What degrees should you put after your name?

The most common practice, especially in the U.S., is to include only your highest earned degree after your name in professional contexts.

Determining Which Degrees to List

Deciding which academic degrees to list after your name depends largely on the context, the profession, and the purpose of the communication. While there are specific scenarios where listing more than one degree might be appropriate, the general rule prioritizes clarity and conciseness by featuring your most significant academic achievement.

General Guidelines for Professional Contexts

For most professional settings, such as business cards, email signatures, professional websites, or resumes, the standard approach is to list only your highest earned degree. This practice simplifies your credentials, making them easy to understand and preventing clutter.

• Clarity: Listing only the highest degree provides a clear and immediate understanding of your top academic qualification without overwhelming the reader.
• Conciseness: It keeps your signature or professional listing brief and professional.
• Professionalism: It adheres to widely accepted professional etiquette.

For example, if you hold a Bachelor of Arts (BA), a Master of Business Administration (MBA), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), you would typically list only your PhD:

• John Doe, PhD

Specific Scenarios and Best Practices

While the general rule advises listing only the highest degree, certain professions or specific situations may call for deviations.

Academic and Healthcare Fields

In fields like academia, medicine, law, or research, it is common and often necessary to list specific professional degrees or multiple degrees, especially if they are critical to your practice or role.

• Medical Professionals: Physicians often list their primary medical degree (e.g., MD, DO) and may include other relevant advanced degrees or certifications (e.g., MD, MPH; MD, FACS). Nurses often include their highest nursing degree followed by licensure (e.g., MSN, RN; DNP, APRN).
  • Example: Dr. Emily White, MD
  • Example: Sarah Chen, DNP, APRN
• Legal Professionals: Lawyers typically list their Juris Doctor (JD) degree. In some specialized cases or academic roles, a Master of Laws (LL.M.) or Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) may be added if it's the highest or highly relevant.
  • Example: Mark Johnson, JD
• Academics/Researchers: While a PhD is typically the highest, some academics might list multiple doctorates if relevant to interdisciplinary work, or a professional degree alongside a research doctorate (e.g., MD, PhD).
  • Example: Dr. Alex Lee, PhD (most common)
  • Example: Dr. Alex Lee, MD, PhD (if practicing medicine and conducting research)

Business and General Communications

For most business and corporate environments, sticking to the highest degree remains the best practice. Adding multiple degrees, unless directly relevant to the specific role or required by industry standards, can sometimes appear ostentatious or create unnecessary confusion.

Multiple Degrees

If you hold multiple degrees but one is clearly the highest academic credential (e.g., a doctorate after a master's), it is generally recommended to list only the highest. For instance, holding a BA, MA, and PhD, you would typically list only PhD.

However, if you possess two distinct and equally high-level professional degrees from different fields that are both pertinent to your professional identity or work (e.g., an MBA and a JD for someone practicing both law and business consulting), listing both can be appropriate. In such cases, list them in order of acquisition or perceived relevance, separated by a comma.

• Example (rare but possible): Olivia Davis, JD, MBA

It's also important to distinguish between academic degrees and professional certifications or licenses. Licenses (e.g., CPA for Certified Public Accountant, PE for Professional Engineer, RN for Registered Nurse) are typically listed after any academic degrees, if applicable.

• Example: Robert Miller, MBA, CPA
• Example: Lisa Wong, PhD, PE

Formatting Your Degrees

When listing degrees after your name, follow these formatting tips:

• Use Standard Abbreviations: Always use the official and widely recognized abbreviations for degrees.
• No Periods (Generally): Most modern style guides recommend omitting periods within abbreviations (e.g., PhD, MBA, not Ph.D., M.B.A.).
• Commas Between Degrees: If listing multiple degrees (in specialized circumstances), separate them with commas.

For further guidance on listing credentials in professional contexts, consulting university career services guidelines or professional association recommendations can be beneficial.

Common Degree Abbreviations

Understanding common degree abbreviations is essential for proper use.