles or designations, if these designations, etc. are "reserved names". In some jurisdiction, "Dr." is a reserved title and may only be used by medical doctors.
USA wrote: The Oxford, Cambridge or other classical British MA degree is not worth the paper it is written on--these are not EARNED degrees, and these are noted as MA(Oxon), MA (Cantab), etc. Well, considerations of *academic* worth aside, these degrees are entirely legally valid and are awarded by two of the most prestigious institutions of learning in the world. When one graduates MA Oxon or Cantab, one attends a graduation ceremony, receives the sheepskin and can use the letters - and there is absolutely no requirement to place Oxon or Cantab after them unless you feel like it. There have been various attempts by Oxford and Cambridge to justify their practise over the years. The closest they have come to a justification is that it represents an acknowledgement of the life experience of their BAs since their graduation and is thus very much *earned* in their eyes. Contrary to report, at Cambridge it does not depend on payment of a fee. You could also go from having the lowest possible pass mark in your BA(Hons) to graduating MA Oxon or Cantab without let or hindrance. Other universities (Durham in particular) used to award automatic MAs as well, though this had stopped by about the 1930s. Just in case this wasn't confusing enough, MA is also the title of the standard first arts degree at the old Scottish universities and at Dundee. It may be awarded with or without honours depending on the length and content of the course, so MA(Hons) is seen from time to time. At Oxford, a one year taught postgraduate course leads to the MSt, except in Philosophy, where the BPhil is more usually taken, whilst at Cambridge it leads to the MPhil, except in Theology, where the MPhil takes two years. That, of course, is unless you are a continuing education student at Cambridge, in which case you get the MSt. And I haven't even got on to the higher baccalaureates...
Harvard and Yale used to do the automatic MA as well, but stopped more than 100 years ago. However they still (at least as of a couple of years ago when LinguaFranca wrote about it) give an automatic Master's to new faculty who probably have a Master's and Doctorate from somewhere else but do not happen to have a Harvard or Yale degree. I've often wondered if and how the recipients of those curiosities list them on business cards, CyrusVanovers, etc. John Bear B.A., M.J., University of California, Berkeley Ph.D., Michigan State University (that beat Notre Dame again yesterday) Member, S.A.M.
See, there are two good things about Moo U in the same post! (If you're around Sout' Bend, UND is profoundly hostile to visiting use of its library--sooo helpful for us DL types! By contrast, IUSB and St Mary's are wonderfully hospitable, and Valpo isn't bad.)
John Bear on Epithetology: "...Wouldn't it be nice if someone republished it..." Jimmy: "I nominate Ten Speed Press!" John: Even if I were still dealing with Ten Speed, which I'm not, I wouldn't recommend it to them, since it has, I suspect, a very very limited audience. Probably a perfect candidate for www.xlibris.com or one of the other on-line fusion publishing services.
Just trying to be funny but guess I can't out-FOX the BEAR. By the way, Dr. Bear, how did you know my birthday was 8-25 when you wished me a happy b'day on 8-27 via this forum? I have 8-25-51 listed in my CP profile info but when my name is clicked in the "Curently Active Users" section it shows December 31, 1969. I wish!
Hi Dr., thanks for your detailed explanations. But what is Oxon and Cantab? Why don't people just put something like: MA (Oxford) or MA (Cambridge) then? Thanks. Michael
It's the last relic (well, along with the latin oration at Encaenia) of the days when latin was the language of scholarship. Universitas Oxoniensis and Universitas Cantabrigensis. Angela
You can do the Latin abbreviation thing with almost any British school whose name can be latinized: BA(Ebor) = York BA(Exon) = Exeter BA(Lond - for Londinium) = London MA(Cantuar) = Lambeth degree of MA - awarded by A'bp of Canterbury. etc etc (these are the most common ones).
Right........ So that only applies to British schools, right? For US schools, then what do they use? Just curious, Michael
The University of Vermont is frequently referred to as UVM, hence their web site, http://www.uvm.edu. This is based on the Latin name for the University, Universitas Viridis Montis, which means University of the Green Mountains.
Hi again, I am recruited by this new company, and it requires me to put my degree and the names of those awarding institutes on the business cards. Can anybody help me? I got a MBA from University of Wales, Newport. And a SCPM from Stanford University. So, I guess, I should put something like this on my business card right? Mickey Mouse MBA (Wales), SCPM (Stanford) OR Mickey Mouse MBA, Wales ; SCPM Stanford OR Is there a better way to put it? What about those weird latin words? Does U of Wales and Stanford have those latin version (like Cantab for Cambridge, etc.)? By the way, are the names of those institutions required to be italic? This is getting on my nerve! ARGH!!! =O Thanks alot! M.
Personally, I don't think you should list your qualifications on your business card. It always looks silly to me. But if you want to, your first format would be OK. Though the SCPM is not an academic qualification, and so perhaps should not be listed together with the MBA like that. Instead of Latin, perhaps you should list your MBA as Prifysgol Cymru, Casnewydd.
Personally, I'm a fan of the "less is more" school of thought when it comes to business cards . . . Name Position Contact info Probably there's already a logo on the card so the organization is identified. If you're required to put your degrees and schools then I'd use the parentheses as opposed to the italics. It's just my sense of aesthetics (which are, of course, subjective). Jack (now if you want to talk about preferred fonts then we can roll up our sleeves and really get to work)
Jack: "(now if you want to talk about preferred fonts then we can roll up our sleeves and really get to work)" John: Goudy. What more is there to say? John Bear, whose wife's business card job title, when she was assistant to the president of Bell & Howell, read "Piwiwarmi" and whose eldest daughters, when she was editor at Ten Speed, read "Word Monkey."
