Letters after your name

[saxy_jag]

When you list your qualification letters after your name on, say, a letterhead or business card, which order should they go in?

[Buenchico]

I don't think that there are any strict rules but a fairly standard format seems to be academic qualifications first (in descending order of achievement), followed by professional memberships (in descending order of classes of membership).

For example, I put 'BEd(Hons), AFIMA, MCollP' after my name on formal correspondence. (i.e. degree first, then ''associate fellowship' takes precedence over 'membership'. If I also had a master's degree,or a doctorate, that would be at the front of the list).

Chris

[saxy_jag]

Thanks for that.

I have two BA degrees, one with honours, one without. Presumably I put the 'with' before the 'without'?

[Buenchico]

That would seem sensible but some people would suggest that the universities should be indicated (either as well as, or instead of, the honours).
e.g: BA(Hons, Sheffield), BA (Leeds).

If both your degrees are from the same university, you're strictly only allowed to put 'BA' once. That's because a university degree isn't actually an academic qualification. It's a class of membership of the university. (Of course, a degree is usually awarded as the result of academic study but a university can offer membership to anyone they like. That's why it's possible to receive an honorary degree but not an honorary diploma - because a diploma is an academic qualification).

So, if you complete two BA degree courses with the same university, your second course only admits you to the same class of membership which you already hold. (So you're only officially entitled to use 'BA' once).

Chris

[saxy_jag]

That's very clear. Thanks again.

Yours

Saxy - BA (Hons, De Montfort), BA (Open), Dip. Mus. ;-)

[Scylax]

All of the above answers noted. As an adjunct
to the question I would ask which higher degrees
have precedence, ie. MA, MSc, MEd etc.?

[Buenchico]

Saxy-Jag:
Thanks for your post. 'Dip Mus', eh? Well, now that Andr� Previn has reached 80, I suppose we'll soon be looking for someone to follow in his footsteps ;-)

Scylax:
Again, there are no 'hard and fast' rules but if someone has two or more degrees, at the same level, the usual convention seems to be that they are placed in chronological order,with the first such degree to be obtained heading the list.

You might find some people who would claim that, say, an MSc is somehow 'better' than an MEd, and should take precedence, but I would challenge that. (I obtained my BEd in Mathematics through taking exactly the same examination papers as the BSc candidates, so I fail to see how a BSc can be 'better' than a BEd!).

Of course, there are a few anomalies in the system. For example, many people seem to think that 'MA(Oxon)' is 'better' than just 'MA' when the reverse is actually the case, since an Oxford bachelor's degree can be 'upgraded' to a master's degree after one year, simply by paying a fee!

Chris