Capitalization

Definitions

In this style guide, capitalize means to make the first letter of a word a capital letter.

  • Toro the Trailblazer joined the College family in 2011.

Guidelines

Check the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook for general questions.

Academic Degrees

See also Abbreviations & Acronyms: Academic Degrees

Capitalize official college degrees when specific and spelled out.

  • Associate of Applied Science in Graphic Communication
  • Associate of Arts in Music
  • Bachelor in Economics
  • Master of Fine Arts
  • Doctor of Philosophy

Use lowercase when referencing general degrees.

  • Yes: Did you earn an associate degree last year?
  • No: Mary's Associate Degree transferred directly to the nursing program at UTA.

All Capitals

Formatting: Text Formatting

Do not capitalize all letters in words, phrases or sentences for emphasis. 

All capital letters are difficult to read and still communicate shouting.

  • Yes: No exceptions will be made.
  • No: NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE!

Consider careful use of bold instead—if appropriate.

Campus

See also Abbreviations & Acronyms: Campus Names

Capitalize the word campus when it is part of the name of one of our campuses.

  • Yes: Students on South Campus wrote and performed a play about the impact Hurricane Katrina had on survivors' lives.
  • No: Meet Southeast campus student organization representatives at the Club Expo.

Do not capitalize the word campus in general references to a campus.

  • Yes: If you live in Arlington and want to see one of our campuses, visit Southeast Campus.

Do not capitalize the word campuses when referring to more than one of our campuses.

  • Yes: UTA representatives will be visiting Northeast and Northwest campuses next week.
  • Yes: TCC has 5 campuses.
  • No: UTA representatives will be visiting Northeast and Northwest Campuses next week.

Centers & Locations

Capitalize the names of our locations.

  • B.R. Johnson Career and Technical Center/Crowley Collegiate Academy
  • Corporate Solutions & Economic Development
  • Erma C. Johnson Hadley Northwest Center of Excellence for Aviation, Transportation and Logistics
  • Learning Opportunities Centers
  • Public Safety Training Center
  • Tarrant SBDC

Chancellor

Capitalize the word chancellor when referring the Chancellor of Tarrant County College.

  • Yes: Our first Chancellor was Joe Rushing.

Do not capitalize in general references.

  • Yes: Does your school have a chancellor or a president?
  • No: Does your school have a Chancellor or a President?

College

Capitalize the word college when referring Tarrant County College.

  • Yes: The College reserves the right to add, change, or cancel any course section as necessary.
  • No: TCC District Archives preserves the college's history.

Do not capitalize the word college in general references to a college.

  • Yes: If your teenager is in high school, a decision about college is closer than you think.
  • No: A transfer advisor can help you pick the College that’s right for you.

Disciplines & Departments

See also Capitalization: Program

Capitalize department names.

  • Yes: Edith Greenway teaches in the Department of Mathematics on Northwest Campus.
  • No: Mark Sellers also teaches Mathematics on Northwest Campus.

Do not capitalize when referring generally to disciplines and majors.

  • Yes: My degree plan requires 1 semester of biology.
  • No: Alejandra is majoring in Accounting.

Exception: proper nouns that are included in the name of a discipline or major, such as English

  • Yes: Ashley is majoring in English.

Capitalize the word program when part of an official title.

  • Yes: Many TABS students continue their studies in our Radiologic Technology Program.
  • No: The Math Program is rigorous.

Do not capitalize the word program when used in general sense.

  • Yes: Many TABS student continue their studies in allied health programs.
  • No: John wants to enroll in a Marketing Program.

District

Capitalize the word district when referring Tarrant County College District.

  • Yes: In 1976, the District welcomed 2 campuses: Northwest Campus and the Community Campus.
  • No: The district has a 7-member Board of Trustees.

Do not capitalize the word district in general references to a district.

  • Yes: Which area school districts participate in our Dual Credit Program?

Districtwide

Capitalize Districtwide and make it one word when referring to Tarrant County College District.

  • Yes: Guided Pathways is a Districtwide initiative.
  • No: Guided Pathways is a District-wide initiative.

Email addresses (TCC)

See also Formatting: Email Addresses

Do not capitalize first and last names in TCC email addresses: firstname.lastname@tccd.edu

Headings

Headings:

  • Organize and chunk content
  • Help visitors scan text to find the section they need
  • Can be crafted as questions, statements, or verb phrases

Headings: Questions, Verb Phrases, or Statements

Capitalize only the first letter of the first word, as you would for a sentence.

  • Yes: How much does it cost to take the TSI Assessment?
  • No: How Much Does It Cost to Take the TSI Assessment?
  • Yes: Submit an official transcript from all colleges attended
  • No: Submit an Official Transcript from All Colleges Attended

Headings: Brief Noun-Based Phrases

Capitalize the first letter of every word except articles (e.g., a, an, the), prepositions of 4 letters or fewer (e.g., in, on, over), and conjunctions (e.g., and, or, but), as you would for a title.

  • Yes: Payment Due Dates
  • No: Tests offered

Lists: Unordered & Ordered

See also Formatting: Lists

Capitalize the first word of every list item.

Yes:

Meet with an advisor to:

  • Identify your education and career goals
  • Research colleges and universities to pick the one that's right for you
  • Explore financial aid

No:

Our Marketing Program will help you develop skills in:

  • advertising and promotion
  • communications
  • customer relationship management (CRM)

Professor

Capitalize the word professor when it comes before a personal name.

  • Yes: Did you know that Professor Frawley published an article in a highly respected national publication?
  • No: Yesterday, professor Carpenter gave a pop quiz.

Do not capitalize professor when speaking in general terms.

  • Yes: My math professor holds extra study sessions right before final exams.
  • No: Carol's economics Professor was absent on Wednesday.

Word List

District & Districtwide (capitalize when referring to Tarrant County College District)

eLearning

internet

MyTCCTrack

webpage

website

Updated January 20, 2023