It Depends
Why Majors Are Usually Lowercase
College majors follow the same capitalization logic as other common nouns. A major is a field of study, not a specific name – so it stays lowercase in running text, the same way you'd write "she studied law" or "he's interested in medicine."
The exception is proper nouns. Languages, nationalities, and place names keep their capital letters no matter where they appear. "English" is always capitalized because it derives from a proper noun (England), not because it's a major. The same goes for "Japanese," "African American studies," and "Latin."
This trips people up because their university might capitalize majors on official documents. Degree audit sheets, diplomas, and department websites often use title case for emphasis – Major: Political Science – but that's a formatting choice, not a grammar rule. In a sentence, it's lowercase: She's studying political science.
Quick Rules
Capitalize when
- The major contains a proper noun: She's majoring in English literature.
- It's part of an official degree name: Bachelor of Arts in Economics
- It's a specific course name: Introduction to Organic Chemistry (but the field is organic chemistry)
- It's used as a proper title on official documents (context-dependent)
Keep lowercase when
- It's a general field of study: He chose biology as his major.
- You're describing the subject broadly: a degree in computer science
- It's used in conversation or informal writing: She's thinking about switching to psychology.
- It appears as an adjective: a history major, a nursing student
Tip: If you can add "a degree in" before the major and it sounds natural, it's probably a generic reference – keep it lowercase.
AP Style vs. Chicago vs. APA
All three major style guides agree on the basics: lowercase general fields of study, capitalize proper nouns within them.
AP style is the most straightforward. It treats majors like any other common noun – lowercase unless a proper noun is involved. She majored in biology. He has a degree in English. AP also lowercases informal degree references: bachelor's degree, master's degree.
Chicago style follows the same approach. CMOS 8.85 specifically states that academic subjects are lowercased unless they're proper nouns or part of an official course name. She studied philosophy but She enrolled in Philosophy 301.
APA style aligns with both – lowercase for general references, capitalize for specific course titles. APA does capitalize the full formal name of a degree when it's written out with the major: Master of Science in Data Analytics.
The practical takeaway: all three guides tell you the same thing. Lowercase the major as a field of study, capitalize proper nouns and official names.
Examples
✓ Do
- She's majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry.
- His degree in English literature led to a career in publishing.
- The university offers a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering.
- Students in the political science department organized a debate.
✗ Do not
She's majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry.
General fields of study are lowercase: She's majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry.
He has a degree in english.
"English" is a proper noun (from England) – always capitalize: He has a degree in English.
She completed her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing.
Informal degree reference is lowercase: She completed her bachelor's degree in nursing.
Edge Cases Worth Knowing
These are the situations where writers most often second-guess themselves on major capitalization.
- Minors and concentrations. Same rules apply. Lowercase the field, capitalize proper nouns: a minor in Spanish, a concentration in data science. Official program names with formal titles get capitalized: Minor in East Asian Studies.
- Interdisciplinary programs. Programs like "women's studies" or "environmental science" stay lowercase. If the program includes a proper noun – "Latin American studies" – capitalize the proper noun portion.
- Resumes and headings. On a resume, you'll often see majors capitalized for emphasis – Major: Computer Science. This is a formatting convention, not a grammar rule. In the body text of a cover letter or personal statement, follow the standard lowercase rule.
- "I'm a [major] major." The word "major" as a noun stays lowercase: She's a biology major. Think of it like "a history teacher" – the subject modifies the role, and neither needs a capital letter unless it's a proper noun.
- Double majors. Lowercase both unless one contains a proper noun: She double-majored in economics and French.
Frequently Asked Questions
Writing about your major in a title or heading? Our free Title Case Converter applies the right capitalization rules across AP, APA, Chicago, and MLA styles.
Open the converter with a prefilled example and adapt it to your headline.
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About Oleh Kovalenko
Oleh Kovalenko develops practical capitalization guidance for editorial and SEO workflows, with a focus on consistent rule application.
